Linkplay and Google Cast media player status doesn't update when using Qobuz Connect

Third party integrations
1

I have a set of WiiM Pro Plus, as well as amplifiers for them, which are not powered 24/7 to conserve electricity. Note that the automations below are simplified, as I have 13 WiiM devices.

I sometimes use apps such as Qobuz on my phone to play directly onto my WiiM devices. In the past, an HA automation like the following would work to turn on the amplifiers.

Recently, it stopped working, when using “Qobuz Connect” in the Qobuz mobile app.
Neither the LinkPlay media_player.music_room_speakers player, nor the Google Cast media_player.wiim_music_room player, change status. And thus, the automation fails to trigger.

If I use “Google Cast” in the Qobuz mobile app, both media players change status, and the automation triggers as expected.

I believe it used to work when using “Qobuz connect” in the app in the past, but it no longer does. And thus, I’m forced to either use “Google Cast” devices.

alias: Turn on downstairs amplifiers when WiiMs play in music room
description: ""
triggers:
  - trigger: state
    entity_id:
      - media_player.music_room_speakers
      - media_player.wiim_music_room
    to: playing
conditions: []
actions:
  - action: switch.turn_on
    metadata: {}
    data: {}
    target:
      entity_id: switch.downstairs_amplifiers
mode: single

If I use Qobuz connect, but manually turn on the amplifiers, the following automation will kick in and turn off the amplifiers, because HA does not detect that media is playing.

alias: Turn off downstairs amplifiers when WiiMs stop playing for one minute
description: >-
  Turns off downstairs amplifiers when all specified media players have been
  idle for one minute.
triggers:
  - entity_id:
      - media_player.music_room_speakers
      - media_player.wiim_music_room
    from: playing
    to: idle
    for:
      minutes: 1
    trigger: state
  - entity_id:
      - media_player.music_room_speakers
      - media_player.wiim_music_room
    from: playing
    to: "off"
    for:
      minutes: 1
    trigger: state
conditions:
  - condition: and
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: media_player.music_room_speakers
        state:
          - idle
          - "off"
      - condition: state
        entity_id: media_player.wiim_music_room
        state:
          - idle
          - "off"
actions:
  - target:
      entity_id: switch.downstairs_amplifiers
    action: switch.turn_off
    data: {}
mode: single

This is the status I see for the media players while Qobuz connect is playing.

LinkPlay :

image
image1043×717 29.8 KB

Google cast :

image
image1058×434 22 KB

Basically, it’s not possible for me to use Qobuz connect because of this status problem, which is a bit of a shame, since it is otherwise more stable than Google cast, and also offers higher resolution audio streaming than Google cast.

I’m not sure where the issue lies. It could be in WiiM/Linkplay firmware. Or it could be in either of Google cast or Linkplay integrations. Either way, I believe the player status should update, and it currently doesn’t when using Qobuz connect.

2

I found a workaround to this problem : I enabled the WiiM devices in the DLNA renderer integration.

This one does change status when using Qobuz connect, and is thus able to trigger my automation to turn on the corresponding amplifier.

I’m not sure why the Google cast and Linkplay integrations don’t change status in this case.

The Google home app on Android also doesn’t reflect the playback, so this may not be an integration bug, but an issue with the WiiM firmware.

3

Not sure if this is related, but the Linkplay integration is showing the wrong MAC for one of WiiM Pro Plus devices. The MAC conflicts with a TP-Link smartplug.

I have tried deleting the Linkplay device, and adding it back, but it always comes back with the 3 MAC addresses, including one that belongs to TP-Link.

Edit: unrelated.