I see that the fix is to select do not use raw pcm
However when I try to deselect use raw pcm I get the same error message while the selected audio output switches to MacBook (x)
please describe step by step how to force origin to deselect use of raw pcm so I can stop getting this error message
From the Audirvāna Knowledge base:
IMPORTANT: when you are playing a track, you can’t change the output due to the Exclusive access mode of Audirvāna. Since Audirvāna ‘Locks’ this output. Your computer will then select another available audio device and will switch to it if you use different app with sound. You need to click on the lock icon next to the speaker icon to deactivate exclusive access and be able to select again an output device in Audirvāna.
More information is needed about your DAC and connection to the DAC…
Paste your debug information report here… Follow the directions below:
Hi @jsalino,
Can you send us a copy of the "Debug Info“ when you have this issue? You can get it in Audirvana Settings>My account.
Note: When you click on the Debug Info button, Audirvana automatically copies all its content. Please paste it in response to this email.
Hi there,
I’m encountering the very same problem with a device (Yamaha CRX N560). I simply cannot change the configuration by deselecting the RAW PCM format: AS goes back to the default audio output on my Mac Mini.
Is there a way to play AS through the CRX or is it not possible (Possible with Roon as I recently noticed).
By the way, I observed the following behaviour:
1- I select the CRX in the list of Audio devices.
2- I get the error message about PCM
3- I clicked on Cancel in the popup window
4- The audio device CRX is still displayed in the “Audio” Tab, but if I click on the top bottom HP icon to look at the audio devices, the default Mac Mini output is selected.
Very same behaviour in both last AS release and the new Beta version.
What file format are you trying to play on the CRX N560?
These are the supported file formats:
(USB / Network) MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC
Thing is that when I tried to play a FLAC 16/44.1 file, I got the error message about the limitations and then the audio stream is sent directly to … the default audio device, which is the Mac mini speaker.
So, it has apparently nothing to do with the file format. Unless the CRX does not accept UpNP stream and only support a direct connection to a DLNA server.
What is strange is that there is no problem with Roon (CRX compatible with the ROON protocol but not with UpNP…. I doubt it).
What is showing in Audirvāna when you look at the output format of the file that is being sent to the DAC?
The screenshot above regarding File Format support via DLNA/USB clearly states: “To play back FLAC files, you need to install server software that supports sharing of FLAC files via DLNA on your PC or use a NAS that supports FLAC files.”
It appears the keywords here are “sharing” and “DLNA”… We don’t see Yamaha devices supporting UPnP… and NAS and USB storage media support access is implemented from their proprietary OS/UI.
Hi,
I have a NAS supporting DLNA and I can use it as a server to playback files to the Yamaha CRX, and this works.
What does not work is to use the CRX as an UPnP device from AS. Although the device is listed as an UPnP device by AS, it simply cannot be used, whatever file format is used.
If you try to select the device, you get the error message and then the selection goes back to the default one. I guess there is a problem somewhere with the CRX but I wonder why this device works with Roon.
Apparently, Roon uses Airplay2 to talk with the CRX device.
Yes it only does Airplay with Roon. If you select the CRX as the output using the Apple menu bar sound icon and then go into Audirvana and select the airplay option it should play just fine. MusicCast is one of the manufacturer perverted forms of UPnP to add multiroom streaming and some other functions etc. It is why Audirvana won’t play to it… all UPnP/DLNA implementations are not the same (MusicCast, Openhome, Linn Kazoo etc) and leads to many a frustration………… Audirvana supports the strict standard implementation UPnP/AV, manufacturer modifications may lead to incompatibility with Audirvana.
Congrats!
You win! Thanks for the tip! After activating Airplay on the Mac, the CRX device appears in the list provided by AS and it works.
Regarding the implementation of UPnP, I hate the situation where developers take liberty with the protocol specification and do what they want to do when coding, exposing the users to such bad experiences that lead them to blame either the equipment manufacturer or the protocol itself.
Anyway, now it works. That will give me the opportunity to make another comparison between AS and Roon from the point of view of sound quality. But, so far, using other devices and multiple file formats, I came to the conclusion that AS beats Roon on that field, Roon having one interesting feature that AS would deserve to have: the simultaneous playing on different devices.
Thanks a lot anyway and have a good day!
I believe the CRX is recognized as a network client by the UPnP interface of Audirvāna, however this hand-shake does not facilitate the expected UPnP protocols, because it is DLNA-centric… I believe Roon employs a translator from DLNA to RAAT or visa-versa RAAT to DLNA.
Airplay is a standardized transmission protocol and is limited in sample-rate support to 24 bit/44.1kHz or 48kHz… MusiCast is Yamaha’s proprietary transmission protocol.
All companies want standardized reliability, this is why RAAT and MusiCast and other proprietary transmission protocol were invented so they can insure their users have a solidly reliable experience. There is a cost associated with this reliability, and this is proprietary client hardware and system bloat.
UPnP is an open-source protocol that can be used in juxtaposition to having to conform to the standardized protocol(s). There is a price to pay for this, and we know that it is the problem of a lack of standardization.
Also, because of expectations, many folks make presumptions, without being fully informed of the types of disparagements they may encounter… If you try to connect a USB cable to the CRX you will be disappointed to find that you cannot play files from Audirvāna because this transmission hand-shake is not supported as you may expect. It only supports a connected USB storage device with music files that are accessed via the CRX OS/UI…
Thanks Agoldnear,
But I have some difficulty to figure out what “DLNA-centric” mean. I initially thougt that DLNA was just a consortium of companies who agreed on some principles to ensure interoperability of devices in the audio domain.
Then, as far as I understand it, UPnP allows device to report about their capabilities and supported audio or video formats. So, I understand that AS sends a request on the network and gathers information about devices. If a device such as the CRX reports back about its ability to support UPnP requests (And apparently this is what happens as the CRX informs AS about some limitations), then that device is supposed to correctly play all other formats, which apparently it can’t.
Because of the disparagements in the hand-shake between UPnP and DLNA protocol, it appears the CRX is simply identified as a network client, but it expects the customized DLNA protocol it has been programmed with and does not recognize the UPnP signals.
