I use the spdif out from my recent ASUS motherboard to a Beresford
Caiman DAC and I get static pops something like every 30 seconds. I
use Windows XP, and I have a 25 feet coaxial cable to feed the Caiman.
It is ok when I use the spdif signal from my cd player, so I know the
problem is related to the computer.

Has anybody experienced this problem?

Martin Chicoine <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>I use the spdif out from my recent ASUS motherboard to a Beresford
>Caiman DAC and I get static pops something like every 30 seconds. I
>use Windows XP, and I have a 25 feet coaxial cable to feed the Caiman.
>It is ok when I use the spdif signal from my cd player, so I know the
>problem is related to the computer.
>
>Has anybody experienced this problem?

What makes you think it's a static issue and not a data overrun issue?

Is both the DAC and the motherboard set up with pulse transformers or are
they violating the S-PDIF specs by not ground isolating (like sadly most
cheap interfaces do)?

Is the clock input on the DAC set up correctly?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 8 mar, 13:54, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

>
> What makes you think it's a static issue and not a data overrun issue?

Right, I should have said that is *sounds* like a static issue.

> Is both the DAC and the motherboard set up with pulse transformers or are
> they violating the S-PDIF specs by not ground isolating (like sadly most
> cheap interfaces do)?

I don't know. All I can say is that it's a ASUS P6T SE motherboard. It
runs with a i7 920 processor. If it's a ground isolation problem, is
it something that can be solved easily?

>
> Is the clock input on the DAC set up correctly?

As far as I know, there is no setting for the clock on the DAC.

In article <d8ac2794-7e54-42f5-b499-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Martin Chicoine <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>On 8 mar, 13:54, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
>>
>> What makes you think it's a static issue and not a data overrun issue?
>
>Right, I should have said that is *sounds* like a static issue.

What kind of software are you driving it with? Windows, Linux, something else?

>> Is both the DAC and the motherboard set up with pulse transformers or are
>> they violating the S-PDIF specs by not ground isolating (like sadly most
>> cheap interfaces do)?
>
>I don't know. All I can say is that it's a ASUS P6T SE motherboard. It
>runs with a i7 920 processor. If it's a ground isolation problem, is
>it something that can be solved easily?

Look at the interface and see if you see a transformer there.

If it's a ground isolation problem it may or may not be a big deal. Do you
hear it even with just a headphone plugged into the DAC output and the DAC
floated from system ground?

>> Is the clock input on the DAC set up correctly?
>
>As far as I know, there is no setting for the clock on the DAC.

If it has no other clock inputs, then it always gets clock from the
S-PDIF in and so you have that much less to worry about.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 8 mar, 14:10, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

> >Right, I should have said that is *sounds* like a static issue.
>
> What kind of software are you driving it with? *Windows, Linux, something else?

Windows. I tried with Reaper, Winamp, Foobar2000 and it does not seem
to make a difference.


> If it's a ground isolation problem it may or may not be a big deal. *Doyou
> hear it even with just a headphone plugged into the DAC output and the DAC
> floated from system ground?

I will check that. Thanks for your help!

Martin.

In article <986561c1-3463-4b27-b476-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Martin Chicoine <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>On 8 mar, 14:10, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
>> >Right, I should have said that is *sounds* like a static issue.
>>
>> What kind of software are you driving it with? =A0Windows, Linux, somethi=
>ng else?
>
>Windows. I tried with Reaper, Winamp, Foobar2000 and it does not seem
>to make a difference.

Okay... WHICH windows? And what drivers for the interface? And are you
using the video card on the motherboard or an external video card?
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Ok, I will try to summarize all relevant details.

The DAC is a Beresford Caiman (http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/
Caiman.html). I don't think it is the culprit because it runs just
fine when I use it as an external DAC for my cd player.

The processor is a Intel i7 920, which is a quad-core. It has 4 GB of
RAM. My OS is Windows XP, and it has the most recent updates.

The motherboard is a Asus P6T SE. It has onboard SPDIF I/O. The audio
chip is a Realtek ALC1200. I installed the latest driver, which is
from late 2009. The video card is a NVidia PCI-E external card (I
don't remember the model).

I tried mp3, FLAC, and WAV files played through Winamp, Foobar2000,
and Reaper. I tried to play the files through Kernel Streaming, ASIO,
and Direct Sound output plugins. No matter what, I always hear clicks
(which sound like static clicks) something like every 30 seconds. I am
not touching the computer at the same time and no other program is
running.

So I suppose the problem is either Windows XP, which for some reason
may not work that well with my hardware, or either the onboard audio
chip.

Thanks for your kind help!

Martin.

On 9 mar, 10:45, "Soundhaspriority" <nowh...@nowhere.com> wrote:
> "Martin Chicoine" <martin.chico...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:e489545c-aa11-4083-ac2d-(E-Mail Removed)...> Ok, I will try to summarize all relevant details.
>
> > The DAC is a Beresford Caiman (http://www.homehifi.co.uk/products/
> > Caiman.html). I don't think it is the culprit because it runs just
> > fine when I use it as an external DAC for my cd player.
>
> Martin, it is the DAC. *The DAC is not defective, but it cannot handle the
> clock instability of the Asus motherboard. I offer these observations having
> dealt with the specific problem.
>
> Regards,
> Bob Morein
> (310) 237-6511

Do you know this specific DAC? If you are right, I can change either
the DAC or the motherboard. What do you suggest?

After serious scientific analysis, deep listening sessions, and long soul
searching, I've reached the audio nirvana and have come to a reasoned and
balanced conclusion:

In an independent market research study recently reported by the Luxury
Institute, wealthy consumers rated the Bose Corporation the most prestigious
luxury audio brand in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index. Additionally, Bose
was cited as the leader in the 2007 Luxury Web site Effectiveness Index for
audio brands.

That's good enough for me. Ultimately, I want to be seen as a wealthy
consumer and get the cachet that comes with owning Bose products and
diplaying them in my home.

Bob Morein
Dresher, PA
(310) 237-6511
(215) 646-4894

Soundhaspriority wrote:
> After serious scientific analysis, deep listening sessions, and long soul
> searching, I've reached the audio nirvana and have come to a reasoned and
> balanced conclusion:
>
> In an independent market research study recently reported by the Luxury
> Institute, wealthy consumers rated the Bose Corporation the most prestigious
> luxury audio brand in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index. Additionally, Bose
> was cited as the leader in the 2007 Luxury Web site Effectiveness Index for
> audio brands.
>
> That's good enough for me. Ultimately, I want to be seen as a wealthy
> consumer and get the cachet that comes with owning Bose products and
> diplaying them in my home.
>
> Bob Morein
> Dresher, PA
> (310) 237-6511
> (215) 646-4894
>
LMAO
nuff said
-Denny