USB-2 and USB-3

[hdo]

My laptop is very old and USB-2 only. If I play songs from USB-drives to my USB-DAC, it interferes each other. Windows then removes USB-DAC device driver. I have to reinstall DAC device driver.

 

These days, many laptops come with both USB-2 and USB-3. Will this solve this problem? Do they have completely separate circuits so that we can play songs from USB-3 drives to USB-2 DAC without problems?

[One and a half]

My laptop is very old and USB-2 only. If I play songs from USB-drives to my USB-DAC, it interferes each other. Windows then removes USB-DAC device driver. I have to reinstall DAC device driver.

 

These days, many laptops come with both USB-2 and USB-3. Will this solve this problem? Do they have completely separate circuits so that we can play songs from USB-3 drives to USB-2 DAC without problems?

 

Do a search on USBVIEW.EXE, this app shows you all the USB hubs and what's connected to them including internal devices like Keyboards and trackpads. Try and find a spare port that's not used, and plug in the DAC there, might be lucky.

 

Alternatively use a cheap USB2 hub and plug the drives into that or the DAC into the new hub, and also add an Uptone Regen wouldn't hurt.

 

USB3 for DACs is often problematical, less so for hard drives. I found the USB3 ports don't slow down to USB2 for DACs very well at all, often chop and mess about.

[hdo]

I think the problem is with bulky trasmission of data. Media players have to read bulky data from USB memory and unpack and send to USB DAC. Bulky reading disrupts timely transmission of DAC data.

 

My laptop has 4 USB slot. Keyboard and mouse use each slot. These are slow devices. They don't affect DAC. The problem occurs when I play media stored in USB devices to USB DAC. Bulky fast data transmission devices disrupt USB DAC connection.

 

To avoid this problem, I use SD card for portable multimedia storage. Playing contents stored on SD cards work fine.

[Allan F]

My laptop is very old and USB-2 only. If I play songs from USB-drives to my USB-DAC, it interferes each other. Windows then removes USB-DAC device driver. I have to reinstall DAC device driver.

 

These days, many laptops come with both USB-2 and USB-3. Will this solve this problem? Do they have completely separate circuits so that we can play songs from USB-3 drives to USB-2 DAC without problems?

 

As a general rule, because of potential timing conflicts, it is recommended that you not have your music on a USB drive connected to your computer if your DAC is connected via USB.

[zackthedog]

You might try creating a small RAM disk on your desktop and copying your current album from your USB drive to the RAM disk for playback. Or if your laptop has an SD card reader, copy the music to the SD card. Just a thought.

[MG32]

Are you running 2 USB DAC's?

 

This is because both drivers can fight over the USB port, cancelling / disabling / removing so there is only 1 will work.

 

> These days, many laptops come with both USB-2 and USB-3. Will this solve this problem? Do they have completely separate circuits so that we can play songs from USB-3 drives to USB-2 DAC without problems?

 

- USB 3 ports are backwards compatitble, it should be fine, problems look like its PC related not USB related imo.

[hdo]

I use only one USB DAC. I think it's because of that "bulky" transmission from USB memory disrupts transmission of bitstream to USB DAC. Slow USB devices like keyboard, mouse don't cause this problem.

 

I think USB-2 and USB-3 ports share internal resources such as bus. In this case, having both USB-2 and USB-3 ports won't solve the problem, I guess. I think I discussed with a technician in a computer shop about this matter. If your computer has both ports, you may test it and tell us the result.