Fix For Pops and Cracks USBridge Signature?

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Running a USBridge Signature powered by Shanti.  OS is Max2Play v. 2.52, running Squeezelite.  Hooked via USB to Chord 2Qute.  I'm hearing pops and cracks in the audio that I've seen reported by others, but searches haven't turned up a solution.  Is there a fix for this?  When I first configured the unit, I was immediately prompted to update Max2Play, which I did.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Allo have had me change the ethernet driver via ssh in Mac OS terminal.  I've done that but continue to experience pops and cracks in my audio

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Unfortunately my USBridge Signature has unresolvable problems with Chord 2Qute DACs.  Even though I own no DSD files, this combination of streamer/DAC still results in pops and clicks during audio playback and therefore I have no alternative but to return it to Allo for a refund.  The strange part is, I own an Allo DigiOne Signature that suffers no issues in the exact same setup.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

After multiple changes/reflashes of the USBridge microSD card, it appears that the pops/clicks issue is resolved.  I don't understand why Allo has only a 10 day return policy window on a product that pretty much requires more than a weeks worth of back and forth with a tech support technician based in a location/time zone more than 12 hours ahead of most buyers.  NO OTHER audio product I've EVER purchased requires this much effort to "configure" it so that it ACTUALLY does what it's marketing says it does. Also, the "manual" pdf on the Allo website renders as a blurry unreadable mess if accessed, yet another RED FLAG.  I won't be buying another Allo product.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

My example of the USBridge shipped with Max2Play since I use these streamers for both Logitech Media Server and as Squeezelite players and Max2Play is MUCH easier for me to deal with than DietPI since you don't have to hook the PI up to a monitor for an initial configuration.  You can do it all remotely via web browser.  In my case, the ultimate answer proved to be both the usual ethernet driver change that everyone else is asked to do and also a change over to the Moode OS, and even then I had to try a couple of versions of Moode before the pops and clicks seemed to subside.  Moode OS is also easier to configure than Diet PI since it can be configured via web browser on your LAN from another computer.    

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Your only real option to solve this issue is to do the software shuffle via Allo tech support.  It didn't stop for me until I moved from Max2Play to a bespoke version of Moode provided by Allo.  Had the same trouble with my first Allo purchase as well.  This is where the low price/high value proposition reveals its dark underbelly.  For the record though, once I FINALLY got my Allo products working as advertised, they stayed fixed and haven't been a problem since.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

I'm afraid that this is the price to be paid once one goes down the Rasp Pi rabbit hole(the people making the hardware aren't the people making the software).  I have two Allo products, and in both instances, tech support was required to get them to function as advertised.  The tech support is coming from India I suspect, and in my case there's a twelve hour time difference as well so responses from the support team often come as short poorly worded instructions regarding entering terminal commands, something which I had no idea how to do.  Poor communication like this resulted in more than a week of time going by before my first Allo product worked well.  In the case of my USBridge Signature, more than two weeks went by(exceeding the time for returns specified by Allo).  In fact, in the case of the USBridge Signature, I had become so disgusted with the process, I was awaiting an RMA when a support solution finally worked.  Given that my purchases were a year apart, and in that time Allo has made NO changes to their online support documentation, this is simply how Allo works.  Allo support in a nutshell: on the Allo website, for the USBridge Signature player, attempt to view the PDF of the online "manual".  I get a blurry mess when I do this.  They've known about this for more than a year at least.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

I use a Pro-Ject S2 in one of my setups.  It's a lovely little DAC that's my goto when I don't have access to a Chord DAC.  If you're wanting greater ease of set-up you might explore the Sonore Ultra Rendu or the Bryston BDP-PI, much more money but still Rasp Pi at heart and with the tech support of a more mainstream manufacturer. Pro-Ject has an offering as well.  In my case, money is less of a concern than my deep loyalty to Logitech Media Server, which Allo does quite well once one gets them working.  There are relatively few streaming offerings on the market that offer LMS.  I had assumed that my Allo purchases were to be nothing more than stepping stones to much better engineered products down the road but they have shown themselves to be exceptionally good values. In my main set-up, the USBridge Signature Player with a Shanti power supply offers a black background that is very satisfying and pairs exceptionally well with the rest of the system.  Allo's support sucks to be blunt but the I have a hard time faulting the engineering in their products.  

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Anyone else update Moode to the newer kernel without issues?

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Still running Moode 5.3.1, the version from Allo to fix clicks and pops in the sound.  I've recently added Qobuz to my LMS and the clicks and pops have re-emerged, but only when using Qobuz.  Is there a fix for this?

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Given that Allo has had nothing to say regarding my own issues using Qobuz, which include dropouts as well as pops and clicks, I've decided it's time to switch to a Bluesound streamer.

[HelioCentricWorlds]

For the hell of it I just flashed a fresh install of Moode 7.3 without any other mods and although it took some time to get the usb audio output to work, this 7.3 Moode install plays Qobuz(via Squeezelite) just fine, as well as my own LMS library.  I hope this is helpful to someone else.

[HelioCentricWorlds]

I had pops and full on dropouts using Qobuz via Squeezelite. Moode 5.3 was underlying it. This was the bespoke version of Moode allo sent me to get my usbridge working(after more than two weeks of tech support) when new. I’m glad 7.3 is trouble free. Still replacing it with a bluesound node though. 

[HelioCentricWorlds]

Installed Volumio 3 on a USBridge Signature. Pops and cracks at the beginning of songs returned.  Followed the above directions for the ethernet driver and the problem is solved.