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Audio stutters with USB Dacs on Macbook M1 Pro

theREALdotnet

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Tempted to try this.

Has anyone else besides stefanovesa ?

I’ve got one of those adapters, I could try using it. However, that would only make sense if I could reproduce the stutter without it, which I can’t.
 

stefanovesa

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I’ve got one of those adapters, I could try using it. However, that would only make sense if I could reproduce the stutter without it, which I can’t.
Someone that has the stutter issue could test if using the adapter it disappears. From my side, I cannot reproduce exactly the stutter issue in my M1 Air because I've not a USB audio recording device, anyway I guess that the fact that the bit-perfect tests keep failing connecting the USB DAC directly to USB-C port could be a symptom of something going wrong with the Apple USB 4.0 ports' implementation of USB retro compatibility. Latest MacOS update did not help.
 

kal800

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Hi,

It seems I’ve got s similar issue but it is somehow weird. I’ve been practicing guitar using IK iRig HD interface for some time and it worked fine on my Macbook Pro M1 Pro with 16 GBs of RAM. I’ve used it both on Ventura and after upgrade to Sonoma. I changed my interface to more sophisticated Motu M2, plugged it in and heard a disaster out of the headphones - stutter, noise, lags, playing is not possible, even when I try to put backing track from mp3 back through interface - the same. I was sure that this is an interface issue and even though to return it, but I plugged it into my second computer- Mac Studio M1 Max with 32GBs running on Ventura - both machines are from the same year and generation and it works perfectly. I was planning to reinstall the system on my laptop to see if the problem will occur on the fresh installation, but after reading this thread I’m not so sure. Any ideas?

kal800
 

antcollinet

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Hi,

It seems I’ve got s similar issue but it is somehow weird. I’ve been practicing guitar using IK iRig HD interface for some time and it worked fine on my Macbook Pro M1 Pro with 16 GBs of RAM. I’ve used it both on Ventura and after upgrade to Sonoma. I changed my interface to more sophisticated Motu M2, plugged it in and heard a disaster out of the headphones - stutter, noise, lags, playing is not possible, even when I try to put backing track from mp3 back through interface - the same. I was sure that this is an interface issue and even though to return it, but I plugged it into my second computer- Mac Studio M1 Max with 32GBs running on Ventura - both machines are from the same year and generation and it works perfectly. I was planning to reinstall the system on my laptop to see if the problem will occur on the fresh installation, but after reading this thread I’m not so sure. Any ideas?

kal800
Disable any run at startup applications.

Try creating a new user account, and try when logged into that.
 

kal800

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Well I though it is due to some of my development staff installed - VMs, containers, services, etc, and since the larger one does have twice as many cores and memory chips it could be the reason why it works OK. But I've done one thing - I plugged it in USB-C multi adaptor with additional USB-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet, and it works like a charm now. When I took the same cable and connected to my laptop using simple adapter - the same problems. It seems, there is something wrong with those USB-C Mac ports...
 

antcollinet

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Well I though it is due to some of my development staff installed - VMs, containers, services, etc, and since the larger one does have twice as many cores and memory chips it could be the reason why it works OK. But I've done one thing - I plugged it in USB-C multi adaptor with additional USB-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet, and it works like a charm now. When I took the same cable and connected to my laptop using simple adapter - the same problems. It seems, there is something wrong with those USB-C Mac ports...
It could still be software related - just impacting "unbuffered" USB C

I'd still say it is worth checking to allow simple adapter use.
 

stefanovesa

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Someone that has the stutter issue could test if using the adapter it disappears. From my side, I cannot reproduce exactly the stutter issue in my M1 Air because I've not a USB audio recording device, anyway I guess that the fact that the bit-perfect tests keep failing connecting the USB DAC directly to USB-C port could be a symptom of something going wrong with the Apple USB 4.0 ports' implementation of USB retro compatibility. Latest MacOS update did not help.
Mea culpa. I've done further testing and the "bit-perfect tests keep failing" in my Apple MacBook Air M1 setup simply have been solved swapping the USB cable with one of 2 meter. Until now I've tested with cables 3 or 5 meter long that seem reputable (Supra Excalibur or TE Connectivity, all certified) but they have the issue. All seems now working fine with plain Apple USB-C/USB-A adapter. The key is using a shorter cable, in my case 2 meter long. So I think that my issue was totally different from the "audio stutter" issue
 

