Topic: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Hello,

just received my new ADI-2 DAC. Sound-wise this device is really great. But I have issues with loud clicks and pops when changing between different songs or when powering on or off (this happens sporadically). The clicks are really loud, meanly on the left channel and I'm scared that my speakers are getting damaged due to this. I've connected the dac directly to a power amp and driving it with USB (connected to a synology NAS using AudioDS) and optical (samsung TV). Via optical it seems to be better in running state, however when switching off the dac via remote, there is a loud click randomly as well.

I've just updated to the latest Firmware, but didn't help.

Is this the normal behavior of the device or is my version broken?

Thanks in Advance

2

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

It would help to read at least the latest posts before opening a new, obsolete thread.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29218

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Thank's for your reply. I've read this thread, but there were no pop / clicks mentioned when switching device on / off so I thought my device has an different issue. Anyway, would be great to get this firmware that I can give it a try.

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Beside the clicks when turning off the device or switching between tracks (which only occurs randomly), I have noticed the click also when switching between filters. When I'm running optical and switching to NOS there is also a short loud click!?!

I have also noticed pops / blobs when switching the device between ON and standby state via remote control. This happens at every switchover, but it is not very loud, means I've no concerns to damage my speakers with it, but I'm a little bit confused regarding this as well. I would expect a silent switchover between the two states when using the recommended way via remote control. At the moment, my only solution is to power off my whole system with a global power switch at my power strip.

In meantime I have contacted my dealer to ask him regarding these issue. He has not noticed any clicks with the ADI-2 DAC he uses in his shop, but he told me that he uses only files with the same sample rate (makes sense). Regarding the pops and blobs when switching on / off: My dealer has the same issue and he told me that this is 'normal'.
Actually, this is the first time I have such issues with a DAC and I'm wondering if I should take use of the chance to give it back in the first 14 days!? Too bad, because I really like the features and the sound is great.

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Try to update the new firmware and check smile
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29322

ADI-2 DAC (with stock PSU) - Neumann KH 310 A monitors - Cheap USB and XLR cables

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Thank You! :-)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

MC wrote:

It would help to read at least the latest posts before opening a new, obsolete thread.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29218

What a stupid and arrogant reply!
There is no notice about loud clicks on power on/off in the thread linked so where is the obsolence...?

The latest FW may be removes this issue but introduces others...

Lack of a proper testing before releasing the product is really alarming. But I understand - marketing rules the world. Good job in this manner ;-) .

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Pitrs wrote:
MC wrote:

It would help to read at least the latest posts before opening a new, obsolete thread.

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29218

What a stupid and arrogant reply!
There is no notice about loud clicks on power on/off in the thread linked so where is the obsolence...?

The latest FW may be removes this issue but introduces others...

Lack of a proper testing before releasing the product is really alarming. But I understand - marketing rules the world. Good job in this manner ;-) .


Pitrs,

Perhaps remember this when you perform an IOS or Windows Update on your Computer.  smile

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Yesterday I've installed the new FW. The click issue when switching between sample rates seems to be fixed. Same for clicks by changing the filter to NOS in optical mode. I'll give it some more days of testing to make sure it works like expected.

However, the issue with the pops / blobs when turning the device on / off is still present. Even if I mute the DAC before switching to standby via remote, I get these pops, mainly from the midrange chassis of my 3-way speakers.
I guess this issue because of my setup by using the device as a preamp directly connected to a power-amp!? Need to do check with an integrated amp the next days.
I'm still wondering if these pops are normal like I was told from my dealer. Is there anybody out there with the same issue?

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Haha, censorship of "unconfortable" opinions rules this forum. Ridiculous and pathetic. It only shows how small RME people are in their minds.

It is definitely not for the first time and I assume even this post will be erased by someone who is not adult enough to bear other opinion than his own :-).

Enjoy your hipocrisy.

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Michael, in a properly designed DAC/amp no pops or clicks are normal when switching on/off.

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Curt962 wrote:

Pitrs,

Perhaps remember this when you perform an IOS or Windows Update on your Computer.  smile

Curt

Curt,

comapre the complaxity of a WIN SW and a simple DAC/amp SW. Compare number of developers. If Microsoft worked as RME does, there would be WIN updates every 5 minutes :-).

Still my main comment was on an arrogance of MC who rudely answers Michael to read forum more carefully while MC himself misses the point completely - Michael' issue is with pops while on/off, not while changing the filters on the fly.

