New Mac Mini is stutterng on playback

[Blizzard]

So, to you, if you buy several exaSounds and Resonessences for your own setup, this means that statistically most people's setups are FPGA based?

 

Pictured is an Amanero, M2 Highface, XMOS based, Resonessence Mirus, and Exasound E20.

 

Yes most USB interfaces out there are FPGA based if they don't use XMOS.

[kumakuma]

I'm guessing your referring to this:

 

 

Most Mac users will be completely satisfied with the performance and ease of use of the new exaSound Core Audio DoP256 driver. For enthusiasts interested in pushing the technology even further, exaSound announces a new ASIO driver technology for OS X. We are working with leading player developers to enable ASIO support in their programs. Documentation and sample code is available to interested third parties.

 

 

 

They are talking about third parties who make software media players. This is so they can make them work good with their DAC's.

 

Not DAC or USB interface manufacturers. Those guys are the competition.

 

It also says "sample code" which is not the same as "source code".

 

Documentation and sample code is available to interested third parties.

[YashN]

I'm guessing your referring to this:

 

Why guess, you reposted exactly the quoted part I included.

 

It could well be, I don't know much more, I did try contacting them about it for my own player (not DAC), but got no reply.

 

If indeed they do not want to share the tech for other manufacturers, then the only resort for other manufacturers is to re-do their own work either starting from the Steinberg ASIO SDK, or barring that, do some fundamental work similar to their own CoreAudio DSD256.

 

The Mac docs for driver development and for lower-level libraries are numerous but they are also an intricate maze to navigate.

 

So I would say, a manufacturer's best bet in case it's not possible to go the exaSound tech route, is to start with the Steinberg ASIO SDK and adapt it for Mac OS X. The manufacturer has to create his own Mac driver for these higher rates DSD.

[Blizzard]

Which explains why there are more DACs with the usual XMOS or Amanero boards (or similar) in existence compared to FPGA implementations.

 

It appears you contradict yourself in the space of a couple of posts and don't even realise it.

 

So far, I have seen XMOS provide Tech Notes to do higher rate DSD(256) with their boards, but you still need to realise that on Mac OS X, its is the software/library/driver levels that preclude this unless either one gets the exaSound technology and customise it or alternately re-develop from the basic Steinberg source code for ASIO or re-develop something similar to CoreAudio256 by exaSound.

 

The Amanero is FPGA based. One of those black boxes on it is a Xilinx FPGA.

[YashN]

It also says "sample code" which is not the same as "source code".

 

Yes, it could be pseudo code for a sample implementation, I haven't seen it myself as I got no reply from exaSound when I enquired.

[YashN]

The Amanero is FPGA based. One of those black boxes on it is a Xilinx FPGA.

 

So, does it come down to how many Amanero (plus the few proprietary) vs XMOS are in circulation?

[Blizzard]

So, does it come down to how many Amanero (plus the few proprietary) vs XMOS are in circulation?

 

Sorry I don't understand what your trying to find out with this question.

[thebiglebowski]

I'm glad this has been so helpful resolving the OP's concern about mac mini stuttering.

 

Yep, I've given up on this thread now with the amount of exasound shilling going on and advice to install windows on a Mac Mini.

[Blizzard]

Yep, I've given up on this thread now with the amount of exasound shilling going on and advice to install windows on a Mac Mini.

 

If you simply must use OSX for your media player you can always cross your fingers and hope that Thesycon comes up with a solution to play nicer with core audio. Might be waiting a while though.

[YashN]

Sorry I don't understand what your trying to find out with this question.

 

Never mind, perhaps if you were less focused on FPGA/USB interfaces and Windows as well as Windows Thesycon drivers, you would have understood. There is a hint in the original thread title and my content concerning Mac OS X and higher rate DSD.

 

This said, for manufacturers with Mac OS X, maybe looking at how the Linux folk did it for the XMOS board can be helpful.

[YashN]

Yep, I've given up on this thread now with the amount of exasound shilling going on and advice to install windows on a Mac Mini.

 

It's not totally bad advice if you can get an exaSound ( the multi-channel DSD one is actually high on my wish-list ).

 

However, there really is no need to install Windows on Mac hardware: I believe Miska already implemented the support in HQ Player for Mac for higher DSD rates), or was it Damien, I don't remember.

 

Probably the iFi iDSD Micro can do too.

[Blizzard]

Never mind, perhaps if you were less focused on FPGA/USB interfaces and Windows as well as Windows Thesycon drivers, you would have understood. There is a hint in the original thread title and my content concerning Mac OS X and higher rate DSD.

