[Pioneer device] Spotify connect gaps, blanks, and freezes

[Guilimote]

Device:

Pioneer N-50A-K

Operating System Version:

034.035.1010.100 (last Pioneer firmware)

Spotify Version:

Spotify connect included in 034.035.1010.100

Description:

Random but very frequent gaps and freezes in the music when using Spotify Connect.

Example:  The music will play for a few seconds, sometimes 5s., sometimes 40s.. Then gaps and gaps again, terrible during 20s, before everything seems to be normal again during 10s, and so on...

To reproduce:

1. Start spotify on tablet or phone
2. Start a music
3. Ask spotify Connect to stream from the Pionner receiver, and wait for a few seconds

Workaround:

No workaround found at all. Here is what I've tried, without any effect:

• restarting the Pioneer receiver
• updating the Pioneer's firmware
• changing the network config of my Pioneer receiver (static IP or DHCP, auto DNS or Google's one, ...)
• shutting down other devices on the network (tablet, PC, ...)
• using other ethernet ports on my router and/or ethernet switch
• restarting my router

Additional information:

Sorry to post here again; I already detailed the issue in this thread: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Help-Other-Partners-Windows/Spotify-Connect-Denon-Connection-Loss-N... (like a lot of other users experiencing the same problems)

However, the above thread is marked as "resolved", so I'm not sure if Spotify staff is still monitoring the replies.

The thing is that the problems has appeared again the last 2 weeks. I thought that making a clear new thread will help everybody to follow the status, adding to the fact that it may be a different problem (different root cause) even if the effects on the users are clearly the same.

In order to sum-up the situation wih Spotify Connect:

1. Middle of August: First users report problems with Spotify Connect.
   Music plays for a few seconds, and is then randomly stopped. It seems to impact a lot of receivers (Denon, Marrantz, Pioneer, ...) with different effects depending on the receivers (Network restart on Denons, gaps and pauses on Pioneers, ...).
2. End of August: Fixed.
   Not a lot of details on what was changed, but it seemed that Spotify acknowledged that there was a problem on their server, and was solved.
3. Since middle of November: same problems are back again.
   From what I see on this thread: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Help-Other-Partners-Windows/Spotify-Connect-Denon-Connection-Loss-N... , the 2 last pages are filled only by post of peoples experiencing this problem again since mid-November.

[Rorey]

Thanks @Guilimote. Getting these notes added to our internal ticket on the issue now. 

[Steph_B]

Hey guys!

Our team's still looking into this.

Thanks for your patience. 

[MaryC1]

Hey Guys,

We really appreciate your help on this issue. We've reported all the info you've been giving us to our devs team.

We'll provide an update as soon as we can. 

Thanks for your patience!

[Guilimote]

@Steph_B @MaryC1 @Rorey

Ok, the analysis of the issue seems to be "quite long" to say the least, but I appreciate your updates and the fact that you don't forget it.

Some more info:

Since my last message (‎2016-02-10), I would say that "Spotify Connect" had worked flawlessly during around 1 month, and since then I experience troubles quite randomly (issues during 1 week then ok during 1 or 2 weeks, etc...) but repeatedly / regularly.

Precise example:

I managed to record a video of the problem yesterday evening (see the link at the end o this post). Maybe that will help you to understand more precisely what happens.

Context:

• My Android tablet is running Spotify, and for the need of the video I fixed it in front of my HiFi Hardware. It is the biggest screen visible on the left at the start of video.
• The Pioneer N50A network player (with Spotify Connect) has a smaller screen which is visible on the right at the beginning of the video.

What happens exactly, with [video time stamps]:

1. [0s]
   • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
   • Description: The tablet is using Spotify Connect to stream onto the network player. The song is already playing for ~25s., and you can hear the sound coming from the floorstanding speaker.
2. [5s.]
   • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
   • Description: The video is focusing on the network player's screen
3. [7s-10s]
   • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
   • Description: KO. Lot of gaps can be heared. Notice the "play" logo appearing and disappearing on the device's screen.
4. [22s-38s]
   • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
   • Description: KO again.
5. [38s-43s]
   • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
   • Description: KO. The video is focusing on the tablet's creen, which the "Spotify Connect" controller. Please note that unlike the network player, the display does not seem to be impacted by the gaps, we don't see shuffle between play/pause.
6. [43s]
   • Sound origin: [SWITCH] Network player with Spotify Connect --> Locally played on the tablet (internal speakers)
   • Description: KO The "gap" is so big that no sound can be heared anymore for a few seconds. Then we switch the playback from Spotify Connect to local rendering.
7. [45s-1min]
   • Sound origin: Locally played on the tablet (internal speakers)
   • Description: OK Spotify is correctly playing without "Spotify Connect", no problem at all.
8. [1min05 - 1min15]
   • Sound origin: Locally played on the tablet (internal speakers)
   • Description: KO The sound is playing locally on the tablet for more than 20s, but the network player seems not to have detected it yet. Please notice that the screen is still showing the album art (it should be empty). At 1min12, you can even hear the sound from the network player, in addition to the sound from the tablet! Then, without any action from my self, it finally "understands" that it should pause Spotify Connect at 1min15. On the other side, the tablet is still playing, alone, without any issue.
9. [--> 1min48]
   • Sound origin: Locally played on the tablet (internal speakers)
   • Description: OK Spotify is correctly playing without "Spotify Connect", no problem at all.
10. [1min48]
    • [SWITCH] Locally played on the tablet (internal speakers) --> Network player with Spotify Connect
11. [1min53 - 2min04]
    • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
    • Description: KO. Lot of gaps can be heared.
12. [2min36 - end]
    • Sound origin: Network player with Spotify Connect
    • Description: KO. Lot of gaps can be heared.

The link to the video:

https://youtu.be/ShM3Bv9hCN4

To sum up:

• Lot of gaps when playing with Spotify Connect
• No problems at all when playing on tablet's internal speakers
• Actions are taken into account with a lot of delay by the Spotify Connect device. The switch to "tablets speakers" at [43s] is only totally effective at [1min15]
• Very random reproducibility: These issues are sometimes visible during a week, and then everything is ok during the 2 next weeks even with daily intensive usage.

[Steph_B]

Thanks for the info!

We'll pass it along to the team and we'll be posting any updates here as soon as we have them. 

[Lis-]

Hey!

We don't have any updates on this just yet.

We'll make sure to keep you posted.

[Carlos]

Hey guys!

Our team is still working hard on this one.

We'll let you know as soon as we have any updates!

[Tamzin]

Why do you not have updates on this since february?!?!!?!?

[MaryC1]

Hey there!

We've checked with our team and they are still working on it.

We hope to have a fix soon and we'll keep everyone updated here. 

Our best, 

[Guilimote]

Thanks for the update, but would it be possible to have any feedback on your investigations, what you have found, or what you are working on?

As already explained, the issue has been highly intermittent for nearly 1 year now, some weeks it works perfectly, some weeks it is an absolute nightmare.

Just for your information, unlike last month, I "currently" do not have any issue.