[johncarm]

Okay I got the Zen and I'm trying to stream to it from JRiver on a MacBook. I set the Zen Stream to option 5, DLNA. It's not working. The DAC is plugged into the Zen. The DAC shows the data rate as "DSD 24.5 MHZ" but remains silent the whole time.

In JRiver, I can select Player -> Zone -> iFi Streamer. When I play a file it plays for about 3 seconds, then stops. Meanwhile there's no sound, and the "DSD 24.5 MHz" indication doesn't change.

Any ideas how to debug this? Is this possible on macOS? Is "5" the right setting for the Zen Stream?

I also posted to the JRiver forum but it's not a very active forum. It's stupidly divided into separate forums for every release so there's not a single very active forum that could share general information like this.

 

[johncarm]

Okay I got the Zen and I'm trying to stream to it from JRiver on a MacBook. I set the Zen Stream to option 5, DLNA. It's not working. The DAC is plugged into the Zen. The DAC shows the data rate as "DSD 24.5 MHZ" but remains silent the whole time.

In JRiver, I can select Player -> Zone -> iFi Streamer. When I play a file it plays for about 3 seconds, then stops. Meanwhile there's no sound, and the "DSD 24.5 MHz" indication doesn't change.

Any ideas how to debug this? Is this possible on macOS? Is "5" the right setting for the Zen Stream?

I also posted to the JRiver forum but it's not a very active forum. It's stupidly divided into separate forums for every release so there's not a single very active forum that could share general information like this.

Update: I wanted to clarify that the DAC shows "DSD 24.5 MHz" from the moment I plugged it into the Zen Stream. It has never changed even when attempting to playback files.

Something weird happened after the second time I tried to play back from JRiver (after rebooting my MacBook). This time, the light on the Zen Stream that indicates streaming rate came on, colored Yellow. Yellow, according to the Zen Stream documentation, indicates PCM with a rate of 176.4 KHz or above. But the DAC hasn't changed - still says "DSD 24.5 MHz". And I was playing a 16/44.1 file.

Another interesting fact... when I switch the DAC input to USB from any of its other inputs (it also has a S/PDIF input, BNC, and so on) there's a pop through the speakers. As if the DAC is outputting a DC offset maybe?

EDIT: another question: is the Zen supposed to be reachable at http://ifi.local when it's on setting 5, or does setup only work on setting 1, AIO?

Can the Zen Stream be a DLNA endpoint when it's on setting 1? I'm not clear on what AIO "all in one" is supposed to mean. That it does it all? Or is that only for setup?

 

[iFi audio]

Update: I wanted to clarify that the DAC shows "DSD 24.5 MHz" from the moment I plugged it into the Zen Stream. It has never changed even when attempting to playback files.

Something weird happened after the second time I tried to play back from JRiver (after rebooting my MacBook). This time, the light on the Zen Stream that indicates streaming rate came on, colored Yellow. Yellow, according to the Zen Stream documentation, indicates PCM with a rate of 176.4 KHz or above. But the DAC hasn't changed - still says "DSD 24.5 MHz". And I was playing a 16/44.1 file.

Another interesting fact... when I switch the DAC input to USB from any of its other inputs (it also has a S/PDIF input, BNC, and so on) there's a pop through the speakers. As if the DAC is outputting a DC offset maybe?

The first thing is to set the Zen to mode #1 AIO. Then go into the Stream ifi app or iFi.local and make sure your output settings are correct for what you are using, USB or Spdif.

You can't access this setting if you are in mode 5, so try this when you are getting sound perhaps then make the change to mode 5.

I am not near my unit to post screenshots, but the default for the Zen is Spdif so it probably just needs to be changed to USB if that's what you are using.

I will check back later, and I am sure others may also offer advice.

Cheers!!

 

[johncarm]

Update... when I went into the Zen Stream settings, I found my music library accessible. Did running JRiver do that? I was able to select and play a track through the USB output. It started playing! Sounds pretty good too. Very dynamic compared to playback from my NUC. I'm running the Zen Stream off a very h.q. 12 V linear supply right now.

However, when I stop playback from the iFi controls, then go back to JRiver and select "iFi" as the Zone, then play something through JRiver, there's no sound. JRiver seems to be playing the file... the play time is increasing and it doesn't stop after 3 seconds this time.

EDIT: USB was already selected as the output.

 

[johncarm]

I got the Zen Stream running with JRiver on my MacBook in both senses: #1 JRiver is the player and it chooses the Zen to direct the signal to, #2 The Zen WUI is the player and it connects to my MacBook as a Media Server.

I can also plug a USB drive into the Zen and use the WUI to navigate its folders and play tracks. This sounds the best of all three methods, by far.

EDIT: the DLNA uses are unreliable though. Sometimes in the Zen WUI have to click the name of my MacBook two or three times before it will continue through without errors. In JRiver on my MacBook, I haven't figured out quite what settings are needed to get the iFi to show up as a "zone." Right now, JRiver is pretty reliable, but I don't know what setting I changed.

 

[johncarm]

I think the Zen crashed.

