I think it's a clocking issue in this case. Sure, modern DACs are asynchronous and have their own clocks. My Cuinas DAC has 2 internal clocks. But this issue arises before the signal gets to the DAC. Retrieving the file from an external USB HD, processing it through the player's software and then shipping out the same USB bus would all be the job of the computer's USB clock. And they are flawed to begin with, let alone ask them to import/export simultaneously.
I experienced minor dropouts as well as small distorted breakups. And that's with a very highly regarded DAC. But a USB DAC is only as good as what it receives from the USB port. That is all gone now. And now the sound is more liquid and effortless.
I'm not prone to make "night and day" claims when it comes to audio equipment. But this was one for me. Like everything else YMMV.
The way to test it would be to play a music file from your internal HD and compare it to the same file copied on your external drive.
I just purchased my first few 24/96Hz albums from HDTracks. July 4th sale you know. Wow, talk about big files. A 4 minute song is 130Mb. Hoo-ah.
Allman Bros, Brothers and Sisters
Peter Tosh, Equal Rights
Jeff Beck, Blow by Blow
I guess it's all down hill from here.
Yes, Thank You.Originally Posted by Altec Best
Altec Lansing Technologies... ALT
Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA
No problem, but other computers may be different. One size does not fit all.
I have to class this with wire. Whatever works for you is right.
Firewire is native to Macs, USB was added in Later. USB on different Macs I have owned had issues that went away with Firewire.
My only argument is that your experience applies to all computers and DACS.Suspect it doesn't
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
(asynchronous) USB DAC + external USB HDD = Problem?
^^BTW, reply#1 is Gordon Rankin. ^^ Someone who knows just a little about USB DACs. Reply#2 is Chris Connaker, Founder of Computer Audiophile. Both recommend not using USB storage devices and USB playback.
Any Harm Using USB External HDD with USB DAC?
Last edited by alancohen; July 4th, 2013 at 03:13 PM.
Is it possible that this is a mac thing? I use a MusicStreamer II which is USB and USB drives with no issues on a PC laptop.
Only as it relates to USB port/controller configurations. Laptops seem to be more prone to this issue, since they have so few USB ports compared to desktop machines, the chance of having multiple USB controllers is very small.
Post #6 from the first link:
From the Ayre website (http://www.ayre.com/usb-adc-windows-vista7.htm
"To ensure that the Ayre USB A/D converter is running on its own dedicated USB controller is largely a matter of trial-and-error. Normally the physical USB port will be connected to a "smart" controller that automatically changes from USB 1.1 (Full Speed) to USB 2.0 (High Speed or "Enhanced), depending on the requirements of the attached peripheral device. However, there will not be a dedicated controller for each port, so sometimes it may be a bit of a trick to find an arrangement whereby the Ayre USB D/A converter has its own dedicated USB controller.
To determine which USB devices are connected to which controllers, go to "Start - Control Panel - System and Security". Then go to "System - Device Manager". In the Menu, select "View - Devices by connection". You will see a "tree" type of display. You are only interested in the USB devices. Click on the symbols to expand the view of the "tree" and identify the devices that are connected. "
With only two ports, I would guess they are on the same controller, but you might as well check. I think your proposed solution with the expresscard should work fine. BTW, when I first got my USB DAC, I was using a USB HDD on a laptop with all USB ports on the same controller. I didn't have any issue with this arrangement and the music sounded fine. Now, whether the sonic quality was "optimal", that's a different question that I have not taken time to explore. I've since moved onto a PC with eSATA and my HDD is in an external case with an eSATA connection.
Having typed all that, I'm assuming you're using Windows ;o)
So it's quite possible your set up is working. It is also possible it could work better.
Last edited by alancohen; July 4th, 2013 at 06:12 PM.
I'd really like it if it worked better. Right now I'm stuck with it sounding the same as the rest of my system
Founder of Computer Audiophile doesn't impress, sorry. The other fellow carries a tad more weight. BTW, I'm an engineer who during a sidetrack worked in industrial process systems for a bit. I don't really care which you believe personnaly, just sounded like their opinions were being posted as fact.
Please understand the engineer mentality- there are many ways to solve a problem. All a problem is - is something to solve.
- - - Updated - - -
That after all is our common goal right?
Last edited by Old Guy; July 4th, 2013 at 06:05 PM.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
Understood. I was just shocked to learn that it was a problem. I did a lot of homework before buying my USB DAC. To hear after the fact that simultaneously using a USB external HD might cause an issue caught me by surprise. I didn't even get a whiff of that before.
I'm not prone to believe half the stuff I read regarding improving audio quality, like little trestles to elevate your speaker wires a few inches above the floor...really? But after reading about digital clocks/controllers and how they work, this one made enough sense to investigate further.
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