Incorrect DSD Display Using Rivo+ and Topping D90SE After Audio Resampling

Help and Support Help
1

A form of this type of problem was reported previously on several occasions but unlike those situations the issue occurred here only after I tried Audio Resampling on my Rivo+. I’m using a Topping D90SE DAC (it accepts native DSD). The Rivo+ is connected to the Topping D90SE via I2S. I’m using PS Audio (as recommended) for the HDMI I2S Mode.

Prior to trying Audio Resampling, the PCM and DSD resolutions were properly displayed on the DAC. After trying resampling, switching back to the native bit depth and sample rate, turning Audio Resampling off and saving the settings, the PCM resolutions were properly displayed but DSD (2.8MHz) displayed as PCM without any sampling rate being shown.

This suggests that the Rivo+ no longer recognizes the D90SE as being able to accept native DSD and may be sending DSD via DOP. However, the failure to show the sampling rate potentially suggests the problem may be more than just the DSD transfer mode. Switching to DSD over DOP did not resolve the issue. Even then DSD was not displayed and playback resulting a cracking sound.

There are no settings in the DAC that would affect this. Is there a way to resolve this issue other than a factory reset, or is that now my only option?

In that regard I noticed that the instructions for the factory reset in the Rivo+ on-line manual indicate that the link for downloading the factory reset file is: http://repo.volumio.org/**Primo**/factory_reset. Shouldn’t that be Rivo+ rather than Primo? Substituting Rivo+ for Primo in the URL results in the “404 Not Found” response. Concern about the accuracy of the link makes me hesitant to try the Factory reset option in the Rivo+ settings.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

2

with a factory-reset you will most probably solve the problem.

because you have access to the device, you can perform the factory-reset from the Volumio UI, in the system setting page (the end result will be the same as using the USB method)

regarding the reset file, it is just a simple empty file named “factory_reset”, with no extension.

it is the same for every Volumio product. Primo was the first product where this feature was introduced, so the same download link has been kept for other products as well, there was no need/benefit of creating a dedicated link for all other devices with a different name in the download link.

3

Thanks Dario/Darmur,

The reason I was concerned about the Factory Reset download link in the Rivo+ manual is that in the Rivo (not Rivo+) manual, the Factory Reset link has “Rivo” and not “Primo”, and that link does result in downloading the factory-reset file. I used that file successfully for the Rivo (not Rivo+) when the using the Factory reset in the UI did not work properly.

Again, thanks for your reply, I’ll give the Factory Reset in the Rivo+ a try and let you know how whether it solves my problem.

Bernie

4

Factory Reset Appears to Have Caused a Connection Problem

I ran the Factory Reset from the Volumio App UI. The LED on the Rivo+ turned from blue to red, in about only a minute the LED turned to green, shortly afterwards to blue, and the music chime played after that indicating the Rivo+ was ready. This was much quicker than expected.

When I opened the Volumio App on my tablet, the Rivo+ plus icon appeared, but when I selected it the app failed to connect to it. There was a little white box at the upper right of the small Rivo+ window indicating “Offline”. The “Failed to connect” message appeared.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the Volumio App thinking I had to repeat the entire setup process. It proceeded properly to the point where I had to select the WiFi network for the connection. Although a list of the available networks appeared, our home WiFi network was not listed. I could not proceed further with the setup. The failure to detect the home WiFi network likely explains the “Failed to connect” message.

The tablet showed that the WiFi was operating normally. The tablet with the Volumio App was able to connect to the home network via WiFi and from there to the internet successfully. All other devices in the house that connect via WiFi saw the home WiFi and were able to connect to the internet via the home WiFi. So the home WiFi network and the internet connection were working properly.

I repeated the Factory Reset using the factory-reset file I downloaded using the link in the Rivo+ manual. The file was downloaded on a separate PC using the home WiFi network. After running the downloaded factory-reset file as instructed the results were exactly the same as before. The Volumio App could not connect to the Rivo+, most likely because again it could not see the home network (same white off-line box, same “Failed to connect” message).

Unfortunately, the router and internet connection point are on the first floor of the house whereas my audio system and the Rivo+ are on the second floor. So it is not possible for me to connect the Rivo+ via a wired connection.

Until running the Factory Reset, the Volumio App was able to quickly find and connect to the Rivo+ via the home WiFi network. After running the Factory Reset the home WiFi network can no longer be detected.

