I set up a PA sink for my Airport Express and set my PA output to that sink. When I use Rhythmbox to playback sound, MP3s generally sound great and don't or barely stutter, however, FLAC files stutter heavily. I checked and my CPU still had about 80% idle, so I don't think it's a decoding issue. I also regularly stream from a Macbook and iPhone to this Airport device from the same distance, so I don't think it's a wi-fi issue, though my laptop could have an older chipset. Does the RAOP module send MP3 data or decoded PCM data? AFAIK, RAOP streams in ALAC format, so it doesn't make sense that this issue would be occurring. I understand this may be a Rhythmbox issue but wanted to rule out the hard stuff (RAOP, PA) first. Thanks for your advice, feedback!
Does playback work normally to your local sound card? The RAOP module sends out PCM, so the file format being played should not matter.
Yes, it plays without issue on my local sound card. Playback over RAOP stutters or skips about once every 2-3 seconds. Though ntop indicated the throughput issue shouldn't be a problem, I hooked my laptop and the Airport Express up via ethernet to eliminate that issue and it still stuttered.
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