[hauntingtheholy]

Holy Schiit.  Am I ever a Sad Panda.  Obviously I'm hearing clipping in my music, and after doing a little research here, I haven't found a place to start.  I'm using a new, original Modi with a Magni 2U and a new laptop.  As I just got the Modi and the laptop, I had only a couple chances to hear the modi with the old PC before I destroyed said PC while (failing to) change the cooling fans, lol.  So now I'm using modi/Magni 2u with laptop and I am noticing this occasional only, yet highly irrating clipping.  It happens at least 3 times per song.  I'm assuming the modi is the likely culprit, but can you guys think of anything else?  This DAC had such a good recomendation, and I can't return it b/c I got it for $79 from Schiit's clearance section.  I must have just got a bad one, right?  or no?  Money is too tight to just buy another DAC, so I thought I'd use any advice here to troubleshoot/solve problem without buying a new DAC.  I'm listening to 320K mp3's with GOM media player and Senn HD650, which is what I used on my old PC with just the Magni 2u and never had any clipping.  Questions?  Thoughts?  I appreciate any input in advance.

 

[hauntingtheholy]

*bump*

 

[haywood]

  *bump*

Try another cable, try a different usb port, try another source, blow out the usb ports with compressed air...
 
I'm sure Schiit didn't mean you couldn't return a defective product so if all else fails contact them.

 

[buldogge]

What sampling rate and bit size do you have set in the audio software on your laptop?
 
I have a similar problem with my Little Dot DAC_1 on my Macbook Pro when trying to exceed 44/16...I do not have this issue using my Music Hall 25.3.  
 
Worth a check, I suppose...
 
-Mark in St. Louis

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Do you mean "clicking" instead of "clipping?" Clicking is like when your smack your tongue on the roof of your mouth, which can be due to USB power or driver issues (or other connectivity issues with digital audio transmission); clipping is when the amplifier runs short of  the current or voltage required by a particular transducer in playing a dynamic passage. Technically there's also "clipping" when there are bandwidth issues but I think USB - with properly implemented hardware and software - can handle just about any audio format.

 

[buldogge]

^^^I took it as "clicking", since he equated it to the Modi use.
 
-Mark

 

[hauntingtheholy]

Hmm....I guess I mean "clicking?"  Its like there is a sudden 1/10th of a second of silence or "cutting out" of the song.  

 

[hauntingtheholy]

Delete

 

[hauntingtheholy]

 
Try another cable, try a different usb port, try another source, blow out the usb ports with compressed air...
 
I'm sure Schiit didn't mean you couldn't return a defective product so if all else fails contact them.

I did blow out the ports with an air-can and switch the usb port to no avail.  It's the same cable I was using with the old PC which worked ok, so maybe that's not likely.  Good idea on writing Schiit, I will do that now as Devin Townsend's "Epiccloud" mp3's are being ruined as we speak.  I think it's clipped/clicked 15 times in two songs.  :-/  Maybe Schiit will have some better-than-schiittastic advice for me.

 

[hauntingtheholy]

  What sampling rate and bit size do you have set in the audio software on your laptop?
 
I have a similar problem with my Little Dot DAC_1 on my Macbook Pro when trying to exceed 44/16...I do not have this issue using my Music Hall 25.3.  
 
Worth a check, I suppose...
 
-Mark in St. Louis

I just checked and it was set to 44/16 "cd quality" - the minimum.  I will experiment with other settings.  Listening to 96/24 right now.  Though it sounds like you think having it set LOW would be best, huh?  

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

That's probably jitter. Try playing with sample rating/bit depth, try unplugging all the USB devices you can, make sure you're not doing anything CPU intensive, and make sure you're getting enough bandwidth from your drive to read the music file properly. Those are a few of the things that can cause jitter. I hope you can figure it out, I know how annoying it can be.

 

[hauntingtheholy]

  What sampling rate and bit size do you have set in the audio software on your laptop?
 
I have a similar problem with my Little Dot DAC_1 on my Macbook Pro when trying to exceed 44/16...I do not have this issue using my Music Hall 25.3.  
 
Worth a check, I suppose...
 
-Mark in St. Louis

 
Just to be clear:  You've got the Music Hall 25.3 hooked up to your macbook Pro and it works without "Jitter" - yes?  I'm unfamiliar with this but I assume it's a DAC/amp combo.  This is some evidence that it is indeed the Modi, no?

 

[hauntingtheholy]

That's probably jitter. Try playing with sample rating/bit depth, try unplugging all the USB devices you can, make sure you're not doing anything CPU intensive, and make sure you're getting enough bandwidth from your drive to read the music file properly. Those are a few of the things that can cause jitter. I hope you can figure it out, I know how annoying it can be.

Thanks for the advice, perhaps it is Jitter, and this is how I'll refer to it until I fix the problem. I unpluged everything, even my Usb wireless mouse, and the problem persists. Through three songs of the Ziltoid 2:  Dark Matters 320 mp3's, I got a few tiny jitters and also two LONG ones lasting around 3/4's of a second!  Unreal.  :-O
 
Could you elaborate on "getting enough bandwidth from your drive to read the music file?"  What are you referring to and how do I do this?  By "drive" do you mean the modi?

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

Thanks for the advice, perhaps it is Jitter, and this is how I'll refer to it until I fix the problem. I unpluged everything, even my Usb wireless mouse, and the problem persists. Through three songs of the Ziltoid 2:  Dark Matters 320 mp3's, I got a few tiny jitters and also two LONG ones lasting around 3/4's of a second!  Unreal.  :-O

Could you elaborate on "getting enough bandwidth from your drive to read the music file?"  What are you referring to and how do I do this?  By "drive" do you mean the modi?

I mean that you should make sure your hard drive is fast enough to read the file without delay. I doubt that's the issue, but it's worth checking into. I'm not really sure what could be causing it, perhaps too much USB bandwidth is being taken up?

 

[heishiro]

I think we have the same case, thou i use a Nuforce u-Dac before.
the clipping/popping sound happens almost every 10 seconds the music stop and starts again
it could be the USB port not giving enough power to your DAC since the original MODI is Usb powered.
you might try to buy this : http://schiit.com/products/wyrd (but no guarantee it could fix the clipping)
or better upgrade your dac with dedicated power supply not usb powered.