[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.

[jumanatwal]

Hi there! Im a premium user and Im having the same issue on my office desktop over and over again, it cuts all of suden and minimizes itself on the screen then it pops up again works for seconds and cuts off again! I dont have this issue on my laptop though!

[Guilimote]

Hello @jumanatwal!

Sorry to hear that, but to avoid any confusion I think you should check or create an other forum thread. In fact, I think this is not the same issue:

The issue here is very specific to the "Spotify Connect" feature. Unlike you, it really works perfectly (an absolute 100%) when I'm using desktop version or even smartphone on the same network. The problem really appears exclusively on my Spotify Connect HiFi receiver (but is quite random, and can work perfectly for weeks, reason why I think it is a Spotify problem and not a hardware one)

[jumanatwal]

Well noted .Thank you

[timk95]

It's really getting frustrating now. It has taken forever and I really feel like you, Spotify, don't give a **bleep**.

Remember the disk write problem? It was solved in no-time once it got media attention! Is bad publicity really necessary to get your **bleep** together? If so I'll be happy to email dozens of tech blogs about this isssue that some customers bought premium for and paid an extra fee for the hardware to have Spotify Connect.

[Guilimote]

I can't agree more... One year and a half, and still repeating "our techs are looking into this".

If at least they could communicate on their investigation and the potential root causes they are working on... Even in this case, it would be incredibly long, but hey, there would be something.

But there isn't. If they don't give any info, I don't see any other possible reason than the most obvious one: there is no real investigation 😞

[jmario74]

Same problem right now with Pioneer NC-50DAB. Really frustating. No problems with Deezer or Tunein. I'm premium and I can't listen to music in my new Pioneer. Please.

[meahtenoha]

Hey everyone, 

First of all we appreciate your patience while our teams looked into this on our end. We’re marking this as closed as we have updated our partners with all the info we can on our side. Should we hear any other news about this or firmware updates to these devices we will post here. 

Thank you folks, we’ll close this thread for now. 

[Guilimote]

What??

Why?

Can you at least give us the beginning of an explanation?

There are pages and pages of info showing that this is likely NOT a device related issue. (the fact that it is sometimes working flawlessly during weeks or months, the fact that it seems to occur on different HiFi hardware / different brands, etc...)

I SPENT REALLY A LOT of time to give all the technical details I could (see for example my posts parge 3 or 4, even made a video), and you just use the "go back to your hardware provider to see if they have an update" excuse, without showing anymore respect?

Can you, at least PLEASE give a tiny piece of technical explanation???

And, anyway, more important, even after what has been sayed before, DO YOU OFFICIALY CONFIRM THAT THIS IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE IN YOUR PARTNERS FIRMWARE, AND THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM THE TECHNICAL DETAILS TO SOLVE IT?????

Sorry if it is not the case, but I can't help but think that you just close the thread to get rid of your responsabilities, and because this issue is just low priority for you.

[shuhungboy]

I have the same problem on my Pioneer SC-LX89!!

The firmware version is Ver 1-317-011-729-205.

[pioneer1]

Hi, I know this is a really old thread re Pioneer N50A - but mine only just stopped working in October 2022.  Its always taken a while to connect since the 2018 incident, but has worked pretty faultlessly.  Anyway, it actually did stop working a few days ago with the icon to connect in spotify being greyed out and stating 'connot connect to this device to this right now'.  I thought I would have to go via the USB route to connect directly but when I opened up the pioneer control app THEN opened up spotify via the CONTROL app, the connection is not greyed out and it will connect (NB.  music should not be playing at this point otherwise it will struggle to connect).  apologies it has taken me 7 years to post this workaround.  I'm using andriod phone (one plus).