But as always instead of "I am sorry, my mistake" MC will be censoring the forum as a small child :-D.

13 (edited by Curt962 2019-09-26 02:28:49)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Michael,

I don't know if your Clicks & Pops are normal or not. Seems unusual to be sure, but in my "vast" 9months lurking this Forum, we have seen the Simplest set ups crippled by the most Diabolical Wiring Schemes...(never under-estimate the end-users ability to cause troubles)  smile

I haven't experienced these noises at all with my ADI-2 DAC.  BUT!!  I do things a bit differently!   Based on ancient experiences with Gear that could send horrfic Turn-On/Off Transients to your Amp, and Speakers.   :0.   I Religiously ensure that my Active Speakers are turned on Last...and Shut off FIRST!  My Power Box lets me set a Power Up/Down sequence...so I don't even have to think about it.

Mute is Mute.  I hear nothing.  No noises, and in this case, all my Gear is ON.

I get a feeling there's some sort of electrical BS going on in your System causing your issues.   Perhaps MC can shed some insights.   In the meantime, do it my "Old School Way" and you'll be fine.

Review:  Amp ON  Last.   Amp OFF First. 

Simple!!

Best!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

14

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Michael wrote:

However, the issue with the pops / blobs when turning the device on / off is still present. Even if I mute the DAC before switching to standby via remote, I get these pops, mainly from the midrange chassis of my 3-way speakers.
I guess this issue because of my setup by using the device as a preamp directly connected to a power-amp!?

It seems we lost a few mails while tranferring data to the new server. Yesterday I wrote a reply:

---------

This applies to your current setup:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25399

If you have a very sensitive amp and use the ADI at low output levels then you need the attenuator.

A random click when changing DA filters during playback (!) is unavoidable and not a malfunction.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Thank you for all the replies.
Regarding switching the filter. I have not wrote it explicit, but I have done this action in playback. In this case the switchover is done fast from one to antother filter without a short mute between the switchover (which is something I know from other DACs). So this could be an advantage to compare the filters, but could also lead to issues with clicks like in my case. I can live with that. I have not tried yet, but I think if I mute before switching the filters I can avoid the clicks. So I can decide case specific on my own how it should behave.

Regarding the pops at on/off: I have tested yesterday with two integrated Amps (means with integrated Pre-Amp section). My Setup is really simple: One powerstrip with connected DAC and amp, one short chinch cable between DAC and line in of the amp. 3 Way speakers connected to the amp. Works fine without issues for other sources (including other DACs) I have.
The louder I set the DAC (and more quiet I set the amp), the lower are the Pops. If I set the DAC to a 'normal' line level, the pops are only hearable if go near the speaker. So, MC, your recommendation with the attenuator seems to be a 'solution'. However, I'm with Pitrs comment in this case (which was there yesterday but not restored from the server issue yet ;-)). There should be no pops when turning on / off at all and the attentuator is not hitting the route cause of the issue but the effect wich results from it. And setting the DAC to line level was not my intended use case because I want to benefit from the integrated 'PreAmp' and the remote control to set the volume.

Thanks Curt for your recommended workflow! I agree, your workflow should be the way to do it for all audio gear! Maybe the way I could live with the DAC, but comes with an additional afford and some self-discipline. Switching on the DAC via remote would then not possible anymore if the poweramp has not remote. Some days left to decide what to do... :-)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Ok, never ending story: The clicks when starting playback / changing tracks are still there. When changing between tracks the clicks are not that loud anymore (maybe the reason why I thought it is fixed), but after turning on and start the first track there is still a loud click, like before the update.

Unfortunately I haven't had that much time to investigate into deep in the last days. But now I have some new findings based on the issue: When I use my Win10 Laptop with JRiver Media Center and RME Asio driver, there is no issue at all. I mean the pops when turning on the device are still there, but this is another topic. But the clicks do not occur with Win10.
So it seems it has something to do with my Synology NAS. I'm using the DSAudio App on a Synology DS213+. This could also explain why there was not that much feedback from other user regarding this issue. I guess other users are mainly using windows or mac!??
I've found some other threads where people have had issues with RPi (linux based) and Synology (linux as well). Exactly my NAS was not supported at all until a specific ADI-2 FW update if I understand it correctly!?!
The strange thing is, that I've no issues with other USB related DACs. So it seems to be a incompatibility of the DAC with linux based devices or at least with my synology modell!?! 
I've found a thread where someone has had similar problems with the DAC on a RPI3 and it was recommended to switch to a RPI4. Maybe I can use a RPI 4 together with volumio!? Should I give this a try? Is there someone running this setup without having click issues?