So how do we resolve this problem? I have only had the Rivo+ since mid-October and was enjoying the excellent sound I was obtaining. Hopefully, you can suggest a solution.

Thanks,

Bernie

5

Dear Bernie,

I reported your message internally, we will keep you posted

6

Many thanks for the quick response Darmur, and for reporting my message. Hopefully a solution will be available soon. As things stand now, the Rivo+ cannot be used.

7

I have a suggestion of something to try but thought I should pass it by you first to see what you think.

It seems to me that the issue is due to a problem either with the software or the hardware in the Rivo+. Although I cannot permanently use a wired connection with the Rivo+, I can temporarily connect it to the router via an ethernet cable.

I could then try the factory reset using the USB drive (is it possible to do that using the wired connection?). If that appears to work (it takes the 5-10 minutes to complete as expected rather than the one minute or less previously experienced with the (presumed faulty) WiFi connection, I could then uninstall and reinstall the Volumio App on my tablet to see if the setup can be completed with the wired connection.

If the setup is successful, I could then uninstall and reinstall the Volumio App, disconnect the RIvo+ from the router and try the setup via WiFi. If that now works, I would then check whether the settings can be adjusted, the library scanned and music playback performed using the tablet and the WiFi connection.

If all that works, the problem may be solved. If the Rivo+ setup cannot proceed using the WiFi connection, that might indicate a WiFi software/hardware problem in the Rivo+.

Let me know whether you think I should proceed with this suggestion.

Thanks

8

Hi @DocK
sorry you’re having this issues, this is due on how the Volumio app performs the initial setup. We are now in a transition phase with this new onboarding and the situation will be fixed soon with a new app update.

My suggestion would be:

  • For the first setup, if possible, connect the Rivo+ to wired ethernet and perform the wireless connection there.
  • Then, you can use it via Wi-Fi from now on. If you can’t find it, uninstall and reinstall the app.
  • Once this setup is done, you’re good to go.
9

Thanks for your reply.

Connecting the Rivo+ to the wired ethernet allowed me to complete the setup via the wireless connection. Afterwards, I could connect from the Volumio App to the Rivo+ wirelessly, work through the setup menu, scan the music library and play music. So thanks again for your suggestion.

However, with the Rivo+ and the Topping D90SE DAC connected via I2S, and DSD Direct selected for the DSD Playback Mode, when I played DSD tracks the Topping D90SE screen still showed PCM, not DSD, and no sample rates were displayed.

The same result (no DSD or sample rate display) occurred if I selected DSD over PCM (DoP) for the DSD Playback Mode in the Rivo+.

It seems that the Rivo+ is now sending DSD via DoP rather than via DSD Direct when connected via I2S, and that this results in no display by the D90SE regardless of the DSD Playback Mode selected.

This was confirmed by connecting the Rivo+ and the D90SE with a USB cable and playing the same DSD tracks. Then DSD and the correct sample rates were consistently displayed on the D90SE screen. This indicates that the problem does not lie with the D90SE, it can correctly handle native DSD and DoP and accurately display their parameters.

It appears that trying Audio Resampling when the Rivo+ and D90SE were connected via I2S may somehow have caused a defect specifically in DSD transmission via I2S in the Rivo+. PCM transmission works properly. Another explanation is that coincidentally a bug occurred in DSD transmission via I2S at the same time that Audio Resampling was tried.

Whichever explanation is correct, I can no longer use the I2S connection for Direct DSD transmission.

Will the new App update be able to solve this problem? Should I again try the Factory reset but with the Rivo+ connected by wired ethernet? Or will other options need to be considered?

Thanks for your help.

10

could you please provide a system log link for us to analyze, with the configuration that does not work as expected?

second question: what I2S setting do you have in the playback options menu?

11

As requested, I played a DSD track (2.8 MHz) from the Rivo+ to the Topping D90SE DAC via the I2S connection using DSD Direct as the DSD Playback Mode and then obtained the system log link. Although the file played, the D90SE display again showed PCM instead of DSD and no sampling rate was displayed.

This faulty behaviour began after using Audio Resampling with the I2S connection in place. Before that the DSD Direct DSD Playback Mode resulted in DSD and the sampling rate being shown in the D90SE display.

As I indicated in my previous reply, the DSD Direct DSD Playback Mode works properly (correct parameters displayed in the D90SE) when the Rivo+ and the D90SE are connected via USB suggesting that the problem lies specifically with DSD transmission from the Rivo+ via the I2S connection.

