USB -> I2S -> DAC -> Happy Ears.

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Dave the bass
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#1 USB -> I2S -> DAC -> Happy Ears.

Post by Dave the bass »

By way of increasing my grasp of computer audio and a good project to boot I've been trying to get this working since October. Inspired by occasional poster here 'nic' and our-Neal I bought a USB to SPDIF + I2S output CM6631a based PCB. I'd read of other folk using CM6631a to extract (?) I2S to be able to feed that into a suitable DAC, like the ESS9023 I'm using here, all off eBay, not a big bucks project but very interesting (to me). I've got to know 'Device Manager' quite well, over the last 2 weekends.

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I think I've finally done it.... here's a screen shot of my laptop playing a 24 Bit 192 KHz via USB feeding the circuitry above. I think I've got the settings right, this is the bit that has tripped me up most.
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....and to add the icing on the cake, the EDO'd Touch now see's the CM6631a interface and reports correctly (I think)....
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Whilst it plays very nicely with the laptop PC via USB it's not perfect via the Touch, at the beginning of the occasional 24/192 track the Touch halts playback to re-buffering, I've heard of it but haven't had this problem before. 16/44 and upwards to 24/96 is fine... but 24/192 has the occasional stutter. I run the Touch wireless, not Ethernet. Could my router be struggling at 24/192 files? Any ideas?

DTB
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Ali Tait
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#2

Post by Ali Tait »

Not sure wired would make much difference Dave, assuming you have a good wireless signal. Probably more down to the fact that the Touch was never designed to play files at this level. I used to get the same with mine, and it was hard wired, and that was at 24/92.
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Dave the bass
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#3

Post by Dave the bass »

I hear ya Ali, but the main EDO'd Touch downstairs streams 24/192 through an AK4396 just fine. No bufferin'.

I'll borrow a longish ethernet cable tonight and see if it makes a difference over the WiFi with Man-Cave Touch running the I2S DAC.

DTB
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Ali Tait
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#4

Post by Ali Tait »

Is that via USB?
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Dave the bass
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#5

Post by Dave the bass »

Ali Tait wrote:Is that via USB?
Nah, Coax SPDIF out the Touch. I'll try the USB-I2S Dac on the downstairs Touch too though to see if I can pin point the problem, I only got it all running this morning before I went to work. Currently listening to it here at work, had to install the correct drivers etc etc etc.

DTB
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Ali Tait
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#6

Post by Ali Tait »

Mine would work fine most of the time, I'd just get occasional buffering. Never got to the bottom of it though.
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