problem with USB connection from Mac Mini to XDA-2

[rustyshackleford]

I have set up a MacMini to use as my music server, connected via USB to my Emotiva XDA-2 DAC.   After a few minutes play, the sound becomes horribly distorted, kind of a screeching sound.   The DAC has the common problem of needing to be powered-on twice before sound comes out, and I'm sending it in soon, but I doubt this is the problem - especially as I don't see it when connecting a TOSlink cable to the OPT1 input (from other sources, not the MacMini, as I haven't acquired the needed adapter yet).  It doesn't really sound like a ground-loop issue, but I tried a USB isolator anyhow, with no improvement.

Has anyone else experienced this ?

[hemster]

I'm not familiar with the Mac mini, but if you were using Windows, I would recommend upgrading the USB drivers. I dunno.. does this apply to the Mac also?

[novisnick]

Mar 26, 2018 14:22:37 GMT -5 hemster said:

I'm not familiar with the Mac mini, but if you were using Windows, I would recommend upgrading the USB drivers. I dunno.. does this apply to the Mac also?

No, Mac doesn’t require drivers to be installed. Should be just plug and play. Id check the sound on the Mini to see if its configured correctly.

[rustyshackleford]

Mar 26, 2018 14:25:17 GMT -5 novisnick said:

Mar 26, 2018 14:22:37 GMT -5 hemster said:

I'm not familiar with the Mac mini, but if you were using Windows, I would recommend upgrading the USB drivers. I dunno.. does this apply to the Mac also?

No, Mac doesn’t require drivers to be installed. Should be just plug and play. Id check the sound on the Mini to see if its configured correctly.

I think the MacMini is configured correctly.   In SystemPrefs->Sound I set the output to be the attached USB device (the XDA-2).   In "Audio MIDI setup" I set to "2 channel, 16-bit integer, 44.1KHz" which is how the music is stored in iTunes (AIFF files ripped from CDs).  And like I said, the problem is intermittent.  Next step is to figure out if it's only with iTunes playback, or from other sound-generating apps on the Mini.

[novisnick]

Please keep us in the loop, problems pop up sometimes, for no apparent reason! 👍

[rustyshackleford]

Mar 26, 2018 14:39:47 GMT -5 novisnick said:

Please keep us in the loop, problems pop up sometimes, for no apparent reason! 👍

Ok.   I'm also going to get the little adapter so that I can connect the MacMini to the XDA-2 with a TOSlink cable.  We'll see how that works.  I thought there was a consensus that the USB method is the best for sound quality.   I think that has to do with it having less jitter, but since the XDA-2 has ASRC that probably doesn't matter.

Since I'm about to send the XDA-2 in to fix the problem of needing to power it up twice, I wanted to make sure this wasn't another problem with it.

[novisnick]

Mar 26, 2018 14:56:51 GMT -5 rustyshackleford said:

Mar 26, 2018 14:39:47 GMT -5 novisnick said:

Please keep us in the loop, problems pop up sometimes, for no apparent reason! 👍

Ok.   I'm also going to get the little adapter so that I can connect the MacMini to the XDA-2 with a TOSlink cable.  We'll see how that works.  I thought there was a consensus that the USB method is the best for sound quality.   I think that has to do with it having less jitter, but since the XDA-2 has ASRC that probably doesn't matter.

Since I'm about to send the XDA-2 in to fix the problem of needing to power it up twice, I wanted to make sure this wasn't another problem with it.

Tell Emotiva about this problem as well, also place a note with your name, phone number  and description of all problems your having with the unit. They can check it all out at the same time. This is a best practice and should be done with any return for repair. 
Ive run PC to to DC-1, Mac Mini to DC-1 , Mac Mini to Explorer2 DAC and Mac Mini to Explorer2 and each setup in settings needs to be set just right.

[rustyshackleford]

Turns out this problem has already been discussed here. Sometimes a firmware update fixes it, sometimes it's just an issue with certain USB ports and certain cables.

emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/27247

Mods might want to delete this thread.