24 bit 192khz playback stuttering

goldenyears

I was able to setup my NAS mount thanks to the help of Frank and others - many thanks!

I have noticed that there is severe stuttering when playing 24 bit 192khz files which didn't seem to be a problem before. I tested a few 16bit 44.1khz and they are fine but the 24 bit 96khz files I tested occasionally stutter at the beginning of playback. I am using a wifi dongle with wireless correctly configured and haven't moved the pi to a different location so I don't think it's a problem with the signal strength as it would have occurred before. I would appreciate it if someone could help me out.

Thanks,

Al

ACX

Hi goldenyears, have you already tried to tweak the "Audio buffer size" and the "Buffer before play" settings in the MPD section?

rastus

goldenyears wroteI have noticed that there is severe stuttering when playing 24 bit 192khz files....I am using a wifi dongle with wireless correctly configured....I would appreciate it if someone could help me out.

The only help I can offer is to suggest you use a USB flash drive to play 24bit/192kHz files (this is what I have had to do), WiFi just will not cope with the high data transfer required to play files of that size. Anything else, from 16bit/44.1kHz right through to 24bit/96kHz will be fine using WiFi. 24bit/96kHz may stutter sometimes, depending on other users on the network. Or, use Ethernet cabled connection for 24bit/192kHz. Remember this is wireless, and wireless is a lot slower than cable.

Jim Creek

rastus wrote
goldenyears wroteI have noticed that there is severe stuttering when playing 24 bit 192khz files....I am using a wifi dongle with wireless correctly configured....I would appreciate it if someone could help me out.
The only help I can offer is to suggest you use a USB flash drive to play 24bit/192kHz files (this is what I have had to do), WiFi just will not cope with the high data transfer required to play files of that size. Anything else, from 16bit/44.1kHz right through to 24bit/96kHz will be fine using WiFi. 24bit/96kHz may stutter sometimes, depending on other users on the network. Or, use Ethernet cabled connection for 24bit/192kHz. Remember this is wireless, and wireless is a lot slower than cable.

I am dubious about this explanation. I can stream "Game Of Thrones" thru my WiFi without a stutter, which is 1080p video and audio. I suspect the problem is with the WiFi dongle thru the USB2 Port. It is the USB2 Port that is the bottle neck.

goldenyears

Thanks to all who replied. I've played around with the audio buffer size and buffer before play values but still have the same problem. It's really strange as when I setup the NAS mount everything was running smoothly (including 24/192 files). As I mentioned before, I haven't changed the configuration or moved the pi further away from my modem. Could something have happened to the dongle?

PeteB

Why not just test your real, usable network bandwidth, and determine if your hi-def files should be playing?

For example I can play compressed videos in 1080p over wifi using Xbian/Kodi, but I cannot play 192KHz 24-bit flac without an occasional dropout. Examples below, the relevant info is highlighted. (cut and pasted from Media Info, a free app which reads and displays media file properties).

General
Complete name : /media/peter/Archive/Spotlight.2015.1080p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG/Spotlight.2015.1080p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 2.46 GiB
Duration : 2h 9mn
Overall bit rate : 2 732 Kbps
Movie name : Spotlight.2015.1080p.BluRay.H264.AAC-RARBG
Encoded date : UTC 2016-02-10 01:20:20
....

General
Complete name : /media/peter/Shared/Music/Jazz/Miles Davis - Birth Of The Cool (2013) [24-192 HD FLAC]/01-Move.flac
Format : FLAC
Format/Info : Free Lossless Audio Codec
File size : 96.6 MiB
Duration : 2mn 34s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 5 230 Kbps
Album : Birth Of The Cool
Album/Performer : Miles Davis
Track name : Move
Track name/Position : 01
Performer : Miles Davis
Genre : Jazz
Recorded date : 2013
....

rastus

Jim Creek wroteI am dubious about this explanation. I can stream "Game Of Thrones" thru my WiFi without a stutter, which is 1080p video and audio. I suspect the problem is with the WiFi dongle thru the USB2 Port. It is the USB2 Port that is the bottle neck.

Well so am I, dubious that is. And you stream Game Of Thrones through a WiFi dongle? And that's 1080p video and audio compressed? Or not? That's strange, because I was of the opinion that the USB port (even USB2) had a higher throughput than WiFi (especially dongles). But I've been mistaken before.

@[deleted] > Miles Davies.... oh, nice.

