[Kirnupiima]

Quote:

can the odac bypass the soundcard on a macbook pro ?

Yes. That is what it's basically for 

 

[lorriman]

can the odac bypass the soundcard on a macbook pro ?

Unlike Windows, the Macbook I've used with the O2 didn't default to using it. I had to go in to the sound settings to select it and also to tell the Mac to automatically select it in future. Because of the way USB works you may need to do this for each USB port the ODAC is plugged in to.

 

[hollowkenshin]

My odac has a high pitch whine when plugged in and the laptop turned off. iirc maverickronin said it was something about the ferrite in the odac vibrating. 
Ive tried uaing powered usb ports and it happens as well.
Are any of you guys experiencing this?
What could i do to get rid of this annoying whine?
 
 
Jdslabs has offered to inspect, except the cost to ship it there is probably not worth the trouble (international)

 

[mac336]

Quote:

My odac has a high pitch whine when plugged in and the laptop turned off. iirc maverickronin said it was something about the ferrite in the odac vibrating. 
Ive tried uaing powered usb ports and it happens as well.
Are any of you guys experiencing this?
What could i do to get rid of this annoying whine?
 
 
Jdslabs has offered to inspect, except the cost to ship it there is probably not worth the trouble (international)

Ive gotten it a couple of times when I leave the ocad plugged in and turn off/on my laptop of put it in hibernate/sleep and awaken it. 
 
solution:  unplug/replug odac

 

[adydula]

I have never heard this whine....but I am sure it can happen.
 
I would take it out if the case and try it outside of the case and see if there is any loose items or resonance's in between the case etc...
 
If the whine still occurs you could put your finger on the "ferrite" or toroid core on the board and tell if thats it.
 
I dont use my ODACS's with laptops only with desktops.
 
It should not whine...I would send it back and let them check it out..
 
Alex

 

[JakeJack_2008]

My JDS Labs ODAC and the O2 (two separates and not a combo),  which arrived last week,  sound fantastic! - Alleluia!
I  am using the ODAC and the O2 (on AC power or batteries) and the  Beyerdynamic DT 880 (250 Ohm; 2005 Edition) or the Sennheiser HD 595 (50 Ohm).
 
 
My thanks go to the designer of the ODAC and O2  whose name is ...... and to  JDS Labs.
 
Edit:
Alex, I forgot to mention that the transport is my laptop.
So the setup is:
 

laptop --> ODAC ---> O2 --> Beyerdynamic DT 880 (250 Ohm)

 
 
 
 
 
 
P.S.
I don't hear any whining, scratching,  etc while listening to  my ODAC and O2.

 

[Funky-kun]

I use the ODAC with my laptop and it doesn't "whine", but it happened when it was connected to a friend's desktop that was turned off. So it is not your ODAC's fault, it probably is because of the laptop. In any case, unplugging it should solve the problem.

 

[JakeJack_2008]

My Windows 7 laptop immediately recognized the ODAC.
But I've had some scary time because I was playing with all those settings and I myself  erased the ODAC from the playback devices list. - (How on earth did I do this?) - My laptop could not see it any more. Well, after about 30 mins of fiddling the ODAC miraculously appeared on the playback devices list again.
 
 
 
Quote:

I am using Window 8 Pro now. It has no problem detecting and starting ODAC. However, after a while of being idle, the driver will reset itself and all the sound will get distorted. A little bit of research seems to indicate that M$ has been using sub-par USB audio class 1 driver that will cause this kind of problem. I switch to using iFi iDAC now (which has its own 24/192 driver) and no problem whatsoever.

 
This is very strange and above very interesting indeed. Thanx for posting.
 
Speaking of powered USB ports or hubs I've got the following  question.
 
How do powered USB ports or hubs relate to the so called (Mini) Travel Surge Protectos with powered USB Ports?
To what extent those mini/travel surge protectors filter the noise of AC power?
Typically noise filtering is up to 44dB or something like this. How good is this?  How useful is this feature?
 
My Toshiba Satellite laptop uses 19V & 3.42A DC power.
 
Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BST300-3-Outlet-Travel-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

 

 

 
Quote:

Belkin BST300 3-Outlet Mini Travel Surge Protector with USB Port - 2.1 AMP

 

Product Features 900 Joule energy rating provides superior power protection for all your sensitive mobile devices Wall-mountable for extra outlets without extra cords 360-degree rotating plug with 4 locking positions for a compact, lightweight design 2 powered USB Ports (1 AMP each) Damage-Resistant Housing protects circuits from fire, impact or rust, and prevents dents and scratches

 
 

Product Description

 

Surge Protection Wherever You Go Add outlets and peace of mind on business trips and vacations with the Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Surge Protector. Plug it into any wall outlet for extra outlets without extra cords. The 360-degree swivel feature makes it easy to fit in small spaces. Two powered USB Ports offer convenient one-source charging for your mobile devices. Safeguard Your Devices Voltage fluctuations, surges and spikes can damage your computer and peripherals and degrade overall performance. Belkin's Wall Mount Surge Protector safeguards your personal computer, printer, hard drives, modems and other hard-to-replace equipment against damage, data loss, file corruption and system crashes. Powered USB ports are intended solely for charging devices. They cannot be used as a USB hub and they do not transmit data.

