Be sure to let support know the fact that it's losing connection for you, even if it's just noted for the unit!Sounds good, thanks for your suggestion - I'll try that tomorrow when it happens again
Cheers!!
iFi Zen Stream: Setup, Tips, Tricks...
- Thread starter Mr BubbaHyde
- Start date
Cheers!!
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
Hi everyone.
1. I'm having problems with Roon exclusive mode. When I switch to Roon Mode there's no sound. I've tried with two DACs (the Zen Dac Signature V2 and the internal DAC of my Hegel). When this happens, the DAC doesn't show sign of getting any signal from the Stream. I've also tried with USB and COAX out. Sometimes it works back again, after changing a few tunes but it's hard to find a clear pattern in this behaviour. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I have no idea what that might be. Any thoughts?
2. Is there any theoretical difference between the Roon Mode (#2) and AIO (#1) with all sources other than Roon switched off in the App? I've read somewhere that there's a technical difference.
Cheers
1. I'm having problems with Roon exclusive mode. When I switch to Roon Mode there's no sound. I've tried with two DACs (the Zen Dac Signature V2 and the internal DAC of my Hegel). When this happens, the DAC doesn't show sign of getting any signal from the Stream. I've also tried with USB and COAX out. Sometimes it works back again, after changing a few tunes but it's hard to find a clear pattern in this behaviour. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I have no idea what that might be. Any thoughts?
2. Is there any theoretical difference between the Roon Mode (#2) and AIO (#1) with all sources other than Roon switched off in the App? I've read somewhere that there's a technical difference.
Cheers
Yes much better sound, but you have to select your source in a different way for Roon Ready Mode
See here...
Cheers!!
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
Thank you. It worked. Cheers
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
Although it worked, I have to repeat this procedure everytime I switch on the Unit, if I'm using SPDIF. Although it still shows SPDIF as the output, I have to click again on the SAVE button to get sound out of the unit. It seems wired. It doesn't seem to happen with USB.
Interesting, I am not sure why it would do that.
Perhaps @iFi audio may have a suggestion once I set mine it stays unless changed, I am running the beta firmware and have been for a while now
Cheers!!
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
I've installed the latest betafirmware and the issue remains. Actually, there's more. If I use USB and reconnect the unit using SPDIF, the Core doesn't recognize the Zen Stream. I need to plug-in the USB cable at the same time and then the unit shows and I can go to settings and select SPDIF again. So, I guess there's issues regarding SPDIF with Roon exclusive mode. Maybe it's the Core running on my notebook. I don't know. Things seem to be ok with USB out.
Just for clarity...
Are you saying that you do not see this in your settings of Roon after a power cycle? Off for a while then on? Or you do see it and no music is coming from the spdif, even though Roon shows the music is playing?
As a side note, is this happening because you have a USB connected at the same time? There is a default in the ZS honestly forget which way it is USB or Spdif priority. To be clear what I mean is USB and Spdif are both connected to the ZS ports on the back and you are not hearing Spdif unless you do the configure page and save.
Cheers!!
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
I see what you mean, but that's not my problem. After a power cycle, I see Roon playing the music but there's no sound. So, I need to go back to settings and click SAVE again and then it goes back to normal, although it was showing SPDIF all along (if this was the last I used). However, if I use USB and switch off the unit and then power it on using SPDIF ONLY the Zen is not recognized. If I attach a USB cable at the same time, then it is recognized and I can go to settings and select SPDIF. Then I take the USB cable off and can play using SPDIF. Is it clear now?Just for clarity...
Are you saying that you do not see this in your settings of Roon after a power cycle? Off for a while then on? Or you do see it and no music is coming from the spdif, even though Roon shows the music is playing?
As a side note, is this happening because you have a USB connected at the same time? There is a default in the ZS honestly forget which way it is USB or Spdif priority. To be clear what I mean is USB and Spdif are both connected to the ZS ports on the back and you are not hearing Spdif unless you do the configure page and save.
Cheers!!
Yes clear, the issue is a bit of a long one, and again I invite @iFi audio to chime in here.
Back before the ZS had Roon Ready certification Roon users were able to use both the USB and Spdif outputs of the ZS at the same time, although this was never supposed to be a function of the ZS it did work with no issues. Now keep in mind only Roon users were able to do this as Roon treated the USB and Spdif as two different zones within its programming.
As a rule from the very beginning, the ZS had a default output, I cannot remember if it was USB or Spdif that was the default but it surely had this and was quoted as having it in the manual.
