trouble with Pure Music and Wyred4Sound DAC-2

[flohmann]

I just received the W4S DAC-2, and am having trouble via USB using Pure Music.

 

Source is an iMac, 4gb RAM, running latest iTunes and 10.6.

 

Pure Music is set for no upsampling, 44.1, memory play disabled.

 

I get a recurring minor glitch every 30 seconds or so, as if a millisecond is dropped out. This only happens when I'm using Pure Music -- everything is fine if I go with straight iTunes.

 

This does not happen when using Pure Music via Ayre QB-9 or Bel Canto DAC3.5vb (using Halide USB-to-SPDIF Bridge). As you might have divined, I'm doing a bit of a DAC shoot-out at home.

 

Any ideas? Anyone else have similar trouble with the W4S?

 

[audioengr]

I would try a different USB port on the iMac. iMacs seem to be more trouble than Mac Mini.

 

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

 

[liddown]

+1 Same problem... Did you happen to find a solution?

 

[flohmann]

Sorry, I never did get it sorted. Opted instead for Amarra (which I often don't use because it causes trouble with Airplay). These "make modifications under the hood to OS X" audio hacks are tiresome. If the rumors are true that Apple is negotiating to add high-rez downloads to iTunes, then perhaps they'll have the incentive to focus on iTunes sound quality themselves.

 

[roscoeiii]

Both Channel D and Wyred are very responsive and helpful when I have contacted them with questions or problems. Did you contact one or both? If so, what did they say?

 

[flohmann]

Yes, the folks at Wyred were helpful, but they didn't have anything that I hadn't already tried, so to no avail. It's difficult dealing with these apps that muck about under the OS X hood, especially when combined with a custom driver (which the W4S uses).

 

[liddown]

Thanks for the replies...

 

I have not contacted either as of yet... One reason is that there are at least a couple of reviews where they were running PM with the DAC2 and didn't report the same type of failures. So I am hoping that I can duplicate that experience. If all else fails I will make contact.

 

I have made a few changes to the environment that as of this morning appear to be helping ( but to early to say it's fixed). I have turned on HOG mode in PM, and also found that I had not turned off the Wyred4sound driver in the MAC audio setup. I also disabled Spotlight on the MAC to keep drive I/O as low as possible. I am using "play from memory" in PM... I have also minimized all other activity on the iMAC (it's dedicated to music). Currently running at 192K to the DAC2.

 

The DAC2 is a new addition along with a new set of B&W 800 Diamonds. In my system PM make a nice improvement and I would like to keep it!

 

I will let you know after a few more hours of playing if I have really made progress...

 

Thanks again,

dw

 

[wfahlers]

Flohmann, could you comment on how you think the Halide has improved the performace of your BC DAC? I have a DAC3 and am considering the Halide after running some A/B comparisons of its USB input and a squeezebox the SPDIF input (have been surprised at the difference and and how unfavorably the USB compares). Your thoughts on hwo the Ayre compares to the 3.5vb woudl also be great. Thanks,

 

[bhobba]

I have used the WFS DAC2 with Pure Music on a Mac Mini for quite a while now and the problem I experience is it drops out for about 15 seconds after about 30 minutes to an hour playing. I always use up-sampling. If anyone knows how to fix it please feel free to pass it on.

 

And I have not contacted WFS or Pure Music yet but may do it a bit further down the line.

 

Thanks

Bill

 

[liddown]

Been out of town for a while so just getting back to some testing... Well I think I have cured the short audio clicks and hits by disabling Spotlight (the indexing application in MAC OS). Also using the HOG mode on PM is a good thing, as is setting the MAC audio to internal... I have also found that using the "More is Less" feature on PM has dramatically reduced the number of longer drop outs too may be one during an entire CD.

 

I have sent mail off to Channel D with my results and are awaiting their thoughts. Again all play flawlessly with straight iTunes, just does not sound anywhere are good as with PM.....

 

More to come after I hear from C-D

 

[liddown]

So after a support exchange with PM I learned something new.... iTunes can resample to 192k... I thought that iTunes was locked at 44.1K (DUH), but if you quit iTunes and change the Audio Midi setting to a different sample rate, iTunes will up-sample to the set hardware rate... So now running iTunes at 192K without PM, I still get drop outs.... So now off to W4S for their input...