Digital distortion issues with Studio after 3 minutes of playback

I’m experiencing a specific and reproducible issue when using Studio with my Dangerous Music Convert 2 DAC over USB. Here are the details:

Issue:

  • Digital distortion begins around the 3-minute mark during playback
  • Affects all audio tracks, no matter the source (local library files and streaming)
  • Distortion sounds like a clocking error and progressively worsens over time
  • Problem persists regardless of sysOptimizer status or buffer settings
  • Temporary fix: Rebooting both computer and DAC resolves the issue!

System Setup:

  • DAC: Dangerous Music Convert2
  • Computer: iMac running High Sierra
  • Connection: USB
  • Previous setup: Same hardware worked flawlessly with Audirvana 3.5

I find it particularly interesting that this wasn’t an issue with Audirvana 3.5 using the identical hardware setup, which suggests it might be related to Studio’s USB handling.

Has anyone encountered similar issues or have suggestions for troubleshooting? I’d appreciate any insights on potential solutions beyond the temporary reboot fix.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome…
Please paste your debug information report here, so folks can help the best possible… It is found here: Settings–> My Account–> Help–> Debug info

Something else is going on with your system…
I’m running macOS Sierra 15.1 and Audirvana Studio 2.9.4, playing 24/352.8kHz AIFF files, with Audio Units HRTF DSP being applied to all PCM files, and subsequently modulating (upsampling) these files to 5.6MHz DSD128 via r8Brain transmitted via DoP 1.1 , output on the USB 3.0 bus to my DAC. (USB 3.0 → USB 2.0 to the DAC)… I have been listening without the behavior you are experiencing… In fact, my first impression of the sound-quality of Audirvana 2.9.4 is having an incremental improvement in contextual detail and focus!

See my screenshot below:

:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes:

Thanks for your reply! I’ve pasted my debug information below. The fact that it all works fine after a reboot is proof everything is compatible and the settings are ok, but it’s a real killjoy to have to do that every time I want to listen.

Audirvana Studio 2.9.4 (20904)

macOS 10.13.6 x86_64 with 4GB physical RAM

Connected account of : MJA

NETWORK
Status: available

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

Polarity Inversion:
	Globally: OFF
	Per track: ON
Effects plugins NOT ACTIVE

UPSAMPLING:
r8brain not in use
r8brain filter parameters
Bandwidth = 99.5%
Stop band attenuation 218dB
Phase linear

AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: OFF

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 1 folders
AUTO: /Users/MJA/Documents/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/MJA/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite

Local audio files fingerprinting
Tracks with no MBID: 128

Remote Control server:
Listening on 127.0.0.1 on port 49163

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
TIDAL: Connected as PREMIUM

APPEARANCE SETTINGS:
UI theme: dark
Font size: regular
Language: System language
Show album covers in tracks list: yes
Source list sorted:
My Music
Radios
Podcasts
Streaming
Local
Startup view: My Music: Albums
Show local extended in source list: no
Use media keys: yes
Use media keys for volume control: yes
Use Apple Remote: yes
Number of paired remotes: 0
Remote pairing code required: yes
Screen saver disabled: no

=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================

Active method: Local

Max. memory for audio buffers: 1024MB

Local Audio Engine: CoreAudio
Exclusive access: ON
Integer mode: ON
Use max I/O buffer size: OFF
Actual I/O buffer frame size: 512

Preferred device:
Dangerous Music CONVERT-2 [sn2189]
Model UID:CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:20B1:3040
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:Dangerous Music:CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:2189:1,2

Currently playing in Integer Mode:
Device: 2ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits little endian Signed Integer, 8 bytes per frame 44.1kHz

Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
Hog Mode is on

Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: OFF

Selected device:CONVERT-2 [sn2189]
Manufacturer: Dangerous Music
Model name: Dangerous Music CONVERT-2 [sn2189]
Model UID: CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:20B1:3040
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Dangerous Music:CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:2189:1,2
USB Vendor ID: 0x20b1
USB Product ID: 0x3040
ID 0x27

6 available sample rates up to 192000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512

Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
Max volume alert: Enabled

MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: Yes
Not automatically detected, user set to not MQA

DSD capability
Unhandled (PCM conversion) with boost gain of 6dB

Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1

Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: Yes

1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1

Stream ID 0x28 2 channels starting at 1
12 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 44.1kHz

12 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned high in 32bit 44.1kHz

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x32 Built-in Output
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: AppleHDA:78
UID: AppleHDAEngineOutput:8,0,1,2:0
Model name: Apple Inc. Built-in Output
Device #1: ID 0x27 CONVERT-2 [sn2189]
Manufacturer: Dangerous Music
Model UID: CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:20B1:3040
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Dangerous Music:CONVERT-2 [sn2189]:2189:1,2
USB Vendor ID: 0x20b1
USB Product ID: 0x3040
Model name: Dangerous Music CONVERT-2 [sn2189]

UPnP

UPnP devices found : 0

Chromecast

Chromecast devices found : 0

The Audivana System Requirements may be relevant, given that you are running at the very minimum memory requirement of 4GB where you are allocating 1GB of your System RAM for playback preload buffering… Try lowering your playback preload memory allocation to 500MB or not allocating any amount of your System RAM for playback buffering.

Configure this setting to reflect: "Use max I/O buffer size: ON "

Note: When there is not enough System RAM for the CPU operations, it is forced to use ‘virtual memory’ on your System drive if there is space on this… "disc swaps’ precipitate interrupt wait-times in the CPU operations and they can precipitate loss of sync issues due to bus management buffer under-runs… And these interrupts are compounded by storing the Music Library files on the System drive.

:notes: :eye: :headphones: :eye: :notes:

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.