m2tech hiface dac: Volume type software not working?

[Falco]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a used M2Tech hiFace usb DAC. When I connected to my RPi with MoOde there was no sound unfortunately. I experimented a bit, but it seems only volume type Fixed (0db output) gives me sound via my Audioengine 2+ speakers.

Can anyone help me in enabling the Volume type Software, am I overlooking an option? I prefer to use the software volume type as the speakers are also connected to my computer and in this way I control the output volume the easiest.

[Tim Curtis]

Does "Software" appear in the dropdown list for Volume type?

[Falco]

Does "Software" appear in the dropdown list for Volume type?

Hi Tim, yes it does, and when I start music I hear a soft plop on the speakers but that's it. Cranking the volume up, either on the speakers or the software dial did not work

[Nutul]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a used M2Tech hiFace usb DAC. When I connected to my RPi with MoOde there was no sound unfortunately. I experimented a bit, but it seems only volume type Fixed (0db output) gives me sound via my Audioengine 2+ speakers.

Can anyone help me in enabling the Volume type Software, am I overlooking an option? I prefer to use the software volume type as the speakers are also connected to my computer and in this way I control the output volume the easiest.

Software volume control is just an attenuator from 0dB - like what a pre-amp would do, so normally you use it with your active speakers' volume close-to-max (or what a reasonably high level is to you). This way you should be able to hear music comfortably with the moOde's volume at 40%.

P.S. the Audioengine also have a USB input to the internal DAC; you can also try that with software volume, to exclude issues with the m2tech DAC.

[Tim Curtis]

IF Fixed worked and Software set to 100 did not then it's a mystery to me.

It's unusual for a USB DAC to not support Hardware volume so I'm guessing the m2tech device is kind of old?

[Falco]

IF Fixed worked and Software set to 100 did not then it's a mystery to me.

It's unusual for a USB DAC to not support Hardware volume so I'm guessing the m2tech device is kind of old?

I believe it's about 10 years old indeed.With fixed output it sounds pretty good, quite bright and clear, bass is less pronounced. 

Found some reviews:

https://www.headpie.net/2016/06/m2tech-h...eview.html


https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/m2tec...dac_e.html

https://www.whathifi.com/news/m2tech-hif...nds-review

[Nutul]

IF Fixed worked and Software set to 100 did not then it's a mystery to me.

It's unusual for a USB DAC to not support Hardware volume so I'm guessing the m2tech device is kind of old?

I believe it's about 10 years old indeed.With fixed output it sounds pretty good, quite bright and clear, bass is less pronounced. 

Found some reviews:

https://www.headpie.net/2016/06/m2tech-h...eview.html


https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/m2tec...dac_e.html

https://www.whathifi.com/news/m2tech-hif...nds-review

At the end of the 2nd review there is a mention of no sound in Linux, and the channels being "muted", opened alsamixer, selected the dac, pressed M to unmute, everything worked. The toggle is permanent. Worth a try, uh? Windows systems were not affected (maybe the drivers help, there)

[Falco]

IF Fixed worked and Software set to 100 did not then it's a mystery to me.

It's unusual for a USB DAC to not support Hardware volume so I'm guessing the m2tech device is kind of old?

I believe it's about 10 years old indeed.With fixed output it sounds pretty good, quite bright and clear, bass is less pronounced. 

Found some reviews:

https://www.headpie.net/2016/06/m2tech-h...eview.html


https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/m2tec...dac_e.html

https://www.whathifi.com/news/m2tech-hif...nds-review

At the end of the 2nd review there is a mention of no sound in Linux, and the channels being "muted", opened alsamixer, selected the dac, pressed M to unmute, everything worked. The toggle is permanent. Worth a try, uh? Windows systems were not affected (maybe the drivers help, there)

I saw the remarks about alsamixer indeed, but that was not the issue. Alsa was set at the same value as the MoOde Alsa setting, which I presume is the objective.

I did some more testing and it's a bit weird but now software works. I connected another DAC Loconaq E1) and that showed the same behaviour, I shut down the RPi and disconnect and connect other DAC. When I then select Volume type Fixed output and I play some music it works. When I then go back into audio setting and select Software Volume type it works and shows Alsa setting in %, and afterwards I can play music just fine.

Is this expected behaviour or maybe a bug of some sort? Not sure how/when the dac gets registered to the MoOde OS upon cold boot or live connection?

[Tim Curtis]

The symptom suggests an issue with the physical USB connection. Spray some contact cleaner in the Pi USB ports and cable or DAC USB connectors. Do it a couple of times, insert/remove the connector, etc.

[Falco]

The symptom suggests an issue with the physical USB connection. Spray some contact cleaner in the Pi USB ports and cable or DAC USB connectors. Do it a couple of times, insert/remove the connector, etc.

Thanks Tim, I will try and might be also the solution to some occasional drops in sound that I'm now hearing.

The Alsamixer tip from the review was convenient by the way. In the Loconaq E1 I'm testing now there's two outputs. A balanced one with 2,5mm plug and a 3,5mm single ended one, the speakers are connected via the 3,5mm. In alsamixer I saw that the 2.5 output was on the setting as shown in MoOde (95%), but the active 3,5 was set at 50% so sound level was rather low, lower then expected at least.