T+a dac 8 dsd

[eternaloptimist]

Hi Guys,

I'm very sorry if this has already been addressed - have spent ages with Google and searching threads...

I am delighted to have a new T+A DAC 8 DSD.

I have a 6700K PC running Roon and HQPlayer and sending to the HQPlayer NAA running on a little MacMini into the DAC.

Turning the DAC off, requires HQPlayer to "refind" the DAC either by restarting HQPlayer or reselecting in the Setup menu. Not great.

I read a thread on the Roon forum where Miska (Jussi) described the difficulties with this.

So....

Is there any way to avoid HQPlayer losing the DAC when it is turning on / off (to standby).

Or....

Can I leave the DAC on all the time... if so, is this harmful and how much power is drawn versus standby (cannot find that information anywhere!)

Many thanks for any advice. Again sorry if already answered.

Dave

[Priaptor]

Hi Guys,

I'm very sorry if this has already been addressed - have spent ages with Google and searching threads...

I am delighted to have a new T+A DAC 8 DSD.

I have a 6700K PC running Roon and HQPlayer and sending to the HQPlayer NAA running on a little MacMini into the DAC.

Turning the DAC off, requires HQPlayer to "refind" the DAC either by restarting HQPlayer or reselecting in the Setup menu. Not great.

I read a thread on the Roon forum where Miska (Jussi) described the difficulties with this.

So....

Is there any way to avoid HQPlayer losing the DAC when it is turning on / off (to standby).

Or....

Can I leave the DAC on all the time... if so, is this harmful and how much power is drawn versus standby (cannot find that information anywhere!)

Many thanks for any advice. Again sorry if already answered.

Dave

 

I just leave my on all the time. Not a big deal.

[lmitche]

Hi Guys,

I'm very sorry if this has already been addressed - have spent ages with Google and searching threads...

I am delighted to have a new T+A DAC 8 DSD.

I have a 6700K PC running Roon and HQPlayer and sending to the HQPlayer NAA running on a little MacMini into the DAC.

Turning the DAC off, requires HQPlayer to "refind" the DAC either by restarting HQPlayer or reselecting in the Setup menu. Not great.

I read a thread on the Roon forum where Miska (Jussi) described the difficulties with this.

So....

Is there any way to avoid HQPlayer losing the DAC when it is turning on / off (to standby).

Or....

Can I leave the DAC on all the time... if so, is this harmful and how much power is drawn versus standby (cannot find that information anywhere!)

Many thanks for any advice. Again sorry if already answered.

Dave

Eliminate the NAA and run USB direct from the 6700k PC. The NAA just adds complications and complexity.

[craighartley]

Eliminate the NAA and run USB direct from the 6700k PC. The NAA just adds complications and complexity.

 

Hmm. So far my attempts to upsample straight from my 6700k USB to the T&A have been complicated and complex: at best it it sounds like a cassette deck with wow and flutter. Playing through the NAA however is just fine!!

[lmitche]

As you can see between my answer and Craig's the path forward is clear!

[sydlow]

Hmm. So far my attempts to upsample straight from my 6700k USB to the T&A have been complicated and complex: at best it it sounds like a cassette deck with wow and flutter. Playing through the NAA however is just fine!!

Are you upsampling PCM to DSD with HQP?

[eternaloptimist]

The 6700k pc is in another room.... so can't connect directly. Am upsampling to DSD. All works well, until I turn off the DAC...then need to usually restart hqplayer.

[craighartley]

Are you upsampling PCM to DSD with HQP?

 

Yes. I was probably doing something stupid, but it may simply be that my system doesn't like being so close to a noisy, high-powered computer. I was only experimenting to rule in or out the network as a possible source of stuttering when doing the heaviest filtering in HQP. It's fine in the next room using the NAA.

[sydlow]

Yes. I was probably doing something stupid, but it may simply be that my system doesn't like being so close to a noisy, high-powered computer. I was only experimenting to rule in or out the network as a possible source of stuttering when doing the heaviest filtering in HQP. It's fine in the next room using the NAA.

If your NAA is a Mac Mini you'll be maxed out at DSD128 I think.

Going direct, you may have been trying to go to DSD512, which your PC should do fine, but does require careful tuning to get the best sound.

[craighartley]

If your NAA is a Mac Mini you'll be maxed out at DSD128 I think.

Going direct, you may have been trying to go to DSD512, which your PC should do fine, but does require careful tuning to get the best sound.

 

In my case, 6700k PC and NAA are both Windows 10 Pro. NAA is fine going to 512. PC direct isn't. It's something more basic than tuning. It's barely recognisable as music.

 

Can you upsample 44.1 based PCM to 24M6 DSD without stuttering using poly-sinc (not -2s) on a 6700k Windows PC? That's what I haven't been able to do, either with or without NAA.

[sydlow]

In my case, 6700k PC and NAA are both Windows 10 Pro. NAA is fine going to 512. PC direct isn't. It's something more basic than tuning. It's barely recognisable as music.

Can you upsample 44.1 based PCM to 24M6 DSD without stuttering using poly-sinc (not -2s) on a 6700k Windows PC? That's what I haven't been able to do, either with or without NAA.

 

That's pretty weird. So HQP is doing DSD512 to a NAA fine but not if it's direct?

My 6700 non-K is fine doing DSD512 direct to the T+A.

