Thumb5's system

[thumb5]

Well that setup will give you quite a number of options. If you do decide to try out Roon 1.3 when it is released shortly, it should work well with either your locally attached music or those on the network.

Thanks; at the moment I'm hedging my bets a bit about what is likely to be the best streaming method so the plan was to keep several options open.

Out of curiosity, or perhaps I missed it, why is the Sonos feeding the D440 Pro as well?

Oh, sorry, I didn't explain that: it's mainly for listening to internet radio stations. Also I have another ZP90 with a digital input from my TV, so I can stream TV audio wirelessly via the Sonos mesh network into the 440 Pro. Now and then it's fun to do that when there's a good film on!

[baddog]

Sounds like nice setup, when you trial Roon 1.3, you can assess the quality of the Internet Radio feature they have as well.

[thumb5]

A quick update: I've been trying Roon Server running on the Mac Mini via AIR to the D440 Pro. AIR has been a bit temperamental - which seems to upset Roon more than I'd expect, and is more awkward to put right on a headless machine - so I'm trying plan B and using the USB connection instead. So far, so good. Not sure I can hear much difference, if any, in sound quality, although I haven't been listening for it (rather enjoying the music!).

[baddog]

A quick update: I've been trying Roon Server running on the Mac Mini via AIR to the D440 Pro.  AIR has been a bit temperamental - which seems to upset Roon more than I'd expect, and is more awkward to put right on a headless machine - so I'm trying plan B and using the USB connection instead.  So far, so good.  Not sure I can hear much difference, if any, in sound quality, although I haven't been listening for it (rather enjoying the music!).

I am interested in how AIR is being temperamental on your Mac Mini when using RoonServer. I have been running that setup since AIR3 came out and have not had any issues. I am using ethernet not wireless in my setup. Mine is headless as well, hit button to boot and AIR and RoonServer start properly. Shutdown either via button or by remoting into the Mac Mini.

Not saying it isn't acting funky on your system, just curious as to what the funk is up....

[Hifi_swlon]

(AIR never been stable on my Mac mini. Long since given up)

[baddog]

I was fortunate it would appear, and have it working on both Mini and NUC, thus microRendu long since gone....

Maybe I just got lucky on the length of my ethernet runs.

Regardless either solution is a sound one.

[thumb5]

A quick update: I've been trying Roon Server running on the Mac Mini via AIR to the D440 Pro.  AIR has been a bit temperamental - which seems to upset Roon more than I'd expect, and is more awkward to put right on a headless machine - so I'm trying plan B and using the USB connection instead.  So far, so good.  Not sure I can hear much difference, if any, in sound quality, although I haven't been listening for it (rather enjoying the music!).

I am interested in how AIR is being temperamental on your Mac Mini when using RoonServer. I have been running that setup since AIR3 came out and have not had any issues. I am using ethernet not wireless in my setup. Mine is headless as well, hit button to boot and AIR and RoonServer start properly. Shutdown either via button or by remoting into the Mac Mini.

Not saying it isn't acting funky on your system, just curious as to what the funk is up....

My set-up is wired too. I do have the wireless network still enabled on both the D440 and the Mac Mini; maybe it would be worth disabling either or both of those just to make sure they're not causing any confusion. Start-up seems to be fine, just as you described. But then after some trouble-free playing, the output just stops. Roon thinks it's still playing the track, and the AIR icon is still black, but nothing's coming out. I then have to remote into the Mac Mini, disable and/or quit AIR and re-start it. That seems to upset Roon, causing a lost connection, even if I stop playing the track first. I should perhaps try switching it to a different output device before fiddling with AIR. Also, the problem sometimes recurs almost immediately so I might have to go round that cycle several times before it settles down and plays nicely again.

So far, I haven't seen anything similar when using USB, so I'm assuming this is a problem with AIR rather than Roon.

Taking the pragmatic view like hifi_swlon, given that USB seems to be doing the right thing I'm not sure whether there's much to be gained by trying to get AIR to work reliably. That said, I'm glad to hear it is for you, and if you have any particular hints or tips on that do let me know.

[baddog]

Perhaps just to close out on the issue, try disabling wireless on the Devialet and Mac Mini, as you really don't need it enabled on either of them since they are configured with Ethernet.

So when this issue happens, if you quit Roon and re start does the issue still go away?

[thumb5]

Well, I've given AIR over Ethernet a second chance and it's been behaving very well since I switched back to it at the week-end. No configuration changes at all, but it feels much more solid now for some reason. I wonder whether Roon was doing something in the background after I first installed it, and has now caught up with itself (no concrete evidence for that, just musing...).

[baddog]

Well, I've given AIR over Ethernet a second chance and it's been behaving very well since I switched back to it at the week-end.  No configuration changes at all, but it feels much more solid now for some reason.  I wonder whether Roon was doing something in the background after I first installed it, and has now caught up with itself (no concrete evidence for that, just musing...).

After you first install Roon can be busy processing and importing your music library. Perhaps that was the reason, rock on wood....