Windows 7 USB Audio distortion/static

[invstbiker]

Is it just me?, or is there a quick fix for the distortion coming through my dac with windows 7. System plays perfect with the transport through the dac, but not win 7. Ive tried everything I can think of, reinstalling all usb drivers, reinstalling the USB Audio Class Driver.

 

Then I switched computers to my wifes MAC and it works perfectly. The WIN 7 on my toshiba laptop is snap crackle pop. Anybody else have/had a similar experience. Is there a missing driver for this? Ive checked other forums and nothing. Very frustrating.

 

Thanks for any/all help.

 

Steve

 

[BobH]

If you were getting drop-outs and stuttering then I would probably suspect drivers. As you seem to be getting quite a lot of nastiness then I think I would suspect hardware. There's certainly nothing inherent in Win7, that springs to mind, that would cause what you are experiencing.

 

Things you could try :

 

Different USB ports.

Hook it up via the headphone output - just to see!

With the laptop on battery and then plugged in.

Run Windows Update and check for drivers.

Beg, borrow or steal another Win7 laptop and try that.

Use a different media player.

 

I'm sure others around here will have some more ideas but the main thing is to try and rule out the hardware first. You can really get in a mess keep mucking about with drivers on a Windows platform - best to get the obvious out of the way first.!

 

Good luck with it

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Steve - Give this article a try

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Windows-7-Audio-J-River-Media-Center-14-Configuration

 

[invstbiker]

Thanks Guys,

 

Let me see what I can do with your suggestions, and I'll report back my findings. I do appreciate the help.

 

Steve

 

[invstbiker]

OK, I followed the article to a T, set up win7 as pointed out in the article. Using LASTFM, the first song played perfect, THEN the second and subsequent songs the static was back. Still experimenting...

 

[invstbiker]

Switching USB ports, I have three of them on this Toshiba Laptop, on the fly, when initially plugging in, sound is perfect, then the static creeps in about 30 seconds later and stays (weird). Switching USB ports, the result is the same. Tried running on battery only, no different.

 

[invstbiker]

Switching between the onboard computer speakers, which work perfectly, no static and the USB, same result. On the initial switch from the onboard speakers to USB, sound good, then the static creeps in. Next, I'll try another non win 7 computer.

 

[BobH]

starting to sound as though there is a fault on the power lines to the USB ports.

 

If the onboard speakers work OK then that rules out the system setup and the media player. The Mac worked ok so that rules out a dodgy lead. The rubbish is there whether or not on battery, so that rules out the mains convertors.

 

Before you get to thinking 'new computer', you could try a clean re-install of Windows - that should be proof enough for the USB drivers. If it still does it after that then it's time to go shopping!

 

[hifitubes]

http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

 

Read everything on the page; it may help you track down the bad device/driver, if that's the cause.

 

 

 

[iamimdoc]

I went through similar issues several months ago with a new USB DAC - noises, crackles, intermittent pops, etc.

 

Went through the drivers, "latency checks", adding/replacing memory etc, etc. Everything seemed to be "OK" - but noises persisted.

 

Solution was to reinstall Windows (XP home).

 

I also have a "C.A.P.S." machine with Windows 7 -> NO NOISE at all

 

HTH

 

[invstbiker]

Thanks to all for helping me with this issue. The bottom line was that Vlad at Audio Mirror changed out the board and drivers from TMOS to M2Tech.

 

Now my Tubadour from Audio Mirror works and sounds perfect. No clicks, pops,static or dropouts. )

 

Peace

 

Steve