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[xj32]

Hello,

Media Center has been working flawlessly until a few days ago:

I am (was) using Media Center 32 (now 33) to play both hi-res PCM and DSD files through an RME ADI-2 DAC FS.

I have the ADI selected as my audio device. Upon playback, the audio stutters if I have either Exclusive Access or Integer mode selected. This is for PCM playback.

DSD is even worse and does not appear to work at all. When Bitstream is selected, I get nothing but hiss.

I have internal volume at max, however system volume has no slider to adjust, and my RME is always set to full 0dB on the hardware as it feeds a monitor controller/speaker switcher.

What sucks is everything was working great in 32. Then I powered down my system and left for AES in New York, came home a week later and now this is what I am experiencing. Nothing in my system has changed. I just updated to 33 and everything is in the same state of not working.

Hopefully, someone can help.


I am running an M1 Mac Studio Max with the latest version of Sonoma.
 

[xj32]

Okay, so continuing to play around, DSD will play only with Bitstream off, and it plays at a sample rate of 352.8.

And exclusive access works, but not integer mode.

This is weird, I though I had to have bitstream selected for direct DSD to my DAC???

[Awesome Donkey]

When DSD bitstreaming is off MC will convert DSD to PCM and play it back that way.

DSD bitstreaming in macOS for some DACs requires the max bit-depth and sample rate for the DAC to be selected in the Audio MIDI Setup app and (sometimes more importantly) also requires both macOS system volume and MC's internal volume to both be set to 100% otherwise you'd just get white noise-esk/hissing sound as you mentioned. This can be a major issue with systems that rely on OS-level volume control with no analog volume control (e.g. a potentiometer) somewhere in the chain.

[xj32]

Ok so I can play my DSD/SACD files, just not natively.

I cannot understand what changed in one week. This is very frustrating.

I have my RME-ADI-2 DAC set to 174,600 sample rate in Audio Midi setup, and after that, it states 2-Channel 32-bit Integer (Unmixable). That second part, I.E., the bit rate is unchangeable.

In Media Center 33, when I play an SACD iso file with bitstreaming selected, I the bar is greyed out and I cannot alter the system or internal volume of MC33. If I select allow volume when bitstreaming, only the internal volume slider becomes active.

[Awesome Donkey]

You have to set volume before attempting DSD bitstreaming playback in MC.

But more importantly the system volume has to be set to 100% in macOS.

[xj32]

I cannot find anywhere that I can set the volume of the ADI-2; even in the audio midi setup, it's greyed out. What am I missing?

I should also clarify that when I play SACD ISO files in MC33, it's not hiss I get, but occasional and regular small clicks around -27db.

For the heck of it, I just downloaded a trial of Audirvana and it is working and playing my DSD files with no issues...but I already paid for and love the deep capabilities of MC33 so don't want to switch.

[bob]

I cannot find anywhere that I can set the volume of the ADI-2; even in the audio midi setup, it's greyed out. What am I missing?

I should also clarify that when I play SACD ISO files in MC33, it's not hiss I get, but occasional and regular small clicks around -27db.

For the heck of it, I just downloaded a trial of Audirvana and it is working and playing my DSD files with no issues...but I already paid for and love the deep capabilities of MC33 so don't want to switch.

You usually can only set the volume on the DAC itself when it's in DSD mode.
Not sure about the clicks, I have an iFi iDSD Nano and it works without any issues.

[xj32]

I just wanted to reply and say that I somehow solved both the RME ADI-2 DAC issue of stuttering audio when Exclusive access and Interger mode were selected AND it not playing DSD.

I somehow had Hardware Buffering set to Maximum, and once I set it back to Hardware default (recommended), everything works again.

Happy Day!!!

[bob]

I just wanted to reply and say that I somehow solved both the RME ADI-2 DAC issue of stuttering audio when Exclusive access and Interger mode were selected AND it not playing DSD.

I somehow had Hardware Buffering set to Maximum, and once I set it back to Hardware default (recommended), everything works again.

Happy Day!!!

Great, thanks for the report. The hardware probably can't handle maximum.