Thanks Philip, very useful response
Never had much sense from AI before but this time it made some sensible suggestions which I will try out this evening and report back. For reference here is what it suggested:-
To remove popping, clicking, or snapping sounds in Audirvāna, you usually need to adjust how the software interacts with your computer’s RAM and your external Digital-to-Analogue Converter (DAC). Popping most commonly happens during sample-rate changes (e.g., switching from a standard CD-quality FLAC track to a high-res DSD track) or when the system buffer runs out of memory. [1, 2]
Follow these steps to systematically isolate and resolve the issue:
1. Fix Sample-Rate Switching Pops
If you hear a distinct pop or click only at the exact moment a new song starts or when transitioning between different file formats: [1, 2]
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Go to Settings > Audio > DAC Input (or Device settings).
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Toggle on “Mute during sample rate change”.
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Locate the setting for “Additional latency when changing sample rate” (sometimes called Universal Gapless Playback / Resync Delay).
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Increase this delay value to 1 or 2 seconds. This forces Audirvāna to wait for your DAC’s internal clock to lock onto the new sample rate before sending the audio signal, safely hiding the hardware pop.
2. Adjust Pre-Load Buffer & RAM Settings
If the popping happens randomly in the middle of songs, it is likely a buffer underrun caused by Audirvāna trying to utilize too much or too little RAM. [1]
- Go to Settings > Audio > Computer (or System). [1]
- Find the Pre-load memory allocation slider. [1]
- If you have low system RAM (e.g., 4GB-8GB): Lower the allocated playback memory limit to 500MB. Allocating too much RAM can starve your operating system and cause data dropouts. [1]
- If you have plenty of RAM (16GB+): Ensure you have at least 2GB to 4GB allocated to allow Audirvāna to load the entire track into memory seamlessly before playing.
3. Check Driver & Mode Selection
Audirvāna works best when it bypasses your computer’s standard system audio mixer.
- On Windows: Go to your Output Device settings and ensure you are using the official ASIO driver provided by your DAC manufacturer. If ASIO is unavailable or unstable, use WASAPI Exclusive mode. Avoid standard kernel streaming if it causes instability. [1, 2, 3]
- On Mac: If you are using Integer Mode and experiencing mid-track clicks, try toggling Integer Mode OFF in the device settings. This has no impact on perceived audio quality but significantly improves stability with certain driverless DACs. [1, 2]
4. Adjust Upsampling Filters (SoX / r8brain)
If you are using Audirvāna’s internal upsampling features to convert files to higher PCM rates or DSD, your computer’s CPU might be struggling. [1]
- Go to Settings > Processing.
- If upsampling is turned on, try changing the algorithm from r8brain to SoX, or turn upsampling off entirely to see if the popping disappears.
- If upsampling from a base rate (like 44.1kHz), make sure you upsample to a strict multiple (e.g., upsample 44.1kHz to 176.4kHz instead of 192kHz) to lower the mathematical processing load on your computer. [1, 2, 3]
Community Experiences
“I get snapping noises at the beginning of all DSD tracks… You can add a little like 2 seconds waiting before starting or when switching between sample rates.”