Hi, I have read through many, many posts on the forum trying to find out if others have had the same problem but to no avail. If there is a post that provides a solution please provide the link as I do not want to ask the same questions.

I will describe my system and the problem I am having. If anyone can provide guidance, it would be greatly appreciated.

HP Pavilion laptop running Vista Home Premium 64 --> Foobar 2000 with WASAPI out, 24 bit, 1020ms buffer --> firewire --> Fireface 400, 1024 samples latency --> S/P-Dif --> Empirical Audio Pace Car II --> I2S --> DEQX

The Pace Car II also is connected through a Word Clock cable to the Fireface 400 and set to master (required by Pace Car II)

I have a collection of 16/44.1 and 24/96 WAV files. I currently am using headphones until I can get the bugs out of the system (Pace Car II not plugged into DEQX). When I set Control Panel/Sound playback for S/P-Dif RME Fireface output using 16/44.1, set Foobar to WASAPI, 24 bit, the Fireface 400 for Word Clock sync at 44.1 and the Pace Car II for 44.1, I can play 16/44.1 files with no problem. The sound is excellent and the player moves from one track to another without a glitch. When I switch to 24/96, however, I have to go through several steps and the output is continually tinged with static.

Switch Fireface 400 Word Clock sync to 96kHz using DDS (click on then click off) in order to get the Pace Car II to switch to 96kHz, switch S/P-Dif RME Fireface in Control Panel/Sound to 24/96, leave Foobar alone (if I use ASIO for 16/44.1 I have to switch to DS or WASAPI for it to work in 96kHz -- if I leave it in WASAPI, no change is necessary). The system will not play the 16/44.1 files at all (as you would expect) and when I play the 24/96 files they do play but with static. I also have tried XXHighend and the results are the same: static on 24/96.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I might try to eliminate the static? It was suggested that I invest in a Mac Mini and switch to a one-box solution (Off Ramp 4) using asynchronous USB. I am reticent, however, to make further changes in the system until I have some idea what is going on.

Thank you in advance for your guidance.

Tim