Sizzling when streaming from Qobuz with 192 kHz quality

Pholoppe · March 30, 2021, 8:09am

When streaming from Qobuz with 192 kHz/24 bits, or even when reading files bought on Qobuz with this Hi-Res quality, I have some sizzling, sometimes strong.
My DAC is able to handle such Hi-Res quality files (the screen indicates 192 kHz is recognized).
My Qobuz subscription is Hi-Res 192 kHz.
As soon as I change the frequency target to 96 kHZ in Audirvana, there is no more sizzling.
Please see attached debug info.
What could be done to avoid this ?

Audirvana Mac Version 3.5.44 (3574)
macOS 11.2.3 with 8192MB RAM

Licence enregistrée pour Philippe HENNERON

SIGNAL PROCESSING:

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

UPSAMPLING:
SoX custom frequencies
SoX filter parameters
Bandwidth at 0dB = 99.5
Filter max length = 30000
Anti-aliasing = 100
Phase = 65

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

LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 1 folders
AUTO: /Volumes/WD 2TB/Philippe/Music/Musique Philippe
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/philippehenneron/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaPlusDatabaseV2.sqlite

ACTIVE STREAMING SERVICES
Qobuz: Connected as Qobuz Hi-Fi Sublime+

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

CoreAudio audio path, buffer I/O frame size: 512

Max. memory for audio buffers: 6596MB

Local Audio Engine:
Exclusive access: Enabled
Integer mode: Enabled

Preferred device:
PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B
Model UID:PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:20B1:0002
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:PX1 :PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:0000:1

Currently playing in Integer Mode:
Device: 2ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24bits little endian Signed Integer, 8 bytes per frame 192kHz

Active Sample Rate: 192kHz
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: ON

Selected device:
Local audio device
ID 0x58 PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B Manufacturer:PX1
Model UID:PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:20B1:0002 UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:PX1 :PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:0000:1

6 available sample rates up to 192000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
Audio buffer frame size : 58 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not a MQA device, user set to not MQA
DSD capability: Unhandled
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 0x59 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 low in 32bit 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer aligned low in 32bit 44.1kHz

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

Local devices found : 2
Device #0: ID 0x58 PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B Manufacturer: PX1 Model UID: PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:20B1:0002 UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:PX1 :PX1 Asynchronous X-MOS - USB B:0000:1
Device #1: ID 0x4c Haut-parleurs MacBook Air Manufacturer: Apple Inc. Model UID: Speaker UID: BuiltInSpeakerDevice

UPnP devices found : 0

Antoine · March 30, 2021, 8:21am

Hello @Pholoppe,

Have you tried to deactivate upsampling and try again?

Pholoppe · March 30, 2021, 8:34am

Hello Damien,
I guess you’re talking about that

If yes, I did it. No change, still some sizzling.

Pholoppe · March 31, 2021, 10:37am

Hello Damien,
I deactivated upsampling (please see the reply I sent yesterday, to be sure I did it at the right place). No change, still some sizzling.

Do you have any idea how to suppress this sizzling ?

Antoine · April 1, 2021, 12:00pm

Have you tried to disable Software volume control?

Pholoppe · April 1, 2021, 2:09pm

Can you please tell me how to do this ?

Antoine · April 1, 2021, 2:11pm

You can disable it by going in your output settings in the audio volume section of Audirvana.

Pholoppe · April 1, 2021, 4:51pm

Thank you for the explanation. I did it. No change, still some sizzling.

Antoine · April 7, 2021, 10:54am

Have you tried with your MacBook Air speakers? Do you have the same issue?

Pholoppe · April 8, 2021, 4:12pm

Actually with MacBook Air speakers (and with headphones too) the output frequency is 96 kHz. It’s not possible to have 192 kHz as output. Result is no sizzling with MacBook Air speakers and headphones.
By the way I made the following test with the DAC : I selected the “by frequency” option for the upsampling, and I selected from 192 kHZ to 96 kHz as target frequency. With this configuration there is no sizzling. So the problem is really when the output frequency is 192 kHz.
Does it help ? What to do ?

Antoine · April 9, 2021, 8:59am

Hello @Pholoppe,

Do you have a 192khz file in your local library?

Pholoppe · April 9, 2021, 9:13am

Yes I do. And I made the test reading this local file. There is still some sizzling.

Pholoppe · April 22, 2021, 5:47am

Hello Damien,
Any idea to get rid off this sizzling with 192 kHz ?
Thank you for your reply.

Radiohead · April 23, 2021, 9:24pm

I just installed Audirvana and am having the same problem with “sizzle” when streaming 192k files from Qobuz. Tried the suggestions above but also did not work for me. I’m connecting via USB Toslink to the DAC in my Yamaha A-S 501 integrated amplifier.

Thanks for any help.

Antoine · April 28, 2021, 10:20am

Hello @Pholoppe,

If you try to play a 192 Khz track from Qobuz player without Audirvana, do you still have the issue?

Radiohead · April 29, 2021, 11:57am

I do not have the issue when playing directly from the Qobuz app, however, I was able to get it to play properly from Audirvana by connecting my laptop to a different DAC.

Radiohead · May 2, 2021, 4:41pm

I have resolved this “sizzling” issue by turning off the “Use Large WASAPI I/O buffer” setting. 192 kHz files now play without sizzle or static.

Pholoppe · May 3, 2021, 9:21am

Hello Damien,
I tried to play a 192 kHz track from Qobuz player, and I still have some sizzling.

Pholoppe · May 3, 2021, 9:24am

Hello Radiohead,
How have you turned off the “Use Large WASAPI I/O buffer” setting ? Where is it ?
Thank you for your reply.

Radiohead · May 3, 2021, 12:04pm

It can be found in the Low Level Playback Options section of the settings for your DAC.