I was playing music from a folder (on the attached USB drive) that had a bunch of wave files, and then a CUE file that originally came with a large FLAC. I had already split the FLAC into separate tracks and deleted it, leaving the CUE file behind by mistake. I set up the Zen to play this whole folder (with album repeat on), then came back later and noticed there was no sound. I tried clicking on other tracks in the folder and nothing played. I rebooted the Zen and it was working again.

Another thing I noticed that's a bit buggy is that sometimes an "EFI" folder shows up in the Music Library section, and sometimes it's not there.

 

[zolom]

Does anyone here have the unbrick tool and installation of a fix firmware for the ZS?

Please PM

Thanks

 

[johncarm]

I figured the ZS would need some burn-in time. It's been playing for somewhere between 50 and 100 hours now. When I first set it up, driving a custom modified Gustard X20dac via USB, the transients were a bit aggressive and monotonous (i.e. string attacks had a similar quality to brass which had a similar quality to piano, etc.). Now the attacks seem smoother and better differentiated. It's sounding very good at this point... an essential part of that is using my 12V linear power supply. On the supplied wall wart, the resolution turns to mush.

BTW this is getting the ZS to play off an attached hard drive. I haven't gotten networking up to that quality yet, but working on it.

 

[stanrozenfeld]

Hi,

I admit that I did not have a chance to read the entire thread, so apologies if this has been covered. I was comparing Tidal Connect between Wiim Pro Digital out and IFI Zen Stream. When playing high res files, I noticed that Wiim would play 24/96 and 24/192. Zen Stream would play same file as MQA, and both my DACs don't handle MQA. Am I missing something? Is there anything I can do to get Zen Stream to play high res FLAC files?

Thanks,
Stan

 

[iFi audio]

Hi,

I admit that I did not have a chance to read the entire thread, so apologies if this has been covered. I was comparing Tidal Connect between Wiim Pro Digital out and IFI Zen Stream. When playing high res files, I noticed that Wiim would play 24/96 and 24/192. Zen Stream would play same file as MQA, and both my DACs don't handle MQA. Am I missing something? Is there anything I can do to get Zen Stream to play high res FLAC files?

Thanks,
Stan

The Zen stream has not yet received the Tidal Max update so if the file from Tidal has MQA on it (Tidal has not converted all tracks to FLAC) then it is proper to see the MQA light if there is MQA encoding on the file.

Wiim has received its update as far as I know so that is why you are seeing this.

We are working to update our devices to Tidal Max, and once Tidal is no longer sending MQA encoded files this will also bring an end to this discrepancy.

Hope that helps...

Cheers!!

 

[SHXMD]

Sir,

So you are aware…my MAC mini M1 chip with Tidal Connect is reading MQA and MAX in Amber color. And switch’s off to Hifi at lower rates.

My Zen stream is displaying the various sampling rates up through blue consistent with the known sampling rates including DSD 256. (This maybe incorrect but the music is very detail rich-is it correct?I do not know.)

This model as you know was just updated by the IFI factory in Virginia.

But software is 2.32.9-listed date is Aug of 2023.

Obviously Tidal Connect has been updated 3/27/2024 and ZS appears to monitor and be responding correctly.

(Till the stream drops!)

 

[GuiltyRocker]

I am behind a few firmwares since it has been working, now I get disconnected from Roon here and there, I suspect the few recent updates from Roon are messing with the old firmware. Is it safe to update to the newest Zen stream firmware? I remember a few updates ago one of those newer updates to the Zen was a disaster, let me know, thanks.

 

[iFi audio]

I am behind a few firmwares since it has been working, now I get disconnected from Roon here and there, I suspect the few recent updates from Roon are messing with the old firmware. Is it safe to update to the newest Zen stream firmware? I remember a few updates ago one of those newer updates to the Zen was a disaster, let me know, thanks.

If your base software is functional for you with very few errors, you can always "Factory reset" to go back to it.

The new firmware is being worked on, (wish I had a timeframe for you) that will give fixes for Tidal Max and probably some other improvements.

The newest firmware added support for Airplay two and some small improvements, so that would be your call.

As a Roon user, there have been quite a few hiccups, especially with Tidal, the most current issue being High rez files are only playing at 44.1, I'm sure things will settle shortly so it may be worth a wait.

Cheers!!

 

[GuiltyRocker]

If your base software is functional for you with very few errors, you can always "Factory reset" to go back to it.

The new firmware is being worked on, (wish I had a timeframe for you) that will give fixes for Tidal Max and probably some other improvements.

The newest firmware added support for Airplay two and some small improvements, so that would be your call.

As a Roon user, there have been quite a few hiccups, especially with Tidal, the most current issue being High rez files are only playing at 44.1, I'm sure things will settle shortly so it may be worth a wait.

Cheers!!

I see, when was the last firmware update released? Also, I don't care about Tidal since I cancelled them due to that MQA nonsense. I could hear from the very beginning that MQA was a joke.

 

[iFi audio]

I see, when was the last firmware update released? Also, I don't care about Tidal since I cancelled them due to that MQA nonsense. I could hear from the very beginning that MQA was a joke.

I believe it was the middle of the year to the third quarter of last year, my best guess, those that are on the latest firmware can give you an exact date, at the moment I am not.

Cheers!!