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TOSLINK - Buffalo - Lock Problem at 96/24 via D1!
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1. Running from my Mac via optical into my TP TOSLINK, straight into Buffalo via D1 (NOT SPDIF). If I set the Mac output to 44.1/24 or 48/24 all is well. If I set the Mac output to 96/24 bit, the DAC occasionally continuously tries to lock until the music starts playing. Sometimes it will not lock, lots of 'static like' pops sometimes it unlocks and relocks between tracks, with more pops. I thought it might be the TOSLINK and as I had another newer one I built that, but I have the same problem. I've just been through and checked all the connections - but everything seems fine? I don't think this is the comparator issue as I'm not going via SPDIF? The DPLL switch is set to the middle position, I cannot get a lock when set to the low position.
2. Could you please clarify what the Notch delay switch is for? It this not that clear in the manual, do I just leave at MCK/64? or set to None?
3. Slightly unrelated question, can I run my main amps from the single ended IVY outputs and simultaneously run my sub from the balanced, wiring just positive and ground (adjusting for volume loss?)
Much thanks, sounds good despite teething problems, looking forward to the CounterPoint/Placid.
Russ
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Hello,
I have just the same problem througly described by Russ and exactly the same setup (toslink to D1). I may add that I am using a Mac Mini but also tried with a Macbook Pro and different cables from the TP toslink module and the Buffalo. Also tried the DPLL bandwidth switch with no luck. May be that the fitted TORX module is too slow for 96Khz? Brian mentioned on previous posts that I was not able to source the fastest TORX.
Carlo
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Hi Carlo, I have tried both the old and the new TOSLINK receivers from Twisted Pear, both had the same problem. On paper, I believe, even the newer one should be able to do 96/24?
I too tried a different Mac (Mac G5) and another MacMini. I'll try a MacBook if I can this weekend.
Brian/Russ any ideas?
Russ
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Hi Russ, (wow that feels schizophrenic) I really don't have any ideas except to possibly try a different source? The fault may not be the receiver's. I have successfully used 96/24 TOSLINK from an Apogee ADC in the past. Many TOSLINK transmitters are not very reliable any faster than 48khz. I don't normally use TOSLINK for hirez material. I don't currently have a Mac to test with. Cheers! Russ Edited by user Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:16:56 PM(UTC)
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Rank: Member
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Thanks for the reply Russ (Yep weird)
So you are maybe thinking it is the sending (Transmitting) TOSLINK in the Mac rather than the receiver? I'm not saying your are wrong, but it seems a bit odd as this is equipment used in the recording/music field quite a lot, usually at high bit rates? Mmmm - not sure how to get 96/4 out of a Mac and into a Buffalo otherwise.
I wonder if you have tried TOSLINK to your SPDIF MUX at 96/24 into the Buffalo. This would at least narrow the search for the problem. I do have one of your SPDIF MUX's, but I bought it as a present for someone else and don't really want to build it.
Best wishes,
Russ
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Hi Russ (both of you, of course),
I just tried with the SPDIF out from a Soundblaster Audigy 2 NX USB card connected to my old Dell Latitude notebook and there is no
problem with locking at 96K. I playing 24/96 flac files and everything is fine. I wonder what is wrong with the
Mac Toslink output...
Carlo
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AudioBear wrote:Thanks for the reply Russ (Yep weird)
I wonder if you have tried TOSLINK to your SPDIF MUX at 96/24 into the Buffalo. This would at least narrow the search for the problem. I do have one of your SPDIF MUX's, but I bought it as a present for someone else and don't really want to build it.
Best wishes,
Russ
Yes I have TORX input with an Apogee source with no problems. With and without the MUX. I did some googling and it seems you are not the only one to have issues with MAC TOSLINK output. Cheers! Russ
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We have a MAC Mini here at work that we use for occasional compatibility testing. I will try to steal it for a few days to try it out.
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Many thanks Russ, Brian and Carlo, I'd really like to get to the bottom of this and I am not against a bit of minor surgery on the MacMini ...if required. I've also been doing a bit of digging and it maybe the rubbish cable and length I'm using, so I'll get a better one (proper glass) and see if that helps. This seemed to work at 96/24 for some Mac users. Russ Edited by user Friday, November 14, 2008 1:14:00 AM(UTC)
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Hi Everybody,
I tried today at work with my MacPro and there is no issues, perfect lock at 96 khz. I am using a cheap cable here but the MacPro
has real Toslink output and not a 3.5 mm jack like the Mini or the notebooks. May be this is causing troubles... However, I
use a good sony minidisc cable with the Mini (no mini toslink to toslink adapter) but the lock problem is still there. I agree that
it is worth trying with a good glass fiber.
Carlo
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Looking at it from a different angle, the only dual headphone/optical jack I can find (so far) is made by Sanyo, and only supports 6Mbps (44/48kHz). Would be nice if Apple published some specs.
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Brian now you really are asking too much, for Apple to publish a detailed specification like that ;-)
Much of the web seems to think the Mac Mini-TOSLINK transmitters are pretty weak. Add a plastic TOSLINK cable and then a Mini adapter and it maybe just asking too much. Glass however, has much more bandwidth so maybe, just maybe...
