Thread: Audirvana Plus: Direct Mode

I just picked up a Hiface 2 and everything works great with direct/integer mode. This is by far the best sound I've had in my system. Very easy to tell the improvement.

I only had a few issues with either no playback or once got this vibrating type sound. Wasn't very loud. But 99% of the time it's been working great.

The only other outstanding issue I have with the player in general is it will occasion just start playing a track from another album. Haven't really noticed a pattern. Can play several tracks from same album and then next track will be off another random album. Doesn't happen that often.

Originally Posted by Bob Stern

Sleep

Jud, I doubt that it has anything to do with the level of CPU usage. I suspect the computer goes to sleep if it doesn't see any user interface activity.

You can keep the computer awake with a utility such as Insomniax (freeware) that simulates mouse movement periodically. Version 2.1.1 is Lion compatible. There's no info on whether it works in Mt Lion.

semaja2

Download InsomniaX for Mac - Disable sleep mode on an Apple Laptop. MacUpdate.com

Keeping the hard drive awake is a different story. Try disabling hard drive sleep in Energy Saver prefs. Some hard drives have firmware that causes them to sleep regardless of operating system settings.

For keeping the computer and the internal drive awake I keep things simple: In Energy Saver preferences I set the computer sleep time to "Never" and uncheck "Put hard drives to sleep if possible." For the external WD FW drive, which is one of those drives that doesn't obey the system prefs, I installed the 3rd party utility Keep Drive Spinning, which touches a file in the external drive once a minute to keep it from sleeping. (The "utility" is just a script if I remember right.)

No stops since.

Originally Posted by damien78

The native DSD streaming methods are using a 176.4kHz (or higher for DSD128). Your DAC is only handling rates up to 96kHz. Only a few DACs currently support native DSD signal on their USB/FW interface.

To get DSD converted to PCM signal in 96kHz, you can use the "Simple Decimation" conversion algorithm. It'll give 352.4kHz PCM signal that'll be automatically downsampled by the SRC.

Damien

Damien, thank you for the response. So it is pretty clear that when I select 'initial dCS method' or 'DSD over PCM' Audirvana implicitly switches to the simple decimation mode.

I forced simple decimation mode and started to hear same clicks, mostly in right channel, sometimes in both channels. Could it be a bug in the algorithm? Now I am more confident that I hear clicks at same samples. 64-bit multistage algorithm is free from that.

Does anyone has the same experience? Could it be slow macbook performance?

Does anyone know if direct and integer mode are supported on the jkdac32?

Originally Posted by iamoneagain

I just picked up a Hiface 2 and everything works great with direct/integer mode. This is by far the best sound I've had in my system. Very easy to tell the improvement.

I only had a few issues with either no playback or once got this vibrating type sound. Wasn't very loud. But 99% of the time it's been working great.

The only other outstanding issue I have with the player in general is it will occasion just start playing a track from another album. Haven't really noticed a pattern. Can play several tracks from same album and then next track will be off another random album. Doesn't happen that often.

What model of Hiface are you using. The older models were not capable of integer mode. Does A+ confirm integer mode when you click on Debug?

Hiface is white, Hiface 2 is black and supports IM. Debug confirms.

I have many of the same problems, tracks won't start - Audirvana Plus 1.3.9.8 Beta crashes, reboot, sometimes it plays a few tracks and then the same problem. 2011 mac Mini with 8GB out via optical, I've sent debug and crash reports to Damien.

When it does play there are problems with noise and distortion in playback, previous Betas have not had this and been much better on my system. Sadly there is nothing in the logs to indicate what might be causing this noise/distortion. The Mac is not used for anything else.

I've switched back to Audirvana Plus 1.3.9.7 Beta as this has less problems for me and more importantly no noise/distortion on playback.

Originally Posted by Jud

OK, got it - at least for my problem, and for anyone else experiencing the same behavior. A+ is using computer resources so little that my Mac is going to sleep and stopping the playback..

I had mentioned this problem in post #599

Originally Posted by juliocat

The jkdac32 DAC is based on a hiface 1 and is not compatible with Direct and Integer Mode.

OK, thanks.

Originally Posted by Bob Stern

1.3.9.8 Beta does not introduce any new problems for me.

However, it retains a long-standing problem in iTunes integration Mode. After playing for several minutes, it ignores attempts to pause playback by clicking the play/pause icon in iTunes or by clicking the play/pause button in the Apple infrared remote.

It does stop playing if I run the following AppleScript:
tell application "iTunes" to stop

I have this problem as well. I noticed it in .7 as well. I use the remote a lot since I run the Mini headless and this is a big issue when it happens.

Also, I do have my hard drives to automatically sleep when OS X wants to. Since my Mini is on all the time I like to have this enabled. Could this be the casue of the playback issues? I've notcied no problems at all with this configurations when Direct Mode is not engaged.

DE.

Originally Posted by orgel

I'm with Esprit. With 1.3.9.8 (iTunes integrated mode), the track loads but playback fails to start. This happens with both PCM and DSD tracks. A+ hangs after this.

I have disabled the Direct Mode (A+ 1.3.9.8, Mac mini, Lion 10.7.4, 4GB RAM, external USB HD, Mytek 192 DSD): A+ now works but obviously I don't have the Direct Mode.

Right, but since at least two people have the same problem, they can check if, disabling the Direct Mode, A+ 1.3.9.8 works

We are all using a Beta Version

Originally Posted by BobP63

O.K.
It looks like the safeties in 1.3.9.8 are shutting down A+ playback before a full fledged KP occurs; unfortunately this occurs all too frequently. I'm averaging about 3-4 songs before I hit a stop, this is within single album playback i.e. no sample rate or bit depth changes. Here's to 1.3.9.9 bringing the stability we're all looking for. Keep hitting it Damien you're getting closer with each release.

Spoke too soon, I've now gotten a couple full blown KP's along with the safety shut downs. I sure hope a stable integer mode in Mountain Lion is possible...