Uniti Atom stops when playing album from NAS

[simoncn]

Stopping and then restarting if left alone sounds like it could be a network multicast discovery problem (see this page). The Synology server handles multicast discovery differently and is less affected by these network issues. Can you disable IGMP snooping in your network router?

[tarnkappe]

If the naim streamer already has the playlist set up and simply calls the URLs, can it still be an IGMP issue? I am not an expert but it feels like another kind of problem.

[Nothung]

Unfortunately I am no nearer resolving the problem. I looked at the EE Smart Hub router settings (similar to BT Hub) and couldn't see an IGMP snooping setting. I plugged the Ethernet cable in but that didn't work because the Atom was set to use WiFi and I had to do a reset. Tried 3 times with just Ethernet, each time things were different such as playing an opera in DSD64 without stopping but lost the artwork after a few tracks. Next time with a flac album artwork stayed on but play stopped after 6 tracks. Kept having to Power cycle to fix the missing artwork but it didn't hold.

Tried a full factory reset and gave the Atom a different room name and it looked promising but then the dreaded stopping after a track and having to restart by click Play Queue.

Gave up it frustration and set up again to use WiFi - works exactly as it should! I will try contacting Naim Support in the New Year....

Happy Christmas to all and many thanks for your suggestions.

PS I forgot to mention the cable runs from a switch near the router so I can try connecting direct to the router to bypass the switch and see if that helps

[Peter StreamMagic]

Found something on the internet about some BT routers . IMGP snooping can’t be switched off but is active when using a cable and inactive when using a WiFi connection. You will be better off using WiFi if this information is correct.

[Nothung]

Thanks Peter, I fear you are right. I have tried connecting direct to the router and problem with stopping still happens. WiFi works fine. Hey Ho!
David

[DavidHB]

@Nothung

Apologies for not coming back sooner. Christmas can be a bit of a distraction!

It is unsurprising that the EE router is similar to the BT counterpart with which many of us are familiar. My experience is that the gigabit switches built into the more modern BT routers are quite decent, so a separate switch (which would normally be my preference, and is the way I do things) may not be required. Of course, if you do use a separate swich, it needs to be a decent one; I use three Netgear GS108s in my system, and can recommend this model. Incidentally, for home networks I would recommend using unmanaged switches, as that reduces setup complications.

I am surprised by the information that IGMP is kept active for Ethernet but can be deactivated or wireless connections on a BT router. I would have expected (and on other routers have found) it to be the other way round.

All in ali, if Wi-Fi works best for you, there is no need to fix it. That, I admit, goes against my prejudices and preconceptions. I have always found that a fully wired Ethernet connection, using reasonable quality components and cables (by which I do not mean the more ridiculously expensive cables sold for 'HiFi' use), is the most reliable and the easiest to fix if it does go wrong.

As regards the issue of sound quality differences associated with different network (or, come to that different mains power) connections, I am always amazed ar the way in which the differing views on this subject can so easily turn into some kind of religion. The only relevant concept that makes sense to me is that, in any electronic system, every active component generates noise and every conductor carries noise (which is, of course, by its nature analogue). To the extent that sound quality differences are really associated with network connections, noise is likely to be the real culprit.

Human hearing seems to be very adept at perceiving noise, so system designers face significant challenges in lowering the noise floor to acceptable levels. In the audio systems we are mostly using nowadays, where the signal is in the digital domain everywhere except at the point of recording and the final amplification and reproduction, noise tends to be even more of a challenge than distortion.

IMO, sound quality issues associated with network (especially Ethernet) connections rarely if ever result from degradation of the digital signal as such. Rather, they are the product of inadequate suppression of the analogue noise produced by the high speed switching in the network. In some of today's more expensive Hi-Fi components (for example various Melco models and the Linn's recently introduced Klimax Organik players), we are seeing increasing use of optical network ports, of the kind used for some years in critical medical systems, for noise suppression. This approach could well become mainstream in the foreseeable future.

David

[Nothung]

Thank you David for your very interesting reply.
I confess that I too am not convinced about reports that things sound different and I only did a couple of 'trials' the main thing I noticed with the Synology app was that although the tracks didn't stop playing there appeared to be a 'slight hestiation' between tracks. It seemed to me that I could actually see on the Naim app it pre-loading the next track with Minimserver and gapless playback was flawless.
I was disappointed about Ethernet not working but fortunately, Minimserver works great with WiFi. I still can't get Apple Airplay to work from my iPad which sees the Atom Room but can't connect and although I can use Bluetooth and Chromecast they are far from seemless. As I only use them mainly for listening to Podcasts its not a big deal. I will post again if I ever find the solution to AirPlay.

David

[agisthos]

I just got a Uniti Atom HE and have the exact same issue - with MinimServer not fully playing a queue. It stops after a few tracks.

It also does this with Serviio. But Asset UPnP work fine. I have all 3 UPnP servers installed and running off my QNAP NAS.
What is Asset UPnP doing differently that MinimServer (and Serviio) does not do?

Maybe there is a setting in MinimServer that can be configured. Interval time ping back ?

[agisthos]

I also find the Naim can 'see' Asset UPnP very quickly but it often takes a while to find MinimServer. Maybe this is related to queue play issues, where MinimServer is not broadcasting enough times for the Naim network to pick up on.

I never had this issue with my Lindemann streamer + MinimServer, its just the Naim.

[simoncn]

The other user with this problem found that using wi-fi instead of Ethernet to connect the Uniti Atom provided a workaround for this problem. Have you tried this?