mocenigo

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Mea culpa. I've done further testing and the "bit-perfect tests keep failing" in my Apple MacBook Air M1 setup simply have been solved swapping the USB cable with one of 2 meter. Until now I've tested with cables 3 or 5 meter long that seem reputable (Supra Excalibur or TE Connectivity, all certified) but they have the issue. All seems now working fine with plain Apple USB-C/USB-A adapter. The key is using a shorter cable, in my case 2 meter long. So I think that my issue was totally different from the "audio stutter" issue

I have used a 5m USB cable for audio in the past. It was a UGreen cable bought on Amazon. Never a single drop or glitch.

I guess these “audiophile” cables are not all what they are cracked up to be…
 

antcollinet

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I have used a 5m USB cable for audio in the past. It was a UGreen cable bought on Amazon. Never a single drop or glitch.

I guess these “audiophile” cables are not all what they are cracked up to be…
Can be system noise related, or sensitivity of the devices on either end of the link.

Its not always about the cable.
 

kal800

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There is something behind those cables. I've had an issue with USB cable and CA Dacmagic 200 DAC. When I was trying to play higher bitrate MQA tracks, connection between DAC and MacBook was not stable, I needed to try couple of times before I managed to play the track, and if I moved a cable anyhow the connection dropped, so I needed to replug the cable. I've tried with couple of standard printer USB cables - the same. When I switched to Supra cable, not so expensive though, less than €100, the issue has never appeared again and 4 meter USB cable works flawlessly.
 

PatentLawyer

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FWIW, I have a Mac Book Pro with the M3 Max, and there's no stuttering with a Topping D90SE through a CalDigit dock.
 

mocenigo

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Can be system noise related, or sensitivity of the devices on either end of the link.

Its not always about the cable.

Well, in a sense it is about the cable — how it fits with the rest. Where I live there is a lot of noise. And there, one meter of supra USB allowed dropouts. One meter or five meters of UGreen all ok.
 

ardasatata

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Recently updated from Ventura latest to Sonoma 14.2.1, no popping sound has happened so far.

I'm using focusrite 2i2 1st gen connected through USB C hub from my Dell monitor
 
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vurt

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Recently changed my desktop setup because I got new speakers and WiiM Amp. I'm using a usb-to-spdif converter between my dock and WiiM Amp.

Same stutter. :facepalm:

No issue when I had 3.5mm to RCA or streaming via Bluetooth (as I'm doing now).
 

MLaudio

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Joined this group to say that my new Mac M1 Max Studio w/ 32gb i just picked up is struggling with what everyone is mentioning. Its been a glitchy stuttery mess in Logic Pro X with the slightest load on it. If i switch to Rosetta and or the Built in Output (from the USB C connected Audient id14 Mk1) the problem goes away. All plugins being used are Silicon supported. And the same sessions on my 2018 Mac mini intel had zero issues.

Currently on Ventura 13.6.4 and Logic 10.8.1. I see some people are mentioning Sonoma fixed their issues. Im a bit reluctant to update since i use Pro Tools for work and its not yet supported in Sonoma. I have about 10 days left to return the computer and if i cant find a fix, ill likely be doing that and going back to my 2018 Mini :(.
 

MLaudio

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Update, switched to my old Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and the stutter and cpu you overloads on playback have stopped. Also when i restart my computer, the Mac Studio is staying connected with the Focusrite. With the Audient, I'd have to unplug and plug it back anytime the computer was restarted in order for it to be recognized. The only thing i have occasionally noticed is when selecting a different track during playback i get the tinniest of "skips". Not sure if thats just do to it be being a big session. Will report back over the next days to see how it goes.

One other thing to note is i still get a higher initial spike on the CPU meter right when i hit play running native as oppose to Rosetta.
 
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vurt

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Updated to Sonoma 14.3.1 (23D60)... no stutter so far, fingers crossed....
 
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