[Schrieks]

I have a big problem with some piece of my setup.
Currently I have a
Laptop > M-Audio Transit > Glass toslink > TriVista 21 DAC.

Problem: I sometimes get a loud electronic buzz.
I am playing music through the computer I am doing work on, but I still wouldn't expect this.

I have had my headphones on here when it happened 2 of the 3 times. I've been using the setup only this week.
1) I switched windows (gave another window focus in Windows) and got the loud buzz for about .5 sec.
2) I dropped a folder of music into Foobar and got the buzz for about .5 sec.
3) I left my desk. When I got back my cans were emitting the scary buzz. My neighbor here at work said it lasted at most 2 minutess, but she didn't want to mess with my gear. I immediately unplugged the transit's usb cord from my laptop. Sound stopped.

I know it's triggered by windows, not the DAC, and not the Transit... though I think the Transit has some responsibility.

I have not heard the buzz through the line out of the Transit, but the buzz has happened only once per day at most, and I have not tried the lineout long enough to catch it, if it would happen through the line out.

SO
Windows is clearly triggering it, but what is specifically happening?
Is windows actually sending bad data to the Transit?
Is the Transit responding to power fluctuations in my computer by sending the noise across the toslink?
Might some piece of my chain be haunted?
I think it may be the same buzz I get through a line-out of a stock soundcard... but from the card it's very faint, whereas through the DAC and amp it is very disproportionately loud. (You've heard electronic noise through your stock sound card, right?) Besides that, I wouldn't expect the Transit to transmit that noise as sound.

I also sometimes hear a big click when I open an audio program. I sometimes get it when I double-click to another track in foobar's playlist. When I fire up another player (VUPlayer) it doesn't do it anymore.

Have any of you experienced this? If so, how'd you resolve it? If not, I envy you!
(I just turned latency from Medium to Very High.. maybe this will help... any ideas?)

 

[commando]

That's very odd - my sonica with default settings is quiet. Can you try a different sound card, or a different DAC, etc?

 

[Schrieks]

It is quiet in general.
Unfortunately I don't have a second DAC on hand, and I don't have a second card. The only USB one worth it is the Transit, I think.

When I put latency to very high I heard no clicks and no buzz, but because I don't know what combination of events triggers it within windows, I cannot yet assume it cleared the issue up. If this config lasts several days, then I'll assume it worked... but the conditions may just be different.

Anyone else experience the problem I am having?

 

[Permonic]

What settings (output data format, output method, dither, etc.) do you use in Foobar?

 

[Schrieks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Permonic What settings (output data format, output method, dither, etc.) do you use in Foobar?

I use all defaults. I may have changed some settings, but I definitely use no dither or resampling or EQ or anything that would interfere with the signal coming out. Because the buzzing happened with Foobar open and also with VUPlayer open (One of the buzz times they wer both open... don't know if it happened with just VUPlayer)... So I don't think it's the fault of the audio player itself. I am not certain, though, of course.

In another thread someone asked a question related to this: If we can vary the volume of the file within windows, is it bit perfect? Are the bytes that are going to the DAC partially the perfect signal, and a few bits the volume? Is there SOME alteration? I'd like it if my Transit wasn't even seen as a playback device, as such. I just want it to pump bits out to my DAC. I don't want windows *ding* and *chime*... I just want music