[PROBLEM] Sometimes static when changing to track with different sampling rate

[hestehandler]

This is an issue that I encountered with both 6.6.0 and 6.7.0. Occasionally I get static when I change to a track with a different sampling rate than the previous playing track. I’m using the M2Tech Hi2Face Evo as a USB output device. So is the HiFace to blame, or is it software?

[Tim Curtis]

Does the issue occur when you swap in a different DAC?

[hestehandler]

Does the issue occur when you swap in a different DAC?

If that is the only way to find out, I’ll wait for the Pi2AES hat I have on order to replace the HiFace Evo. If that does not fix it then it is either MPD, ALSA, or the DAC. Probably. We’ll see.

[dwlacroix]

I have the same issue with my office setup. My USB DAC is a Klipsch Powergate. It does not occur on my living room setup that has a HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro. Both systems are accessing the same music files

[swizzle]

It’s likely the dac having an issue locking onto the new frequency, once it syncs in you get music instead of static. Many dacs mute during that kind of transition for just that reason. You can work around it by resampling everything to one value (e.g. 24/192 or whatever) in the mpd settings and maybe keep an eye out for a deal on a new dac.

[hestehandler]

It’s likely the dac having an issue locking onto the new frequency, once it syncs in you get music instead of static. Many dacs mute during that kind of transition for just that reason. You can work around it by resampling everything to one value (e.g. 24/192 or whatever) in the mpd settings and maybe keep an eye out for a deal on a new dac.

Thing is I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC designed by Michael Pflaumer, and I refuse to believe that he has goofed in the design or implementation of the device. Much more likely is that some other element in the chain is to blame.

[DRONE7]

It’s likely the dac having an issue locking onto the new frequency, once it syncs in you get music instead of static. Many dacs mute during that kind of transition for just that reason. You can work around it by resampling everything to one value (e.g. 24/192 or whatever) in the mpd settings and maybe keep an eye out for a deal on a new dac.

Thing is I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC designed by Michael Pflaumer, and I refuse to believe that he has goofed in the design or implementation of the device. Much more likely is that some other element in the chain is to blame.

First hit... for "Berkeley Alpha DAC clicks and pops"   There's history.

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic...mment=5479

[swizzle]

It’s likely the dac having an issue locking onto the new frequency, once it syncs in you get music instead of static. Many dacs mute during that kind of transition for just that reason. You can work around it by resampling everything to one value (e.g. 24/192 or whatever) in the mpd settings and maybe keep an eye out for a deal on a new dac.

Thing is I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC designed by Michael Pflaumer, and I refuse to believe that he has goofed in the design or implementation of the device. Much more likely is that some other element in the chain is to blame.

How old is it? Even excellent electronics can drift out of spec over time or have a component fail through no fault of design or designer. Anyway a few things to try to isolate the problem.

1) different input, e.g. toslink or usb instead of spdif
2) different cable if you have one
3) other software to rule out something moode specific
4) another dac as mentioned, though I know you’re waiting on the pi2aes (which I have and really like)

If it does seem to be the dac and this is the only problem you have with it you can work around the issue by resampling everything with SoX in the mpd options screen, use the highest value your dac supports, e.g. 24/192 vhq or 24/176.4 if most of your music is cd audio.

[vinnn]

Thing is I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC designed by Michael Pflaumer, and I refuse to believe that he has goofed in the design or implementation of the device. Much more likely is that some other element in the chain is to blame.

It's the DAC, jitter was a more common issue around 8 years ago when your DAC was new but nowadays if a current DAC suffers this it's the sign of a poorly designed DAC as the technology has moved on a lot in the past 5-10 years.
As @swizzle says you can enable resampling to your DAC's native sample rate so the DAC doesn't have to change sample rates, it shouldn't emit those nasty clock jitter noises when source sample rates changes.

[hestehandler]

It’s likely the dac having an issue locking onto the new frequency, once it syncs in you get music instead of static. Many dacs mute during that kind of transition for just that reason. You can work around it by resampling everything to one value (e.g. 24/192 or whatever) in the mpd settings and maybe keep an eye out for a deal on a new dac.

Thing is I have a Berkeley Alpha DAC designed by Michael Pflaumer, and I refuse to believe that he has goofed in the design or implementation of the device. Much more likely is that some other element in the chain is to blame.

How old is it? Even excellent electronics can drift out of spec over time or have a component fail through no fault of design or designer. Anyway a few things to try to isolate the problem.

1) different input, e.g. toslink or usb instead of spdif
2) different cable if you have one
3) other software to rule out something moode specific
4) another dac as mentioned, though I know you’re waiting on the pi2aes (which I have and really like)

If it does seem to be the dac and this is the only problem you have with it you can work around the issue by resampling everything with SoX in the mpd options screen, use the highest value your dac supports, e.g. 24/192 vhq or 24/176.4 if most of your music is cd audio.

I had another MPD installation running in a VM on a Synology before, and there I had the same issue, so I’m suspecting the HiFace Evo (or its device driver). It’s not the cable either, tried two AES3 cables.