Pro 280 strand glass cable is on order, hopefully get it tomorrow or Monday and I will advise when I have tested it. The cable is 12 feet and I will have to use a Mini-TOSLINK adapter. (I wasn't going to spring for one of the 'audiophile' cables if this one didn't work!)
Fun weekend to everyone, or should that be funnest?
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Russ (from UK)
I was wondering whether the glass cable works... Any news?
Carlo
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Hi Carlo, apologies for the delay, but I have bee trying all sorts here. Including the glass cable with TOSLINK both ends (3.6m) with a Mini-TOSLINK adapter on the Mac end. A fancy audiophile Van Den Hul Optocoupler TOSLINK to Mini TOSLINK (1m). Both on their own and with an optical amplifier between them. Basically none work at 24/96 between the Mac Mini and the DAC. The VDH cable worked fine with my Mac G5 to DAC at 24/96, (I didn't try the longer one). The optical amplifier didn't seem to work at all. Unfortunately my Music machine is the Mac Mini... and I have lots of hi-rez stuff. But this will not be the end of the story, Oh no! This weekend I will be borrowing another Mac Mini to try. I will also get an M-Audio Transit box to try as well (mainly for the optical pass through.) I'll try not to be so long in reporting these events. Anybody else have any other comments? I am also looking forward to the new CounterPoint/Placids' - if you need a guinea pig Brian/Russ, let me know. Russ p.s. I did find this on the optical in macbooks... but I'm still not sure I understand it. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1562
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Russ,
I talked to a friend of mine who succesfully gets 24/94 out of its mini but he is running Vista, not OSX
(he uses glass toslink cable without the adapter). He had some problems using cheaper cables.
I have the Audigy 2 NX usb: unfortunately the SPDIF passthrough does not work in OSX so I cannot
test it (but it works fine at 96/24 with the Buffalo using a Dell notebook/WIndows XP/Foobar).
Please keep me posted about your experiments...
Carlo
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Hi Carlo, unfortunately, I've not been able to get the other MacMini, I'll keep trying, but I did get the M-Audio Transit. This does work at 96/24 via it's driver and going from USB to Transit and then to my glass digital cable attached to it's pass through...
But it does something to the sound which just sounds plain wrong. Some may like it, I've heard the sound described as very "HiFi". To me it just sounds very flat, detailed yes, but sterile and lacking emotion. I much prefer running 44.1/24 into the Buffalo! So the M-Audio is going back.
I'm afraid it is going to be next weekend to try another Mac Mini, it may just be mine, but I did try it with the funky VDH cable which has a proper mini-TOSLINK to TOSLINK and is only 1m in length. It did not work at 96/24. I'm beginning to think it is either my Mac or that we need to replace this dual 3.5mm Earphone/mini-TOSLINK transmitter on the motherboard with a proper outboard one. This of course would require Mac surgery and I'm not sure I'm up to that yet.
Russ
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That's interesting, but they are trying to get 192kHz, and in this case we can;t even get 96kHz.
Let us know if Bootcamp/Vista fixes it. I would personally be surprised.
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cjunkk wrote:Russ,
I talked to a friend of mine who succesfully gets 24/94 out of its mini but he is running Vista, not OSX
(he uses glass toslink cable without the adapter). He had some problems using cheaper cables.
I have the Audigy 2 NX usb: unfortunately the SPDIF passthrough does not work in OSX so I cannot
test it (but it works fine at 96/24 with the Buffalo using a Dell notebook/WIndows XP/Foobar).
Please keep me posted about your experiments...
Carlo That is just weird but I do not doubt your friends experiences, I have found the specs for Apple computers digital outputs and the Mac Mini does seems to max out at 24/96 via optical. For this reason I do not really want to put Vista on my Mac Mini. (Having spent a lifetime working and programming for Windows, I have no need for that kind of pain at home.) I suspect the answer is my MacMini TOSLINK transmitter is just defective. http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Conceptual/HWTech_Audio/Articles/Audio_implementation.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40003978-SW195_1200331167I am still hoping for another Mac Mini to test this weekend, just in case mine is defective... Russ Edited by user Saturday, November 29, 2008 1:39:18 AM(UTC)
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Hello,
during the weekend I made the following experiments:
1) I successfully recorded the digital out at 96/24 from the mac mini toslink using my audigy usb nx connected to a dell laptop running xp
2) I connected my Monarchy Audio DIP to the toslink output of the mac mini: the lock led was stable at 96/24. I tried to send the
coax output of the Monarchy to SPDIF input of the Buffalo which refused to lock on this signal (also when the source was set to 44.1) The
Monarchy SPDIF output is boosted to 1.2 V pp, may be the Buffalo comparator does not like this...
The bottom line is that the Mac Mini toslink output seems to work at 96/24 but not with the Buffalo toslink; on the other hand, the Buffalo toslink works fine with the Audigy at 96/24 connected to my old dell notebook (and Russ reported that it works also with an Apogee source).
It would be nice to understand why.
Carlo
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TOSLINK - Buffalo - Lock Problem at 96/24 via D1!
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