I have a problem that is quite annoying in daily use.
It concerns the Vivaldi Apex DAC.
I have connected 3 sources to it:
1 - TV on the SPDIF input (16/44)
2 - Digital Tuner on the optical input (16/44)
3 - Aurender N20 streamer on the AES1 input
I will give an example.
I watch TV and now want to listen to music, and then switch to the AES1 input with the input switch.
That goes from SPDIF1 > USB > AES1 as everyone can see on the display.
But now comes the thing, this is only possible if I play a 16/44 file directly or if I played it last (e.g. a day before) on the N20.
If I played a file sample other than 16/44 last on the N20, I cannot set the input to AES.
This happens with both the Aurender Conductor app and Roon.
Once it plays I can just play all kinds of files, that always works fine.
If I disconnect the Vivaldi Clock the problem persists.
I have also tried all sync settings, but unfortunately.
Ruud, on the Vivaldi DAC, an input can only be selected when it has an actively interface connected to it. I’m guessing for whatever reason, your Aurender N20 is not presenting an active AES output except for when 44.1/16 track is played/prior.
As a test, instead of STOPPING the Aurender when you change inputs can you PAUSE it instead and see if that changes what you’re getting happening with the inputs?
There is no stop button, only the pauze/play button.
But something has changed, now it does switch (“99 times out of 100”) immediately on the AES1 input. But, and that is another problem that Aurender knows about, is that switching the two Clock frequencies in Roon does not work well and with the Aurender app it works fine. Aurender is working on it and maybe these complaints are related…???
But Ruud, it looks like you have both the clock groups on the Vivaldi Master Clock set to 48kHz. How can it sync to 44.1kHz with sync mode set to Auto?
That is the whole problem. The clock sync is set to W. With the Aurender app the clock plays and switches from 44 to 48 when necessary and that works on group 1. With Roon the clock frequency does not switch and hangs and then shows Auto in red.
Aurender has determined that it is not working properly and is working on it.
This is how it is connected:
Ah, I see. I am aware of the Aurender dongle (neat solution!) but wasn’t aware how it works in practice. Hopefully Aurender support can help you straighten it out.
The Aurender N20 was the first device that was made suitable for Roon. The combination with the dCS Vivaldi DAC/Clock as I use it is of course not often used, which is why it takes longer than I had hoped.
Aurender’s response:
Thank you for your message and for your patience regarding this matter. I understand your concerns, especially with the investment you’ve made (Ruud: orded 2x Shunyata Omega-x clock cables). I will check on the progress of resolving this issue and update you as soon as I have any information. Please rest assured that we are committed to addressing your concern. Thank you again for your understanding, and I’ll be in touch soon.
Which set of outputs on the Vivaldi Clock does the Aurender dongle control? Is it Group 1 or Group 2?
Also, what is the sync setting for AES1 on the Vivaldi DAC? Can you check that it is “W” and not “W1” or “W2”?
Is the Aurender Dongle actually changing the output of the Clock at all (as from the photo it looks like the Clock is outputting 48k when the Aurender is wanting a 44.1k clock)?
Do you know what RS232 format the Aurender Dongle needs the Clock to be set to? I THINK the Aurender dongle needs the RS232 setting on the Vivaldi Clock to be TEXT “T” not BINARY “B”…
If you aren’t using Roon does the clock frequency switching work correctly?
Which set of outputs on the Vivaldi Clock does the Aurender dongle control? Is it Group 1 or Group 2?
Group 1
Also, what is the sync setting for AES1 on the Vivaldi DAC? Can you check that it is “W” and not “W1” or “W2”?
W
Is the Aurender Dongle actually changing the output of the Clock at all (as from the photo it looks like the Clock is outputting 48k when the Aurender is wanting a 44.1k clock)?
As mentioned above several times, when I use the Aurender app everything works fine, and only with Roon the clock frequency does NOT SWITCH and the last used frequency in the Aurender app remains.
**Do you know what RS232 format the Aurender Dongle needs the Clock to be set to? ** I THINK the Aurender dongle needs the RS232 setting on the Vivaldi Clock to be TEXT “T” not BINARY “B”.
TEXT “T”?
Aurender support: Regarding the RS232 setting, as mentioned in my previous response, our engineer confirmed that Aurender supports B commands, so you should set the RS232 mode to “B” on your DAC, not “T.”
If you aren’t using Roon does the clock frequency switching work correctly?
YES, perfect (with the Aurender app)
OK - Then that definitely sounds like an Aurender-to-solve problem … you’d said in your original post “This happens with both the Aurender Conductor app and Roon” so I was a bit more concerned but if it works normally other than when using Roon then it sounds like it’s just not issuing the clock change within Roon from the Aurender which they should be able to resolve.
I am not sure yet if the input switch problem is related to the clock frequencies not switching in Roon. I received an email this morning from Aurender Support announcing a new Beta version for my N20. This concerns the clock problem. If that works well I can test whether the input problem is also solved. I will of course let you know.
Well, one of the two problems is solved. It is that the AES input cannot be selected without first playing a 16/44 file on the N20. In the settings in the Aurender app I had to adjust the SPDIF setting. like this:
Thats interesting. And this resolved the issue for the AES interface?
As far as I know, the Professional/Consumer bit flag is meant to be 1 for AES/EBU interfaces and 0 for SPDIF interfaces (per the AES-1992 Standard). Curious why Aurender would make that configurable (perhaps they might have encountered some vendors who don’t comply with the standards).
This is for me purely because when I want to select the AES1 it didn’t work. I first had to play a 16/44 track before the input worked… But now it works right away. Why? I don’t know. According to Aurender, switching the clock frequency in Roon will also be solved soon. I hope so because my new clock cables will arrive next week.
(perhaps they might have encountered some vendors who don’t comply with the standards).