Problems with 24/96 FLAC Files

[john51]

I have just installed Logitech Media Server Version: 7.7.1 - r33735 on a Synology DS212j NAS and am streaming files over a cabled link to a Vista PC running Squeezeplay. 16/44.1 and 24/44.1 FLAC files are working really well but when I try 24/96 files, there is constant re-buffering and the result is unlistenable.

According to the Synology resource monitor the memory use of the NAS box stays at 42% (of 256Mb) for all file types. However, the CPU usage (Marvell 1.2Ghz) is about 8% for both the 16/44/1 and 24/44.1 files, but shoots up to 100% for the 24/96.

Also, oddly, the monitor is showing network traffic of around 80kbps for 16/44.1, going up to 160kbps for the 24/44.1 file and only 125kbps for the 24/96 file.

I have set the file types settings to stream as native FLAC and disable transcoding. If there is no transcoding taking place I am not sure why the CPU load should go so high for the 96kHz files.

Can anyone help to interpret this and suggest any solutions?

Thanks, John

[Jeff Flowerday]

I have just installed Logitech Media Server Version: 7.7.1 - r33735 on a Synology DS212j NAS and am streaming files over a cabled link to a Vista PC running Squeezeplay. 16/44.1 and 24/44.1 FLAC files are working really well but when I try 24/96 files, there is constant re-buffering and the result is unlistenable.

According to the Synology resource monitor the memory use of the NAS box stays at 42% (of 256Mb) for all file types. However, the CPU usage (Marvell 1.2Ghz) is about 8% for both the 16/44/1 and 24/44.1 files, but shoots up to 100% for the 24/96.

Also, oddly, the monitor is showing network traffic of around 80kbps for 16/44.1, going up to 160kbps for the 24/44.1 file and only 125kbps for the 24/96 file.

I have set the file types settings to stream as native FLAC and disable transcoding. If there is no transcoding taking place I am not sure why the CPU load should go so high for the 96kHz files.

Can anyone help to interpret this and suggest any solutions?

Thanks, John

Maybe squeezeplay only does 24/48 so SOX is kicking in? I imagine the information on if squeezeplay can do native 24/96 is someplace on this forum.

[Mnyb]

Maybe squeezeplay only does 24/48 so SOX is kicking in? I imagine the information on if squeezeplay can do native 24/96 is someplace on this forum.

Yes thats the cause Squeezeplay for desktop currently only do 24/48 so transcoding is needed and things with marvel cpu don't have the muscle to do it at least >1Mhz x86 cpu 1core with fpu or better.

The solutions at the present are:

1. Get an hardware Touch it does 24/96
2. More powerful server .
2b. on occasion run LMS on the computer if must listen to 24/96 via squeezeplay .
3. If you already are at the computer use some other software .
4. Hack squeezeplay sources.
5. Downsample 24/96 to 24/48 copies and use them.

Do remember that Squeezeplay for desktop is beta it originated as an internal test tool for the developers and they shares it as is with us.

Given that LMS exist for free as the software to use with your hardware squeezeboxes for who you pay money for .

So you can't have it free in both ends no surprise that there is no effort in developing desktop squeezeplay further..

You use it as an evaluation tool to get a feel for how it works, the real things works much better btw .

However squeezeplay is useful as an extra remote as it can control other players

[john51]

Thanks for your replies. That is clearly what's happening although I was a bit confused because I thought I had set the LMS to do no transcoding. (I didn't realise that sox would operate even though not set up explicitly).

Obviously I was slightly worried that the DS212j was not up to 24/96 but have now tried streaming the files to Foobar and am getting good results with the NAS cpu back down to about 6%.

I can now experiment to see if there is any benefit in getting music in 24/96 format - but I don't see much point in storing hi-res files and processing them down to play therefore no need to splash out on a more powerful server setup.

The outcome may indeed be to buy a Touch as the player, although as I use an external DAC it does seem a bit of a waste of the apparently good SBT DAC hardware.

Thanks again.

[tonymasiello]

Sorry to dredge up an old thread... I just ran into a similar limitation with a new Synology DS411j running LMS streaming to a Squeezbox Radio. Works fine playing any 44.1/48 content (16 or 24 bit), but chokes as soon as I tried to play any 24bit-96khz content. Checking the resource monitor for the Synology, the cpu spiked to 100% as soon as I hit the play button, but the network bandwidth appeared to go down. The same 24/96 content plays just fine on my squeezebox touch.

The DS411j is feature packed and very reasonably priced, but has low end cpu and only 128MB of RAM, so it is not ideal for running LMS. Something I wish I researched a little more before diving in...

[2string1]

Sorry for the stupid question but how do you tell what your flac files are
like 24/96?

[kidstypike]

Sorry for the stupid question but how do you tell what your flac files are
like 24/96?

One way, using the web GUI, browse to a track and click it, details shown as picture below.