Roon RAAT and "An audio file is loading slowly"

[tategoi]

I’m on 1Gbps Ethernet and therefore having the slow audio loading symptom. How do you downgrade the speed to 10/100 Mbps?

[mdconnelly]

What kind of computer are you running Roon on? That's where you can change the network adapter setting. I'm using Windows 10 and it's a simple setting. It looks like you're running a Nucleus so I'm not likely to be of much help.

But it is interesting that I have yet to see anyone having success with Roon RAAT to Devialet at gigabit speed.

[Pim]

I've set my Mac mini to 100Mb/s and haven't seen the fault message yet. It seems @mdconnelly has found the solution.

[thovie]

My Roon Core runs on a Synology 1817+ and I can't seem to find a way to switch its Ethernet ports down to 100 mbps.
Unplugging the wired connection from the Devialet and using WiFi works reasonably well with just an occasional hick-up.
A fix that would enable me again to use a more stable gigabit Ethernet connection would be great, but not super urgent.

[Confused]

This is perhaps slightly off topic, but does have some relevance.  This week SOtM offered a firmware update for the sMS-200 and similar products.  This new firmware offers the option to select between 1000BASE-T and 100BASE-T.  To quote from SOtM:

Also we tested when setting network speed to 100BASE-T, there was certain sound improvement compared to when setting network speed to 1000 BASE-T, so we’ve added a function to be selected the network speed between 100Base-T and 1000Base-T  and it is to make the better sound quality according to the system and network environment.

In other words, SOtM are claiming a sound quality improvement for switching to 100BASE-T.  I have read some speculative posts elsewhere that considers that by sending the Ethernet packet data at a steadier rate, this leads to less noise and processing in the receiving audio device.  Just a theory I guess, and I am sure that objectivists will claim this can have no effect.  Personally, I do not know enough about the possible effects of packet data rates to form an informed opinion either way.  

An interesting concept though, lower the network speed and get better sound quality.  At least this is something controversial that can be tried for free, as opposed to buying a $1500 network switch or something.  I wonder if this could have a positive effect on sound quality when streaming via Ethernet direct to a Devialet?

[Chris Marshall]

I have been running my Devialet on wifi for a while now and had no trouble with RAAT.

I'm running upsampling to 24/192 and have no stutters or dropouts.

The wifi is from a dedicated 5GHz access point (Netgear EX7300) connected by ethernet to the main network and the devialet is the only thing on it.

When i changed over from ethernet, if anything, I think the sound improved but until RAAT I couldn't play DSD or 24/192 in their full resolution, since it's perfect.

For clarity, I have had the Dev disconnect from the wifi maybe twice where it's needed a reboot but given that's around 5-6 months now, I don't think many wireless devices are any better.

If you're having trouble, wifi is definitely worth trying.

cheers

Chris

[mdconnelly]

I have been running my Devialet on wifi for a while now and had no trouble with RAAT.

I'm running upsampling to 24/192 and have no stutters or dropouts.

The wifi is from a dedicated 5GHz access point (Netgear EX7300) connected by ethernet to the main network and the devialet is the only thing on it.

When i changed over from ethernet, if anything, I think the sound improved but until RAAT I couldn't play DSD or 24/192 in their full resolution, since it's perfect.

For clarity, I have had the Dev disconnect from the wifi maybe twice where it's needed a reboot but given that's around 5-6 months now, I don't think many wireless devices are any better.

If you're having trouble, wifi is definitely worth trying.

cheers

Chris

Are you running wifi just between router and Devialet?   If so, what speed are you running from computer running Roon core/server to router?    I'm just wondering if it's an issue with gigabit speed at the Roon computer end, or gigabit speed at the Devialet end.    My hunch is that it's a Devialet issue, but I haven't attempted to test this yet.

[Chris Marshall]

I have been running my Devialet on wifi for a while now and had no trouble with RAAT.

I'm running upsampling to 24/192 and have no stutters or dropouts.

The wifi is from a dedicated 5GHz access point (Netgear EX7300) connected by ethernet to the main network and the devialet is the only thing on it.

When i changed over from ethernet, if anything, I think the sound improved but until RAAT I couldn't play DSD or 24/192 in their full resolution, since it's perfect.

For clarity, I have had the Dev disconnect from the wifi maybe twice where it's needed a reboot but given that's around 5-6 months now, I don't think many wireless devices are any better.

If you're having trouble, wifi is definitely worth trying.

cheers

Chris

Are you running wifi just between router and Devialet?   If so, what speed are you running from computer running Roon core/server to router?    I'm just wondering if it's an issue with gigabit speed at the Roon computer end, or gigabit speed at the Devialet end.    My hunch is that it's a Devialet issue, but I haven't attempted to test this yet.

No, gigabit on all the wired network, just the final link to the Devialet is WiFi.

If it is a Gigabit issue it looks more likely to be at the Devialet end, though it’s strange that AIR was fine over Gigabit.

[mdconnelly]

Well, I have to think it must be in how Devialet implemented RAAT in the new firmware/DOS. Devialet has been totally silent about it (no real info in response from a support ticket I submitted 2 weeks back). Surprising that Roon's testing didn't find this. Roon has acknowledged the problem but no further updates on their progress. Thankfully, Roon RAAT is working at the lower network speed or wifi. And Roon AIR still seems to work for most at gigabit speed.

I was getting ready to order a NUC to run Roon Rock but now I'm just going to wait to see how all this resolves.

[ogs]

It is important to remember that AIR and RAAT are different. AIR is a UDP transfer while RAAT uses TCP. There is also more overhead in TCP than UDP plus RAAT generating overhead by itself.
So RAAT has greater potential to provoke errors in the IP-stack of the CI. 100 and 1000 is also quite different even if both can use the same ethernet cable. 100BASE-T uses two pairs and 1000BASE-T uses all four pairs in the cable.