Now when the ZS became Roon "ready" with certification this ability to use both at the same time was taken away. And the new functional "clicking device info" came into play for selecting your ZS output, many were not even aware of this, as you recently realized, and it was not widely addressed except for in the ZS thread, and here in post one, or somewhere around it.
So now we have what we have, if I leave my zen stream powered off for 20 minutes or so I have to do the same thing you are, opening the browser window and clicking "save" to use the Spdif out. If I leave it on all the time this doesn't happen, I "think" this is because the change to Roon "ready" made the USB the default in terms of Roon, and of course, I may be wrong. If so the simple fix is something iFi or Roon would have to implement. For us the simple fix is just to bookmark the iFi page for the Roon ready end, and if this occurs simply set the output and hit save. No reason to go all thru the menu in Roon to get to the configure device screen.
Not ideal but is what it is, I know that as audiophiles we love to tinker and switch to find the best sound, all part of the hobby for sure but try to keep in mind that a ton of people might never do the things we do, and @iFi audio or Roon chasing down every tiny glitch is not going to happen in a day. That is why this thread exists, to point out goofy things and goofy fixes, and share with manufacturers what we have come across.
Example: Everyone complained on the Roon forum "when are we getting Roon certification? When When When...
Then we got it and couldn't use both Zones at the same time, so the complaint became, well you know, lol
Hopefully, this can be addressed, but I also realize that we are a tiny part of a big machine, a squeaky one yes, but tiny...
Cheers!!
hakunamakaka
1000+ Head-Fier
When you power-cycle zen stream and it is not recognize via spdif please log into zen stream via ssh, run "aplay -l" and let me know the outcome.
I've posted on how to ssh to zen stream few pages prior.
Mine has no issues running via spdif and works very smoothly apart that I have to restart services sometimes and it takes just few secs to do so. Once done it can play for days till I start messing with it.
volumio@ifi:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: rockchipspdif [rockchip-spdif], device 0: ff030000.spdif-wm8804-spdif wm8804-spdif-0 []
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
As I said previously zen stream OS is volumio with it's quirks and poorly working Web UI. I'm not accessing zen stream through web at all as it is just bad. Save your nerves and simply operate it via ssh if you have issues. You will be rewarded with properly working and good sounding streamer on budget
Very good advice!
As I mentioned in my prior post, situations arise and workarounds are a plenty! I myself have had practically Zero issues with both of my units for over a year, so from my perspective when these issues arise, report and figure out as most are related more to use and network, and sometimes a glitch here and there.
This has been proven over and over again in the main thread by the sheer number of post that say.."I'm having an issue, my ZS is broke!" when in fact a reboot cured it all,
Thank you for the helpful advice! Appreciated!!
Cheers!!
Edit: What are your thoughts on Mconnect instead of the iFi UI?
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
Thank you for the explanation. In any case, I think the main consequence is not so much for audiophiles, who like to tinker and eventually know their way around such issues, is for the average consumer, people who may buy it to run Roon with Coax and will be lost thinking the gear they've bought is broken, or something like that. This isn't good for a product that has so many vocal "'enemies" posting videos and comments on the web. Anyway, that's iFi problem, not mine. I think I'll stick to USB for now. Cheers
You are correct, however, this is the first time I am seeing this issue, and keep in mind I have a limited view, (mostly in this thread now), and was not having this issue. As a matter of habit, I am always checking my settings before pressing play, and that's on me, and probably why I haven't noticed this issue.
But I am curious if you could share some of these "vocal enemies" as I would love to comment on these videos or posts, and send them here to see the great and helpful people in here. I remember commenting on CheapAM that he was way off on his assessment of the ZS, and even inside conversation admitted it may have been a network issue on his side, so I tend to take the one-offs and detractors as not being fully aware of the ZS capabilities. I still see people asking how to stream youtube to the ZS, and I think to myself, how much reading did you do?
Hope we get this issue addressed so it doesn't happen, but as I said, I am not sure if this is on iFi or Roon, that is not clear...
Cheers!!
Vitor Goncalves
100+ Head-Fier
I was wondering the same thing, Roon or iFi? At least in the beginning, SPDIF was the default connection for the Stream. So, it is suprising to see Roon having trouble recognizing the SPDIF connection in a manner that suggests USB to be the default. But, as I said, I may be doing something wrong and this is not even a real issue. Whatever it is, the sound is really excellent and I appreciate the time people take to be helpful in threads like this one.
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