"Too many Failures, stopping Playback" on system, but works on endpoints

George_Inskeep · December 31, 2023, 8:49pm

Alienware M18 laptop
Windows 11 Pro, 64bit
64gb RAM, 13th Gen Intel (R) Core i9-13980HX 2.20GHz

Networked via wifi on LinkSys mesh router to Surfboard Modem, 1Gig cable internet. Approx 890mbps download right this second.

Connected via USB to Bose Companion 5 computer speakers plugged into the USB port on rear of laptop. Speakers work for all other applications on computer, including computer sounds, Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music.

Roon network (not on computer) is a HiFi system on HEOS and a WiiM Pro Plus endpoint, both of which work currently, and if selected play with signal paths etc.

Under 100 tracks in library.

I’m new to Roon, still in my trial phase. 8 days left. I have been listening for a week or so to the WiiM and HEOS and like the system. Working in my office for the first time since installing Roon and when I went to play an album, streamed from Tidal it quickly skipped through the first ten songs and then said “Too many failures, stopping playback” and no sound at all.

I tried changing to a known playlist, same thing. I searched something else… same thing. I tried Live Radio and after pressing play, it just stays on 0.00 minutes and doesn’t play.

Under Audio settings, on “This PC” it has the Alienware M18 (I renamed the device) and “Audio will play out of the default device” verbiage. It also shows the Bose Companion 5 as a WASAPI device, which I have both enabled and disabled to no avail. I have also enabled and disabled the Realtek ASIO, whatever that is (I suspect it is the sound card)

Out of curiosity, I just disconnected everything from the computer, external monitors, dock, speakers etc… to see if I could get it to play on the laptop internal speakers. Does not. All other sources play on

laptop speakers as well.

So, to summarize. Roon plays everywhere except the computer it is running on.

First screenshot is everything unplugged, second is with the monitors and Bose plugged in.

Rugby · January 1, 2024, 5:22am

Roon requires complete control of the audio device, so, if you are running any other software that takes control of the system audio then you will have this issue. Softwares can include other music players, video editing programs, games, game overlays, etc.

George_Inskeep · January 1, 2024, 6:24am

So, in short, I can’t use the computer it’s on, while it is running?

Jim_F · January 1, 2024, 6:38am

I don’t know what’s different, but when away from home, as I am now, I use this Dell doing other things while using it as Roon server playing to Mojo 2 and headphones.

Here it’s playing Roon to my headphones while playing a Youtube video to the computer speakers. My Roon audio is playing over WIFI to a RPi4 and USB to Mojo2. Maybe the difference is Roon is not using the Dell audio output, just sending audio over WIFI to RPi4. I never use a direct connection of DAC to a Roon server.

I’m using Verizon cellular hotspot data as there is no internet where I am at the moment.

Geoff_Coupe · January 1, 2024, 7:36am

@George_Inskeep - That second screenshot shows a few things:

I suspect that you actually need to give a Zone name (you have three unnamed devices) to complete setting up of a Zone
The NVIDIA High Definition Audio is the HDMI connection to your monitor
The RealTek WASAPI device is a connection to the Windows Audio System that bypasses the Windows audio mixer - you should be able to use this to play to your laptop speakers.

Is the Bose Companion 5 a multichannel device? If so, try setting the Channel layout to 5.1 in Roon’s device setup screen (scroll down and open the Advanced Settings - it’s in there). See this thread for comparison:

Device setup for many audio devices will offer an “Exclusive mode” setting. You could try experimenting with that to see if that helps.