[W0lfd0g]

My Yamamoto YDA-02 occasionally beeps at me.  After the beep, it will either stop working (only fixed by closing and re-opening foobar), keep working as before, or even reverse the channels. 
 
I have tried the following trouble shooting steps:
 

1. Different source
2. Different USB cable
3. Using external power supply vs power via USB
4. Changing output CODECs
5. Changing output sample rate and word length

 
In case it matters, at the moment I am running it directly out of laptop USB and it is feeding a Yamamoto HA-02 amp.
 
The real pity is that I am really digging this chain at the moment (with an AT W3000ANV).  Would like to fix rather than moving on. 
 
That said, I am only a few steps away from selling it (with full disclosure of the issue) and moving onwards and upwards to a Stello U3 feeding a Metrum Octave.
 
Thanks for reading.  Any help appreciated.

 

[Roller]

Does it only happen on foobar2000 or during general usage?
 
And when you say you tried changing output codecs, you mean different output methods like DS, WASAPI and ASIO?

 

[W0lfd0g]

Thanks for responding.  Happens on foobar2000 and Monkey Media.  Don't listen to anything else to know if it occurs during general usage. 
 
In regards to output codecs, you have hit the nail on the head.  Preference is for WASAPI, but I have played around with different options with no effect.

 

[Roller]

Hmm, are you using the WASAPI 2.1 or 3.0 foobar2000 component? The reason I ask is because WASAPI 3.0 has two separate modes, pull and event, which also allows for troubleshooting issues with USB DACs. Keep in mind some USB DACs do have issues with WASAPI and tend to run free of issues on DirectSound only. If you set your USB DAC exclusively for media player usage and not for system output, as well as matching output format settings, you can have bitperfect playback on DirectSound, along with more compatibility.
 
You might also want to give ASIO a try.

 

[W0lfd0g]

Thanks Roller - You sound like a guru.
 
How do change settings so that DAC is used for media player exclusively?  I run Windows 7
 

 

[Roller]

Not at all, we all pick things here and there
 
Right click on the speaker icon located on the bottom right corner of the screen, select Recording Devices, then select a device other than your YDA-02 and click on Default. That way, your USB DAC will only be used by software that specifically calls for it, which means you might have to select it on foobar2000 preferences if the default system output device is selected, as that would change the foobar2000 output device to the device you selected as the default system output device on the Windows Recording Devices panel.

 

[W0lfd0g]

Thanks muchly
 
I have set to WASAPI event for the YDA-02 in foobar output options (24 bit) and made the laptops speakers and onboard sound default output.   Fingers crossed.

 

[project86]

Good luck with it. I just got a YDA-02 in for review and so far no strangeness has occurred. But I'll keep my ears open for it.

Btw I agree with the synergy with Audio Technicas. So far W1000x and AD2000 both sound quite nice.

 

[W0lfd0g]

Random beeping has returned - Have tried it with DS, WASAPI event and WASAPI push, but with no success. 
 
@project86
 
How do you think a Yulong Sabre D18 would go in my chain?  My two primary goals are warmth and clarity.  Have a budget of about $1,500.00, which should allow for a decent USB to S/PDIF converter. 
 
Thanks

 

[project86]

Quote:

Random beeping has returned - Have tried it with DS, WASAPI event and WASAPI push, but with no success. 
 
@project86
 
How do you think a Yulong Sabre D18 would go in my chain?  My two primary goals are warmth and clarity.  Have a budget of about $1,500.00, which should allow for a decent USB to S/PDIF converter. 
 
Thanks

 
Well I'm still "getting to know" the Yamamoto unit so I can't speak definitively about it. But so far it seems very similar to the Yulong D18 in terms of general sound signature, though the D18 takes it a step further (as it should for double the price). So that would be a good option to consider, along with one of the many good DDC units out there. 

 

[W0lfd0g]

-

 

[project86]

Quote:

I hate my experience with this DAC.  Will this beeping never stop?  Would return under warranty, but I have to pay shipping costs to Japan and there is no guarantee that there is anything wrong with it.  It could just be my settings, but I have tried everything I can think of, including buffer setting.
 

 
No point trying to consult Mr Yamamoto - English is not his strong point if the DAC manual and his website are anything to go by. 
 
I curse the day that I bought this thing.  I will not sell it and inflict my pain on anyone else.  I will burn it without a funeral. I can't even afford to buy a replacement and so my other gear sits useless. 

 
I think you mentioned this already - but have you tried a different laptop or other computer to see if it happens there too? The unit is small enough where you could easily take it to a Best Buy or something, and try a bunch of different computers. See if it happens on some of them, or all of them, or none of them. 
 
If it always happens, then clearly it is a hardware problem. I can't imagine it costs more than $25 or so to ship it back - not cheap, but better than being stuck with a defective unit. 

 

[bluzeboy]

do you by chance have a trial version of a USB codec installed
 
they beep till  you  buy the full version

 

[W0lfd0g]

All good - Thanks everyone for your help! 

 

[project86]

So, it's fixed? If so, how?