Transfer from Asio to non-exclusive Wasapi fails when sample rate of the track doesn't match the sample rate set in Windows sound settings

[Jan_Declercq]

Hi everyone,
Anyone else here noticing this issue with Roon?
(click the link pls)

Switching from Asio to Wasapi in non exclusive mode doesn't work when sample rate has to change

Okay, so I have done more testing. Important : the Wasapi driver is NON exclusive mode (checkbox is off) as I need Roon to work along with youtube. This is a list of commands I did in this exact order and what exactly happens in Roon : Windows sample rate is set to 96k (*) playing a 96k in Wasapi : works : dac shows 96k playing a 44.1k in Wasapi : works : dac shows 96k playing a 192k in Wasapi : works : dac shows 96k So here I can play any sample rate file, windows will remix it to 96k an…

[Jan_Declercq]

Help Needed please !!!

Are there please people wanting to participate in a little test (steps below) and tell me if they experience the same unlogical behaviour ? It’s to determine if Roon has a bug or if my driver has one. (I only experience this bug in Roon, not in other players.)

Thanks.

Roon on Windows, Dac connected over USB to laptop/pc
(Dac is Matrix Element X but you can test with whatever dac you own)

Preparation :

1. Transfer to a Wasapi driver zone
   (click Speaker symbol right bottom screen, click two arrows, select Wasapi)
2. Make sure Wasapi is in non-exclusive mode
   (Settings>Audio>Wasapi tab : gear symbol>Device Setup>
   Exclusive mode checkbox : NOT checked)
3. Make sure all DSP is OFF (no upsampling at all)
4. Restart Roon (this is to make sure Asio hasn’t been used yet by Roon at the beginning of this test)

Test:
While in Wasapi zone …
5. Try playing some tracks with different sample rates.
All should play over Wasapi and the dac should show one particular sample rate.
(this is the sample rate that is set in windows sound settings)

6. Transfer to Asio driver (zone)

7. Play the same tracks again
   All should play and the dac should now show their particular sample rates

8. Tranfer back to the Wasapi driver (zone)

9. Play the same tracks again

Unlike in step 5 where all tracks played flawlessly, no only the tracks with the exact same sample rate as in Windows sound settings (see step 5) are playing, for all the others I get no sound at all.

Can someone verify if they experience the same issue?
(Remember the Wasapi driver has to be in non exclusive mode for this test.)

Help please ! Thank you.

[Jan_Declercq]

Okay, To summarize my problem : Wasapi works flawlessly when Roon starts, but once Asio has been used, Wasapi only plays sample rates equal to the Windows target sample rate

I didn’t get any help here (I understand that the support team is gone for the holidays)
But I contacted Matrix Audio and they replied.

Cao Wei :

Hi Jan,
A customer mentioned the same issue to us recently.
After you set the output method to ASIO, Roon usually occupies the output channel because ASIO is allow to be occupied exclusively. So the WASAPI will not get the audio device.
When this issue happens, after you switch back to WASAPI, a restart of Roon will fix this problem.

So this means that Roon occupies the output channels but doesn’t release them when switching to Wasapi causing it to fail. Will this be addressed in a future update?

Matrix mentioned another of their users has the same problem so I’m no longer alone !

P.S. My trial period is ending in 5 days. I’m trialing Audirvana at the same time but I prefer Roon for the UI, metadata, etc. Sound qualitywise I don’t think there’s a real difference.

I’m happy to pay 699$ but then I expect some answers here like:
“Yes we will look into it, …” or “yes I notice the same”, or “no here it works” or “no, it cannot be done because …”.

Now I’m left in oblivion.