[Music Alchemist]

[Update: Solved with the solution in this post!]
 
No matter which buffer settings I use, I can't get music to stop stuttering. (Suddenly stopping, then resuming again, repeatedly at random intervals.) Sometimes it doesn't stutter at all for awhile, and other times it's severe.
 
My computer has pretty good specs (Intel Core i7-640UM 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 8 GB RAM, Windows 10 Home 64-bit) and I always use bitperfect output modes (ASIO, KS, WASAPI).
 
I have tried all sorts of players, and they all do this on my computer, with the exception of JPLAY, which writes tracks/playlists into memory before playback and never stutters. foobar2000 can also do this, but apparently it does it in a different way, because even then it still stutters.
 
Does anyone have any ideas on how to eliminate stuttering altogether?

 

[Mython]

Is this with DSD, specifically, or all formats?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Is this with DSD, specifically, or all formats?

 
All formats. It doesn't happen a lot, but often enough to be irritating.

 

[Mython]

And are you using a USB 2 or USB 3 port?

 

[Mython]

It'd be worth running Windows Task-Manager  (hold down CTRL-ALT-Delete, simultaneously, and choose 'Start Task Manager')
 
 
...to check the CPU usage graph, when you're experiencing drop-outs:
 
 
(image missing) 
 
 
or, even better, run Sysinternals Process Explorer, as it allows you to more clearly see I/O transfers, CPU cycles, etc. etc.
 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  And are you using a USB 2 or USB 3 port?

 
2
 

  It'd be worth running Windows Task-Manager  (hold down CTRL-ALT-Delete, simultaneously, and choose 'Start Task Manager')
 
...to check the CPU usage graph, when you're experiencing drop-outs:
 
or, even better, run Sysinternals Process Explorer, as it allows you to more clearly see I/O transfers, CPU cycles, etc. etc.

 
So if I do notice something, what's the next step?

 

[Mython]

There's a number of possibilities - I'm not a world-expert on this issue, and I've only started with a couple of possibilities, to get the troubleshooting ball rolling.
 
 
If you can see that one of the graphs in Process Explorer is obviously hitting maximum peaks, then you can investigate (also within Process Explorer) what may be responsible.
 
 
Are you using other USB devices, on other motherboard ports, at the same time as your DAC?

 

[Mython]

Incidentally, in a computer as well-specified as yours, you must have a USB 3 port available - have you tried plugging the DAC into that, for troubleshooting purposes?

 

[Music Alchemist]

Are you using other USB devices, on other motherboard ports, at the same time as your DAC?

 
No.
 

  Incidentally, in a computer as well-specified as yours, you must have a USB 3 port available - have you tried plugging the DAC into that, for troubleshooting purposes?

 
It's an Alienware M11x R2 laptop. It only has USB 2.0 ports.

 

[Mython]

OK, well I'm surprised it has no USB 3, with that CPU spec, but putting aside that point, have you run Sysinternals Process Explorer, now?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  OK, well I'm surprised it has no USB 3, with that CPU spec, but putting aside that point, have you run Sysinternals Process Explorer, now?

 
I've monitored the Performance tab in Task Manager. The spikes don't seem reliable. Usually, when it spikes (which is fairly often), there is no stutter. Sometimes it will spike to max for extended periods with no stuttering. Other times, it will stutter without much of a spike.

 

[Mython]

 

  OK, well I'm surprised it has no USB 3, with that CPU spec, but putting aside that point, have you run Sysinternals Process Explorer, now?

 
I've monitored the Performance tab in Task Manager. The spikes don't seem reliable. Usually, when it spikes (which is fairly often), there is no stutter. Sometimes it will spike to max for extended periods with no stuttering. Other times, it will stutter without much of a spike.

 
 
OK, but which performance parameters have you opened a graph on? is that just the CPU?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  OK, but which performance parameters have you opened a graph on? is that just the CPU?

 
Oh. Yeah. Just the default one, which has CPU selected.
 
Do note that I have little idea what I'm doing here, and not a clue how to find and potentially fix the problem.
 
Thanks for your help so far!

 

[Mython]

My guess is that some aspect of your computer performance is exceeding the available resources.

 

[Mython]

Please don't think badly of me, but it is 4:20am, here in the UK, and I really do need to go to sleep in a minute...