 
This means that   those travel/mini surge protectors  can be used with USB-powered headphone amps.
But, how to use such  surge protectors with the ODAC? The ODAC needs the data (music) encoded in digital files  from a laptop/desktop.
I never used any powered USB ports/hubs.

 

[mnarwold]

Quote:

 
This is very strange and above very interesting indeed. Thanx for posting.
 
Speaking of powered USB ports or hubs I've got the following  question.
 
How do powered USB ports or hubs relate to the so called (Mini) Travel Surge Protectos with powered USB Ports?
To what extent those mini/travel surge protectors filter the noise of AC power?
Typically noise filtering is up to 44dB or something like this. How good is this?  How useful is this feature?
 
My Toshiba Satellite laptop uses 19V & 3.42A DC power.
 
Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BST300-3-Outlet-Travel-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

 

 

 
 
This means that   those travel/mini surge protectors  can be used with USB-powered headphone amps.
But, how to use such  surge protectors with the ODAC? The ODAC needs the data (music) encoded in digital files  from a laptop/desktop.
I never used any powered USB ports/hubs.

Power-wise it would supply what the ODAC needs, but yes, the problem is no data. USB hubs are something that plug into a USB port on your computer and then have multiple inputs, effectively giving you more usb ports. The powered versions of USB hubs just add something that gets plugged into the wall so the power is from the wall (not the PC) and the data is from the computer. Basically, this is only suggested if you absolutely need more USB ports or you're having a problem with your ODAC.

 

[JakeJack_2008]

Quote:

Power-wise it would supply what the ODAC needs, but yes, the problem is no data. USB hubs are something that plug into a USB port on your computer and then have multiple inputs, effectively giving you more usb ports. The powered versions of USB hubs just add something that gets plugged into the wall so the power is from the wall (not the PC) and the data is from the computer. Basically, this is only suggested if you absolutely need more USB ports or you're having a problem with your ODAC.

 
 
Thank You very much.
Yes, that's what I've thought. One cannot use USB DACs with  surge protectors because no data is transmitted.
 
I've never used a powered USB hub. Does it use two cables? The USB cable you plug into the laptop/desktop computer to transmit the data and the  power cable you plug into  the AC outlet? Then you plug the ODAC  into the USB port of such a powered USB hub.

 

[adydula]

A powered USB hub will supply the power to the ODAC via the USB cable fron the ODAC plugged into the powered USB hub.
The same cable on the data lines will provide the data from the PC to the ODAC.
 
Alex

 

[tdockweiler]

Didn't someone say there was a ferrite bead on the ODAC itself? I swear that I couldn't spot one at all. Maybe it's so small that I overlooked it.
 
I tried my ODAC again straight from my laptop's USB port and it's still pretty bad. It feels as if there is just no life to the music and something has gone missing.
It seems like when I use a powered USB hub everything is back to it's old self and it's much fuller sounding (no, not colored). The ODAC never sounds thin or cold or any of that nonsense.
I love the ODAC, but I still swear that it's treble is kind of slightly TOO polite. I have no idea why or how this would be. It's not caused by my amp. I know it's ruler flat. I like it though. The ODAC has smooth treble to my ears.
 
I also noticed that I got a lot of pops and weird noises coming from my headphones when scrolling through a web browser (without a hub). This always occurred on my HRT MSII too.
When I used a USB hub this never ever happens. Obviously it's not the ODACs fault.  Nothing else was attached to my USB ports along with the ODAC. I think the DACs are getting enough power, but something else weird going on.
The HRT MSII however would randomly start screeching at me until I unplugged it. That never occurred with a powered USB hub.
 
More people should try a powered USB port and compare it to straight out of the computer. Obviously borrow a powered USB hub first if you can! If you get random weird noises when scrolling in Windows, try a powered USB port!
Even if you spend $20 on one and don't notice a difference, USB hubs are always useful and not a total waste. I'm using a Belkin one. I don't like Belkin but I got it locally. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a powered USB hub locally!
 
I think my problem is just poor USB ports. I have a 6 year old HP laptop (which is actually pretty good and built like a tank!) and a custom built desktop with MSI motherboard and a high quality power supply.

 

[lorriman]

Didn't someone say there was a ferrite bead on the ODAC itself? I swear that I couldn't spot one at all. Maybe it's so small that I overlooked it.

I may be mistaken but isn't the round object with coiled wire the ferrite? the designer mentioned that the manufacturer did a last minute switch to a different one. PErhaps a later batch (I have the original) switched back and the ferrite bead is no longer easily idenitified.

 

[adydula]

The little round thing in the lower right hand corner it the inductor, L100 in the +5VDC line in.
Note: Edited to remove the URL.

 
 
 
 

 

[Ixion]

My ODAC is now being pushed along by an iFI iUSBpower, massive smile on my face as I type this.
 
Too much of an audio nub to describe what I'm hearing but it's a fair bit smarter then it was yesterday...