Naim ND5 & Audirvana streaming/conflict?

I'm not sure Naim will play via Audirvana.  

I would install the Synology packaged Media Server & see if that changes anything,  it might not,  but worth trying.   

How are you connecting the ND5 to the Mac?

I take it you have your iTunes library residing on the Synology. Itunes (+ Audivarna) on the Mac and then another media server running on the Synology which is pointed to your iTunes library and serving your ND5 and Muso.

I can't see why this is causing issues unless there is a sharing permissions setting wrong which is not allowing multiple clients to access the same track ?

I wonder if Audirvana could be locking the file(s) on the NAS when it plays them and preventing the Synology UPnP server accessing them?

Try shutting down your Mac, rebooting the NAS and then try playing the same files again ... The ND5 doesn't actually access the files on the NAS directly - only via the UPnP server.

Phil

I will try rebooting the mac but generally, it's on all the time and I only usually sleep it rather than shutting down. When I'm not actually using it, it's usually busy doing something for me so shutting down often isn't really 'the' solution. Shutting Synology down is definitely a no-no as that is almost always busy serving/doing other things on the network. Both the iMac's in the house back up to it, there's a movie/tv show share on there which is used often. In fact since I moved a year ago, it hasn't been rebooted once - just how I like it

I'm sure it's a file-locking issue but I/we just need to find out how/why A+ is locking the files and telling it to stop is where it needs to be (if possible). I'm sure other people are having this problem but are likely attributing it to the Naim apps' fault rather than A+ or the way Synology 'shares' files. My money is on A+ though...

Ok so definitely not iTunes on its own doing anything wrong (which I didn't really suspect as if it was, a lot of people would have a problem with it). I played a couple of tracks just through iTunes without loading A+ and can play them on Naim gear no problem afterwards.

Rebooting the Mac made no difference at all as I still can't play the tracks I played via A+ earlier so it's either A+ itself or Synology causing the issue which to clarify, is not releasing or unlocking the audio files A+ has played or Synology has served.

Any help on this appreciated...

Hi,

All I've asked is for you to shut down the Mac and reboot the NAS just to identify where the issue lies ... I'm not suggesting this as being a definitive "this is the problem and this is your one solution".

My suspicion too is a file locking issue but it would be best to identify *EXACTLY* where from so then an appropriate solution can be found - whatever that may ultimately be.

Cheers

Phil

If you haven't rebooted the NAS then any hanging file locks will quite possibly remain in place ...

Phil

Hi Phil,

As I've already rebooted the Mac and therefore released any locks that may have been there from A+ (even after I'd shut that app down) surely rebooting the NAS doesn't tell us anything as the files are bound to play perfectly on the ND5/Mu-So once the NAS has been bounced... A reboot of that will automatically release any locks or read-only status placed on individual files.

Apologies if I'm not seeing it but I just can't see what rebooting the NAS will actually tell us.

If the files are held locked on invalid or out of date locks (perhaps an Audirvana process that terminated without releasing a file) then you'd want to reboot the NAS to ensure those locks are flushed - otherwise the locks (assuming that is what the issue is) can just remain in force until such time as they expire by some other means.

Surely you want to start 'clean' in a working state and then find out what breaks it rather than start looking at it 'broken' and then keep looking at it to see if it's still in the same broken state or a different broken state?

Cheers

Phil

I'll get the NAS rebooted shortly and report back. I'll check the offending files on Mu-So/ND5 just before I reboot it to make sure the issue is still 'current' and then test again once it's come back up.

Cheers, Gary.

Synology has been rebooted and no change actually which surprised me. The only thing that hasn't been rebooted/reset recently is the Naim app. I tried the two tracks before I rebooted the NAS and it just skipped over them and started playing the third or fourth one on that album. After the reboot of the Synology NAS, it was behaving exactly the same way.

Just for completeness, I played a track on a different album on the Mu-So which worked perfectly ok. I then ran a few bars of it through A+ and then stopped it, closed the app (cleanly, 'released iTunes playback' and 'audio device' ok) and then tried to play it again on Mu-So and it skipped it in the same way as it had done the others...

OK - my next test would be to pop Asset UPnP (www.dbpoweramp.com) onto your Mac and point that at your music folders on your NAS and see if you get the same issue with Asset as the UPnP server.

If you're getting a "Can't Play" message then that generally tends to indicate either a file access issue (which it sounds like we've ruled out here now) or that the URL being passed to the Mu-so is itself invalid...

Asset is usually pretty stable in this respect so is a useful test tool...

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil.

Asset installed and configured on Mac. Played a couple of test tracks from a couple of albums and then went and played the same tracks through A+. Stopped A+ and closed both it and iTunes down and then back to those same albums/tracks on the Mu-So through Naim app. They played this time without issue via Asset on the iMac.

Just as a test I went back to the Synology's Media Server uPnP and tried the tracks that wouldn't work last time. They still don't.

Hope the above points you in a positive direction....?

So Asset works fine but the UPnP server on the Synology doesn't?

Right now, yes. That does seem to be the case.

I can't run Asset on the iMac full time though unfortunately as I dual boot that machine into Windows for my part time job - playing Elite Dangerous. Also my network is composed of basically two wired networks separated by a wireless bridge (all on same subnet/ip range). A not-too-well-known issue with my routers (Asus RT-AC68U) is that for some reason, they don't seem to broadcast things like Bonjour or uPnP across the bridge... <shrugs> I didn't find this out until very recently and it's already forced me to move the Synology somewhere a lot more obvious than it was previously sited. I have been unable to find a workaround for the broadcast thing.

The Synology, ND5 (wired) and Mu-So (wireless) are all downstairs and the iMac & printer are upstairs in the office. The Synology was also up here (wired of course) but had to be moved downstairs as the Mu-So/ND5 couldn't see the uPnP server on it across the wireless bridge.

The downstairs router is the wireless AP and the upstairs one is *just* the bridge (i.e. you can't connect to it wirelessly). Hope that all makes sense.

That reminds me ... I must try to get my 'Premium Backers Edition' Elite Dangerous Box Set back from my ex girlfriends son!

There are other UPnP servers that can be run on the Synology (MinimServer perhaps) or you could report the issue with the Synology UPnP server to Synology and have them fix it?

Phil

I'm going to try Minimserver as I've seen it in the available packages now that you've helped me ascertain exactly where the problem is. Thanks for your help this afternoon - much appreciated.

Now, go and get that game and fly safe Commander...

To be honest I don't have the patience to play it ... I even bought a 970 card to play it on!

I saw the Kickstarter project for it 18 months or so ago and ended up throwing in £120 or so just because I wanted to see it 'live' again ... just wish it had an 'autoplay' demo mode so that I could look at it without having to play it.  

It certainly isn't Eve Online. You really need a HOTAS to get the most out of it but it certainly is a hands-on game.

After a couple of hours of updating the Synology DSM to current version (had to do it incrementally using the Synology DSM updater) we're there I couldn't install Java (because Minimserver requires Java) on my original DSM version so had to update to current one (DSM 5.2).

After doing all the updating of DSM followed by updating the Media Server software (having reset the Naim app too) I played a few tracks on Mu-So, then on A+ on the iMac, then back to the Mu-So and just the same as before, they wouldn't play the second time around. Synology Media Server (current version) is still having this issue it would seem.

I installed the newer version of Java followed by Minimserver on the Synology and once configured, it seems to be working flawlessly. I suspect it's a much more light-weight app too which can only be a good thing...