Thanks for you help!

17 (edited by Michael 2019-09-29 06:12:53)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

I've had a RPI 3B laying around and installed volumio. Works fine with the RME. No clicks so far :-)

To sum it up regarding the click issue when changing tracks / starting playback:
Win10 JRiver Asio (RME via USB) -> no clicks :-)
RPI 3B (RME via USB) -> no clicks :-)
Synology DS213+ (RME via USB) -> clicks :-(
Synology DS213+ (two other DACs via USB) -> no clicks :-)

I'll test with the RPI for the next days to see if it can replace my NAS for music playback, but some uncertainty remains.

18 (edited by Curt962 2019-09-28 16:10:20)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Michael,

An RPI user (Trojka) has been alerted regarding your inquiry.   I'm quite certain he can provide some guidance.

Me?  I'm Old School, and still cling to my "vintage" SBT which the RME Team magically integrated with the ADI-2 DAC.  It works flawlessly.  Happy as a Clam! 

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Thanks curt for your feedback and help. Yesterday the RPI 3B played the whole day without click issues. This setup could be a solution. Unfortunately this would mean another device in my setup. But if it works well I could live with that. One thing I'm not sure about yet is the sound signature of this setup. The PI / RME setup seems to sound a little bit more edgy. But to be honest, this could be my imagination and the setup I run yesterday was my home living, music in the background, with the speakers standing at the wall. So the sound is influenced by the room in this case as well. I need to give this some more time of testing. Maybe going the SPDIF way by using a DigiOne works better for RPI!??

20 (edited by Curt962 2019-09-29 21:49:31)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Michael,

Perhaps Ive missed something, but WHAT extra device is needed?

"Edgy" is a very subjective term.   I THINK you're feeding your ADI2 DAC directly into your Amp.   I see nothing wrong there.   I do it that way too (albeit through -20db Pads) and love it. 

Sub-Optimal Speaker Positioning, etc can surely have negative influences on SQ.    Let's look into that, etc before we start adding gadgets. smile

No Warranties, but we can certainly try to help.   

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

21 (edited by Michael 2019-10-01 07:36:55)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Yesterday I found some time to test with my serious listening setup, where I move my speakers from the wall into the room. RPI 3B feeding the ADI-2 DAC via USB, from RME directly going into my poweramplifier via line out. Sounds great and there are no clicks. I'm very happy with that :-). The edgy sound is gone. I have spent a more powerfull power adapter for the RPI, because I think the one I have initial used was a little bit overwhelmed for the power comsumption of the PI.

What I have meant with extra device: I need to run 2 devices, first device is my NAS as a storage for my music files and second is the RPI as a streamer. Before I was using the NAS for the storage as well as for the streamer functionallity (by connecting the RME via USB directly to the NAS). But in this scenario I get the clicks, so I will not use the NAS as a streamer anymore but only use it as music file storage. For the streamer part I will go with the RPI. That's OK for me.

So for my part you can close this thraed. I will learn to live with the pops when turning on / off and the clicks are gone for me by changing my audio chain.
I'm sure RME will take these issues to address them within upcoming FW or HW versions of the device... ;-)

Thanks for you help!

22 (edited by Thebon 2020-07-04 18:32:28)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Hi!
I've read anything I could find on this topic so I figured I'd continue this thread.

I'm experiencing similar issues with my new RME adi-2 dac, which is super annoying since it performs so damn good otherwise. Which is, pops when changing songs. I don't seem to experience any pops when e.g switching on my gear. It's just when switching songs. It doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying and uncomfortable. I haven't been able to pin down any pattern yet. This did not occur with my previous dac (Musical fidelity V-90, also USB connected)

My set-up is the following:
Pro-ject stream box ultra s2 - (USB) - RME adi-2 - Yamaha A-S 1100 - speakers. Playing tidal and Spotify from the streamer thorough the native integration.

I'm at a loss, and I really don't wanna return it due to this. Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you!

23 (edited by KaiS 2020-07-04 22:35:16)

Re: loud clicks when changing between songs or powering on / off

Do you see the clicks in ADI-2 DAC's meters?

I suspect the streamer might put out DC between songs.

What is the volume do you set an ADI-2 DAC?
Does the loudness of the clicks change with ADI-2 DAC's volume?