Hi Russ and Brian

My Buffalo II works fine with the S/PDIF output of my CD transport. I also use a a couple of hard disc TV recorder units- one cable TV, one "Freeview" (a terrestial digital TV system used in the UK.) Both units have a Toslink S/PDIF ouput- marked "Dolby Digital"- which I convert to coaxial before feeding them to the Buffalo.

Both units worked fine with my previous DAC (which had a input pulse transformer, followed by amplification to TTL level, and a DIR9001 receiver). And, as far as I remember, they worked fine with my previous Buffalo 32S. But with Buffalo II, I suffer audio dropouts ever few seconds. The frequency of the dropouts often decreases the longerthe unit is used. Surprisingly, if the programme is recoreded to hard disc and replayed, there are no dropouts!

I normally use a S/PDIF switching unit by Inday to convert the inputs from optical to electrical. I scoped this, and found the output level was about twice the spec- ~ 1.8V pp. I installed a 6dB attenuator, but this didn't help; neither did a pulse transformer. And a second optical to electrical converter- with unity gain- didn't help either. I can see no differences between live and off HD signals on the scope.

Any ideas?

Paul

Hi

I'm still struggling with the issue I describe in my first post (I'd forgotten the "remedy" I describe in the second- I'll check this out again). Most of the time it's an easily circumventable problem, as I can listen to live TV using "programme delay"- when the off air broadcast is watched being recorded to hard disc- then no dropouts. But the BBC and others now provide an iPlayer service, when broadcast programmes can be watched at any time up to one week after broadcast. This cannot be delayed and recorded to disc, and so dropouts do occur.

I tried- as a (probably idiotic to the better informed) long shot the alternative firmware TP now provide, and also using a TP S/PDIF Transceiver module to output de-jittered S/PDIF to Buffalo- no improvement at all. This morning, I tried feeding I2S PCM from the module to Buffalo- much worse, noisy, hissy and terrible sound (though will try shortening I2S signal path)

Has anyone any ideas? Two things keep me trying to resolve this- the fact that my previous, otherwise vastly inferior dac had no issues whatsoever; and because freeview/cable broadcasts of the Proms can be a very enjoyable! The fact that both the Freeview- which receives signal via rooftop aerial- the cable box both exhibit similar behaviour suggests Buffalo has an issue withe format/condition of their digital audio outputs, rather than reception issues etc

I'll try and find some more details of the digital audio outputted by the freeview and cable boxes- no luck so far. The audio decoding the Humax freeview PVR uses is described as MPEG/MusiCam Layer I & II

Thanks

Paul

Thanks

Paul

Hi avr300

Thanks for replying. Yes, the lock light goes out during a dropout. Ans yes, both the offending units- a Humax PVR9300 and a Virgin V+ cable box have a HD to record video and audio. Both replay perfectly from HD. I've been unable to find any reports of similar problemsfrom others

But why did my previous DAC have no problems? (I'l check this is still the case, but I'm sure it will be)? I have a module containing the digital input circuitry of this DAC, which uses a DIR9001 receiver chip to output EIAJ data (to a TDA1545- a DiyParadise), but can be configured to output I2S, which I could feed to Buffalo (though this didn't work with the TP input module- will retry this too , connnected more closely to Buffalo

This evening, I tried feeding the offending S/PDIF signal through the DIY paradise unit, fed I2S from this to the TP module, and outputted S/PDIF data from the latter to Buffalo! At least that's what I hope I did- it didn't work, just intermittent crackling and hissing

Paul