 

This said, for manufacturers with Mac OS X, maybe looking at how the Linux folk did it for the XMOS board can be helpful.

 

Thesycon makes the OSX drivers for Resonessence, Amanero and XMOS. Probably 90% of DAC's on the market use Thesycon drivers for OSX.

 

They also make the Linux drivers for XMOS.

 

There's only a couple companies in the world who make USB interface drivers. Exasound is the only company I know of who build their own USB interfaces and their own drivers. And yes they figured out how to do it better.

[Blizzard]

It's not totally bad advice if you can get an exaSound ( the multi-channel DSD one is actually high on my wish-list ).

 

However, there really is no need to install Windows on Mac hardware: I believe Miska already implemented the support in HQ Player for Mac for higher DSD rates), or was it Damien, I don't remember.

 

Probably the iFi iDSD Micro can do too.

 

It doesn't matter if the media player application supports high DSD rates. The DAC USB interface and drivers must also support it, as well as the DAC chip.

[YashN]

It doesn't matter if the media player application supports high DSD rates. The DAC USB interface and drivers must also support it, as well as the DAC chip.

 

Isn't that what I was talking about earlier on? The Mac OS X situation is particularly convoluted for the reasons mentioned.

[thebiglebowski]

I don't care about DSD as all my music is FLAC, neither do I wish to buy an exasound DAC. I've just bought the Concero so am not looking for advice on new DACs I just wanted it to work.

 

Do all threads on this forum get hijacked or taken off topic like this?

 

It plays ok now with integer mode unchecked so I'm out of here and will leave you to argue over DSD, ASIO or the colour of the sky etc.

[YashN]

If you don't like hearing about how to get a better sounding (audiophilia) system with a computer, you are indeed on the wrong forum.

[YashN]

Here are a few suggestions for your system just in case you bother coming here to read what others tell you:

 

- Use Audirvana or HQ Player

- Offline convert your Flac to uncompressed, i.e. WAV or AIFF

- Add more RAM

[thebiglebowski]

If you don't like hearing about how to get a better sounding (audiophilia) system with a computer, you are indeed on the wrong forum.

 

I am interested but this thread was about a stuttering issue and not what driver, OS or DAC is best. If I want advice on my next DAC or improving the quality I'll start a new thread asking for that advice.

[wgscott]

If you don't like hearing about how to get a better sounding (audiophilia) system with a computer, you are indeed on the wrong forum.

 

He wanted help with a specific issue. You guys not only were completely unwilling or more likely unable to offer any constructive help, but also completely hijacked his thread for no apparent reason. Now you are telling him he is in the wrong forum. (This is the "music server" forum, not the "pompous irrelevant and totally pointless mutual mental mastrubation" forum).

 

Then you tell him to change lossless file formats, for no sound reason.

 

WTF is wrong with you two?

[wgscott]

Do all threads on this forum get hijacked or taken off topic like this?

 

This is a rather extreme example. Usually when a thread veers off-topic, it is more like an enjoyable, meandering conversation. This was just bizarre and irrelevant posturing.

[Blizzard]

I am interested but this thread was about a stuttering issue and not what driver, OS or DAC is best. If I want advice on my next DAC or improving the quality I'll start a new thread asking for that advice.

 

The stuttering issue is related to the driver. The key to understanding the issue is understanding the drivers. Sorry if our discussion may have resulted in you learning a few things you didn't want to learn.

 

I'm not suggesting you buy a new DAC. The Concerto is a great DAC. But you'll get the best from it using the windows ASIO driver no matter how biased you are towards Mac.

[YashN]

I am interested but this thread was about a stuttering issue and not what driver, OS or DAC is best. If I want advice on my next DAC or improving the quality I'll start a new thread asking for that advice.

 

Also try reverting back to OS X before Yosemite. I didn't like Yosemite on my MBP, so kept my main iMac on Mavericks. I get no stuttering on my system, but then again I am not using a mini.

 

Low RAM can be an issue though.

[YashN]

Then you tell him to change lossless file formats, for no sound reason.

 

No sound reason? It has everything to do with sound and reason!

 

Low RAM, more processing => more swapping - he could be maxing out with processing without knowing it and this could cause the stuttering.

 

WTF is wrong with you two?

 

Obviously nothing at all. What's wrong with you?

[YashN]

I'm not suggesting you buy a new DAC. The Concerto is a great DAC. But you'll get the best from it using the windows ASIO driver no matter how biased you are towards Mac.

 

He doesn't need Windows.

[Blizzard]

He doesn't need Windows.

 

I didn't say he needed Windows. I said if he wants the best out of the DAC to use the Windows ASIO driver.