Clean build, nothing else on it apart from the music apps

[Priaptor]

In my case, 6700k PC and NAA are both Windows 10 Pro. NAA is fine going to 512. PC direct isn't. It's something more basic than tuning. It's barely recognisable as music.

 

Can you upsample 44.1 based PCM to 24M6 DSD without stuttering using poly-sinc (not -2s) on a 6700k Windows PC? That's what I haven't been able to do, either with or without NAA.

 

Change your USB cable on your direct connection and if you are using an audiophile USB card try an MOBO USB and if you are MOBO USB try different USB as most modern MOBO have both USB 3 and 2. Your primary computer is obviously working otherwise NAA wouldn't work. The problem seems to be from the computer to the T&A and the only thing that it could be based on your comments is either the USB port or cable.

[sydlow]

Audiophile Optimizer might also help.

[craighartley]

Change your USB cable on your direct connection and if you are using an audiophile USB card try an MOBO USB and if you are MOBO USB try different USB as most modern MOBO have both USB 3 and 2. Your primary computer is obviously working otherwise NAA wouldn't work. The problem seems to be from the computer to the T&A and the only thing that it could be based on your comments is either the USB port or cable.

 

Many thanks for this. I did try varying the USB cable and the port, but I'll do it more methodically.

[craighartley]

Audiophile Optimizer might also help.

 

Sydlow, I think you may have the same MOBO as me: Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 ?

 

Which USB Port(s) are you using to the T&A? And with what bios settings (e.g. Power to the DAC -up ports etc)?

[sydlow]

Sydlow, I think you may have the same MOBO as me: Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 ?

Which USB Port(s) are you using to the T&A? And with what bios settings (e.g. Power to the DAC -up ports etc)?

 

Sure do.

I use the DAC-UP ports. With power turned off in the BIOS settings to connect to the T+A

[craighartley]

Sure do.

I use the DAC-UP ports. With power turned off in the BIOS settings to connect to the T+A

 

Thanks. I'll try this.

[YashN]

Sure do.

I use the DAC-UP ports. With power turned off in the BIOS settings to connect to the T+A

These are cool. The only thing I'm not too fond of in these MBs is that they thought it good to put in a LED delineation on the MB.

 

Another good thing they do in these MBs are the swappable Opamps for those who listen to the internal DAC.

[sydlow]

These are cool. ...Another good thing they do in these MBs are the swappable Opamps for those who listen to the internal DAC.

I saw that when I was researching MBs - but I haven't had the time to listen to the onboard DAC, which is supposed to be optimised.

The 3 major MB companies all have MBs that have clean USB ports now, but this was the one that was in the smaller form factor.

[YashN]

I saw that when I was researching MBs - but I haven't had the time to listen to the onboard DAC, which is supposed to be optimised.

The 3 major MB companies all have MBs that have clean USB ports now, but this was the one that was in the smaller form factor.

If you know of one which also has a DC input for an alternate power supply, let me know.

[sydlow]

If you know of one which also has a DC input for an alternate power supply, let me know.

I use the Uptone JS2 - is that what you mean?

[YashN]

I use the Uptone JS2 - is that what you mean?

 

I was talking of a motherboard with a DC jack. I'd probably build my own Linear Regulated PSU for it.

[ted_b]

In my case, 6700k PC and NAA are both Windows 10 Pro. NAA is fine going to 512. PC direct isn't. It's something more basic than tuning. It's barely recognisable as music.

 

Can you upsample 44.1 based PCM to 24M6 DSD without stuttering using poly-sinc (not -2s) on a 6700k Windows PC? That's what I haven't been able to do, either with or without NAA.

 

Stupid question, but did you load the Amanero drivers on the direct HQP machine? I ask cuz when one uses an NAA that is the only machine one needs to worry about regarding installing drivers. If you go direct make sure those drivers are installed on that machine now too.

[craighartley]

Stupid question, but did you load the Amanero drivers on the direct HQP machine? I ask cuz when one uses an NAA that is the only machine one needs to worry about regarding installing drivers. If you go direct make sure those drivers are installed on that machine now too.

 

Good question because I could easily have forgotten the drivers. But I had installed them on the direct PC and even tried reinstalling them. I've just had another battle with this, and I did get it to play a track satisfactorily even if the setup seems less than stable - the recycle bin and search bar flash continually, for instance, and there is a smear in the sound and interference if I operate a button on the Roon remote.

 

But I think I'll give up and go back to the NAA arrangement as the 6900k is behaving consistently in failing to upsample smoothly 44.1-based rates to the 48-based 24M6 stereo. And CUDA offload makes little difference. I was under the impression others had got this to work, but perhaps everyone has Auto rate family checked. I'll go back to that and be happy!

[lmitche]

Good question because I could easily have forgotten the drivers. But I had installed them on the direct PC and even tried reinstalling them. I've just had another battle with this, and I did get it to play a track satisfactorily even if the setup seems less than stable - the recycle bin and search bar flash continually, for instance, and there is a smear in the sound and interference if I operate a button on the Roon remote.

 

But I think I'll give up and go back to the NAA arrangement as the 6900k is behaving consistently in failing to upsample smoothly 44.1-based rates to the 48-based 24M6 stereo. And CUDA offload makes little difference. I was under the impression others had got this to work, but perhaps everyone has Auto rate family checked. I'll go back to that and be happy!

How strange, you have something very fundamental mis-configured there. I'd be tempted to pull the graphics card and try again. It shouldn't matter but is the internal sound card disabled?