Topic: Stuttering playback on High End Audio System (Read 3608 times)

JohanJooste · « **on:** July 02, 2014, 08:01:03 am »

Good Morning, question for the audiophiles. My Boss has the McIntosh MCD1100 but are experiencing the clicks/pops/skips
as described in the McIntosh Windows USB Driver User Guide during playback from JRiver MC via USB. We've made the
suggested latency changes within the McIntosh USB Driver but no change.

"http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/us/Products/pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=cdplayers&ProductId=MCD1100"

We've played around with the audio device buffer setting within JRiver MC but no change.
PC Config - Core i7 Gen3, 8GB, 460 SSD, Win 7 Pro 64

Do you guys have any ideas/suggestions please?

Thank you and regards.

Johan Jooste

Matt · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2014, 08:35:58 am »

Increase buffering in Options > Audio > Device settings...

Switch between WASAPI and ASIO.

6233638 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2014, 10:21:37 am »

The McIntosh driver has a latency option - set that as high as it goes if you're just using it for music playback.
You should also enable the "ASIO Hosts can change" sample rate option.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2014, 01:30:21 am »

Thanx guys, will test and revert.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:12:15 pm »

Hi Guys, I'm back to square one on this - please advise any suggestions.

In the interim the systemsboard was replaced on the MCD1100 and the latest software/firmware was loaded. We've received communication from McIntosh labs on their suggested JRiver settings etc but
ALAS still the same stuttering playback issue persists. We've played around with several different setting configurations either side of JRiver and McIntosh but still the same.

Anyone please please please advise if you've experienced such an issue - this is really frustrating.

Regards

Matt · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:18:04 pm »

What buffering value are you using for Options > Audio > Device settings...?

JohanJooste · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:37:56 pm »

Hi Matt, current JRiver config info requested

OUTPUT MODE-> ASIO
OUTPUT MODE SETTINGS
Audio Output:
->DEVICE McIntosh ASIO
-> Check- Use Large Hardware Buffers
->BUFFERING 3.0 seconds - (I had this at max also at some point)
->Volume-> automatically try to choose at playback
Settings:
DSP and OUTPUT FORMAT->
OUPUT FORMAT->
Less than 44,100 Hz-> 44,100 Hz
ALL OTHERS-> NO CHANGE
Greater Than 192,000 Hz-> 192,000 Hz
BIT DEPT-> 32 Bits
Clip Protection-> Yes
Volume Leveling-YES
MODE-> Album Base
ADJUSTMENT-> Fixed, +7 dB

OTHER SETTINGS:
->Prebuffering-> 6 seconds
->Play Silence at Startup…-> ½ second
->Play Files from Memory instead of Disk-> Check
TRACK CHANGE
->Switch Tracks, Standard Gap-> 0.3 seconds
->Use Gapless for Sequential Album Tracks-> Check

Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:49:23 pm »

Quote from: JohanJooste on August 06, 2014, 12:37:56 pm

->DEVICE McIntosh ASIO
-> Check- Use Large Hardware Buffers
->BUFFERING 3.0 seconds - (I had this at max also at some point)

500 milliseconds is the maximum allowed in Options > Audio > Device settings...

Let me try again. What value is there? What happens if you increase it?

JohanJooste · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:52:18 pm »

Yeah apologies its 100 milliseconds which is default.

Note that I tried different buffer settings with the same results.

Matt · « **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2014, 12:54:27 pm »

Quote from: JohanJooste on August 06, 2014, 12:52:18 pm

Yeah apologies its 100 milliseconds which is default.

Note that I tried different buffer settings with the same results.

Try 500 milliseconds. That's the buffer of the hardware, and if there are ticks or pops, it's probably a buffer shortfall.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #10 on:** August 06, 2014, 01:01:04 pm »

Tested and ticks and pops still happen.

Buffer shortfall on the hardware then.... any ideas what needs to be done to increase the buffersize ? Would this be on the device itself or in the USB driver ?

Matt · « **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2014, 01:38:38 pm »

Quote from: JohanJooste on August 06, 2014, 01:01:04 pm

Tested and ticks and pops still happen.

Buffer shortfall on the hardware then.... any ideas what needs to be done to increase the buffersize ? Would this be on the device itself or in the USB driver ?

There might be a latency setting in the driver's control panel. Try increasing it if you find it.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2014, 01:53:29 pm »

Jup we maxed that out aswell. Still the same issue.

Note we are communicating with McIntosh aswell to try and figure this out.

Could it be a source issue, I mean from the Notebook?

Notebook Config - Core i7 Gen3, 8GB, 460 SSD, Win 7 Pro 64 with Seagate Expansion 4TB 3.5" USB 3 HDD connected via AudioQuest Usb Digital Audio Diamond interface cable.

Matt · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2014, 02:18:42 pm »

Try copying a file to the local hard disk and play that as a test.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #14 on:** August 06, 2014, 02:32:46 pm »

Shot will do a test from the local drive. On a sidenote when I hook up to the Classe CP800 via USB, playback is smooth without any interference. That kinda counts out issues with JRiver and the PC. Anyhow I will
test and advise.

Cheers.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2014, 07:31:14 am »

Nope, still the same issue when playing from local HDD.

BryanC · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2014, 10:48:04 am »

You might try dropping your bitdepth to 24-bit.

JohanJooste · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2014, 11:50:41 am »

Jip did that - no change.

BryanC · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2014, 12:20:54 pm »

What is the sampling rate of the tracks you are trying to play?

JohanJooste · « **Reply #19 on:** August 08, 2014, 12:44:52 am »

That would be 44100Hz. Please see attached screencapture.

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Author Topic: Stuttering playback on High End Audio System (Read 3608 times)