Jim Creek

rastus wrote
Jim Creek wroteI am dubious about this explanation. I can stream "Game Of Thrones" thru my WiFi without a stutter, which is 1080p video and audio. I suspect the problem is with the WiFi dongle thru the USB2 Port. It is the USB2 Port that is the bottle neck.
Well so am I, dubious that is. And you stream Game Of Thrones through a WiFi dongle? And that's 1080p video and audio compressed? Or not? That's strange, because I was of the opinion that the USB port (even USB2) had a higher throughput than WiFi (especially dongles). But I've been mistaken before.

@[deleted] > Miles Davies.... oh, nice.

You know what? It is me that is wrong. I thought wireless N was 300 mega bits ps while USB 2 was 200. But actually USB is around 480. My mistake, sorry.

rastus

Jim Creek wroteYou know what? It is me that is wrong. I thought wireless N was 300 mega bits ps while USB 2 was 200. But actually USB is around 480. My mistake, sorry.

Frak me I'm glad of that, I mean.... you got me to thinking that dammed networking qualification I got was worthless. Regardless, we are ALL here to learn... from each other. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer, only correct and incorrect. Remember that brother. No 'moral' judgements involved with computers, just 'facts' (my missus dislikes me for thinking this way, sheesh). You did the work (searched for the answer), you came back here and posted your findings (shows a man of good character), and you learned.

I (usually) learn from my mistakes, it's the best 'teacher'... even though I've only made a few (unlike PeteB, he has made many more than I).

And Frank (hondagx350), well he's bang on the money every single time. Still waiting to catch him in a fault.

PS: Bipolar: Your 'lucky', today's one of my 'good' days. On my 'off' days I'm a right A-hole.

PeteB

I think we need a simple way to measure actual WiFi throughput, FROM whatever NAS-type device a user has, TO RuneAudio/Arch. There have been a few threads like this one, including a couple of mine.

Since I usually use some kind of Linux-y box to store my media files, as well as a laptop running Ubuntu/Linux to get online, I usually install a program called iperf for that purpose.

Unfortunately that is of no help to the majority using Windows and Apple machines, and my limited networking skills do not extend very far.

I am willing to collaborate on a solution and do some testing, but the heavy lifting would have to come from someone with more knowledge than I have...

@[deleted]: I understand there are ten different kinds of people in the world... the ones who understand bipolar, and the ones who don't...

edit:

Oh wait, that was bi-nary, right? .... nevermind ...

rastus

@[deleted].... Clap! Clap! Clap! Nice call!

Edit:

Only 10? So that's 10 (Decimal) = 00001010 (Binary) = A (Hexadecimal) = _____ ?

So, a network throughput monitor application that runs on Windows or Apple Macs. Network monitoring is simple, plenty out there... but a from-to thing, let me think. And easy to use I would guess. I will take a look at "iperf", try it on a virtual machine. So, select two devices on the network to monitor.... not necessarily from the machine I'm running the application on. There are plenty of WiFi apps that run on smart phones, I have tried a few. But that's not actual throughput, rather is WiFi strength, speed (from the phone). Nothing comes to mind, let me think about this...

PeteB

Well, iperf would be close, but I don't think most people will want to use it. I do have a couple of the Android phone based apps (very cool) but not that useful for this, as you noticed..

We need something that indicates, even indirectly, that some files will not play well over WiFi, given the actual real-life conditions we have to live with. What good is it to the OP (or me) to know that we theoretically have the bandwidth to play a file, if it does not play in practice?

As I said, I am willing to put some time into this, but I have no good ideas of my own... oh wait, that's not all that unusual, I suppose!

rastus

I'll find something... give me a day or so.

rastus

Network Analysis and Scanning Tools
#3626

hondagx35

Hi all,

i'm also very interested in this and it would be great to make a "community project" out of it.
I'll like to integrate this in our software (page under settings).

PeteB wroteWe need something that indicates, even indirectly, that some files will not play well over WiFi, given the actual real-life conditions we have to live with.

That is the point!
All these tools out there are great, but in our case nearly useless.
We need something that does exactly what mpd does while reading /playing our music files.
There are so much things involved in that process:
- mpd buffer settings -> reading chunks of data (fill buffer, wait until it is nearly empty and fill it again)
- NFS or CIFS and their different versions.
- filesystem and settings on your NAS
- the device used (RP, RP2, RP3, ODROID, .....)
- .....

@[deleted]:

And Frank (hondagx350), well he's bang on the money every single time. Still waiting to catch him in a fault.

No way, because i'm a teacher and teacher are always right.

Frank

rastus

hondagx35 wroteNo way, because i'm a teacher and teacher are always right.

I knew it, I just knew it. A good teacher you are too! I taught for five years, Network Engineering (up to and including diploma level), LoL! Been six years since then, I do miss it. I was 'lucky', my Bipolar kept me on a 'manic' for the whole five years, until the arse fell out.