The system log link obtained after playing the DSD track is:

http://logs.volumio.org/rivoplus/Ak2jjaQ.html

In the General Playback Options menu, under Advanced Audio Settings the HDMI I2S Mode is set to PS Audio. This is the setting recommended to me by Marco on 23 October 2025.

In order to match the HDMI Pin Settings in the Topping D90SE and the Rivo+ as closely as possible it was necessary to select Setting 9 in the D90SE setup menu: DSD Channel Setting for the IIS Interface. Use IIS DSDR DATA (DSDR using DATA). Marco also recommended keeping HDMI Pin 15 in the D90SE I2S output set to DSD, which I did. After making these selections there are only a few inconsequential differences in the HDMI pin settings between the two devices (see the table I sent previously).

With these settings (HDMI I2S Mode: PS Audio, D90SE setup menu: Setting 9, Rivo+ HDMI output pin 15: DSD) in place the DSD Direct transmission from the Rivo+ to the D90SE via I2S worked perfectly with DSD and the correct sampling rate being shown in the D90SE display. It was not until subsequently trying the Audio Resampling feature that the problem occurred.

Thanks for your efforts to help solve this problem.

12

Hi,

We can confirm that this is not a hardware-related issue with the Rivo+.
Meanwhile the dev team is analysing the log.

Also, when the device needs the signal on the pin 15, please select LOXJIE or SABAJ not PS Audio

let us know!
Best,
Volumio support

13

Also regarding the Software volume control must be disabled: in order to use DSD Direct, the Volume Control / Mixer Type must be set to “None”.

14

Thanks for your reply Marco.

The problem seems to have been solved, but apparently not just by trying the two modifications you suggested. Let me explain.

To recap, previously prior to running Audio Resampling, DSD Direct worked with the I2S connection when playing a DSD track via DSD Direct. Confirmed(?) by DSD and the correct sampling rate being displayed in the Topping D90SE screen.

At that time the Volume Control / Mixer Type was set to “Hardware” and the HDMI I2S Mode was set to PS Audio.

After running Audio Resampling, instead of DSD, PCM was displayed with no sampling rate.

Today, after setting Volume Control / Mixer Type to “None” PCM, not DSD, was still displayed when playing a DSD track via DSD Direct, but the sampling rate was shown as 352.8kHz.

After setting the Volume Control / Mixer Type to “None” and setting the HDMI I2S Mode to Loxjie or Sabaj, PCM and the 352.8kHz were still shown with the I2S connection.

At that point, I noticed that an update was available (to 3.886). I ran the update, re-ran the first configuration wizard (why not?) and re-scanned the library.

Then with the Volume Control / Mixer Type set to “None” and the HDMI I2S mode set to Loxjie DSD and the correct sampling rate were displayed. I have played several DSD tracks from different albums, all with the same correct result. Currently an entire DSD album is playing through with no issues.

I have no idea why Audio Resampling caused the playback problem originally, nor why the combination of changes tried now seems to have restored correct playback. The fact that it was not a hardware issue points to a software glitch of some sort. Perhaps modifying the Volume Control / Mixer Type and the HDMI I2S mode settings, along with the update etc, effectively gave the system a kick in the pants.

In any event, I’d like to thank all involved at Volumio for the time devoted to this issue and the terrific support I’ve received. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on. Once again, many thanks!

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!

Bernie

15

@DocK I am happy that the issue was resolved.

In this thread you mentioned another issue with WiFi networks discovery and we’d like to get that resolved as well. Could you check for me if you can see a list of WiFi networks in the Volumio settings UI?

16

@devgianlu,

The problem with the WiFi Networks discovery occurred after I ran Audio Resampling on the Rivo+ and then tried to resolve the resulting DSD Direct problem with a Factory Reset using the Volumio settings UI via WiFi. That was unsuccessful and resulted in loss of detection of the home WiFi network specifically. Other local WiFi networks were still visible in the Volumio settings UI.

The home WiFi network detection problem was resolved by repeating the Factory Reset via the Volumio settings UI with the Rivo+ connected directly to the router via an ethernet cable. After that the home WiFi network was again visible in the Volumio settings UI. All WiFi networks (home and local) have since remained visible in the Volumio settings UI.

Cheers,

Bernie