[olor1n]

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FWIW, I switched from an "audiophile-grade" USB cable to a generic, cheap one. This was at Jason's suggestion. It's been a couple of weeks, and—knock wood—no screeching so far.
 
I don't believe that the cable is the root cause, since I'd been using it for months with my previous DAC without any issues. It must be in the way the Gungnir interfaces with it. One possibility is mechanical: first cable is much heavier which puts more stress on the input. Don't know. If/when screech re-appears, I'll post.

 
... following Jason's advice, I switched too from a Wireworld Ultraviolet to an USB cable *with* ferrite filters on both ends
(... but, please, don't tell him it's the Kimber USB. I swear: it's the only *short* cable with ferrites on both ends I could find ;-p )
 
 
so far (10 days since)... it still happens but a) less frequently and b) with less instances, when it happens, in the same session/day
but when it happens, each "screeech" seems to lasts longer (30 sec versus 10-15 with the old cable)

 
Have you advised Jason of your findings with a ferrite choked cable? Recommending a usb cable with ferrite chokes is the standard response from Schiit. Providing them with this info should go towards isolating the issue if they are working on a solution.

 

[rx79ez08]

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Have you advised Jason of your findings with a ferrite choked cable? Recommending a usb cable with ferrite chokes is the standard response from Schiit. Providing them with this info should go towards isolating the issue if they are working on a solution.

If that is the case, then this is truely disturbing.  From an engineering point of view if you cannot solve the problem , then you add filter and hope for the best.  Filtering does not solve the problem most of the time, it just hide the effect so hopefully no one can see.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

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Have you advised Jason of your findings with a ferrite choked cable? Recommending a usb cable with ferrite chokes is the standard response from Schiit. Providing them with this info should go towards isolating the issue if they are working on a solution.

Yep, we're aware of it. Like I said, this is a tough one to find--and very rare, only about 30 known instances out of 2600 USB boards (well, now about 2700-2800) shipped. And all but a handful have been fixed by changing the cable or swapping the USB board.
 
We're working on it, and may have an update soon, but in the meantime, the vast majority (about 99%) of the USB board shipped have had no problem. Because of the rarity, and because of the difficulty in triggering it on our side, expect a longer development cycle. We have to run each proposed solution for days on multiple systems to see if it has an effect.

 

[Robsan]

Hi Jason,
I didn't even know it was a known problem until now 

 
I can confirm that I've had it happen to me a number of times on both the Bifrost + Lyr and again with the Gungnir + Mjolnir. Switching from USB to another input and back clears the noise problem immediately. It's exactly the same behavior on both DACs with the Bifrost "clearing its throat" in about 10s compared to 20s+ on the Gungnir.
 
Should I ask for a replacement USB board or something like that? TBH, I didn't happen frequently enough to bother me but if it can be fixed...
 
Thanks,
Rob
 
PS: That said, they're both great DACs, I love mine! 

 
 
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Yep, we're aware of it. Like I said, this is a tough one to find--and very rare, only about 30 known instances out of 2600 USB boards (well, now about 2700-2800) shipped. And all but a handful have been fixed by changing the cable or swapping the USB board.
 
We're working on it, and may have an update soon, but in the meantime, the vast majority (about 99%) of the USB board shipped have had no problem. Because of the rarity, and because of the difficulty in triggering it on our side, expect a longer development cycle. We have to run each proposed solution for days on multiple systems to see if it has an effect.

 

[earwaxxer]

It must be frustrating! I guess we are continuing down that path of refinement when it comes to audio over USB. Its fun to watch the dual between SPDIF and USB!

 

[mackat]

Geez, it just did it four times in a row and counting...

 

[mackat]

Now 6 times

 

[rx79ez08]

Out of curosity are you using the USB 2.0 driver or the stock Windows driver?

 

[mackat]

Mac mini

 

[MoonUnit]

Just out of curiosity, how much RAM is in your Mac mini?

 

[mackat]

16GB

 

[Erukian]

Out of curiosity, have you tried BitPerfect, Amarra or Audiravna?
 
Amarra and Audirvana have demo trials you can use to test, while BitPerfect has the cleanest implementation (but not the best SRC's, if you're into that kind of thing).

 

[paradoxper]

Isn't the problem W/hardware in one way or another. If so, other software such as Amarra or BP would do nothing.
 
And Amarra is really nice when it works. 

 

[Solude]

Pray the problem is software since that's all Schiit can help change. Mac's don't have a driver as far as I know so nothing to change there.  
 
In the meantime, what I haven't heard is 'iTunes screeches!'.  C-Media doesn't test their hardware against audiophile niche products.  Don't expect them to rework a chipset for obscure software so that Schiit can replace a handful of boards
 
Not to be rough but I get the impression people think Schiit builds the USB>SPDIF chipset or has something to do with the driver... they don't.  You should be bugging C-Media.

 

[SourceGuy]

I went ahead and purchased a V-Link 192.  It beats out the Gungnir's onboard USB in that it is less edgy.  Also, I have yet to encounter the screeching defect with the V-link using PureMusic.  However, I still prefer the optical out on the mac over the v-link.  The USB just sounds choppy in comparison to the soft, smooth sound of the optical.