Cambridge Audio EVO 150 USB Audio problem

[Modellbobby]

Dear group,

We have serious problems with our EVO 150 not being able to use the USB Audio interface with our MACs.

The Midi Interface Cambridge support sent us should look like this ( first picture) but it looks like this (second picture) on our MacBook and Mac Mini. If we want to switch it to another setting it flips back.

We hear one second some sound out of the EVO no matter if System sounds plays or Audirvana Direct Connection and then silence.

We already have a EVO 150 change device but exact same behavior.

Anybody who could check if usb Audio works with Mac or windows ?

Thank you

 

[Modellbobby]

Dear group,

We have serious problems with our EVO 150 not being able to use the USB Audio interface with our MACs.

The Midi Interface Cambridge support sent us should look like this ( first picture) but it looks like this (second picture) on our MacBook and Mac Mini. If we want to switch it to another setting it flips back.

We hear one second some sound out of the EVO no matter if System sounds plays or Audirvana Direct Connection and then silence.

We already have a EVO 150 change device but exact same behavior.

Anybody who could check if usb Audio works with Mac or windows ?

Thank you

And yes we updated the device to latest firmware

 

[staticV3]

The Midi Interface Cambridge support sent us should look like this ( first picture) but it looks like this (second picture)

I can barely read anything in the photos you took. Consider taking actual screenshots using Shift+Command+4

If we want to switch it to another setting it flips back.

You mean if you change the sample rate, it flips back?
Could it be that Audirvana forces the sample rate to match whatever is playing/was last played?
Try closing all applications, then open the Midi panel and change the sample rate. Does it still flip back?

 

[Modellbobby]

Hello StaticV3 , thank you, do you own an EVO 150?

No, it doesnt force, we have years external DACs on the Macs and know how this should work there.

 

[JustJones]

I don't have any problem running REW with Windows through USB.

 

[Modellbobby]

What are you Talking about ? REW ? Is not EVO 150

 

[JustJones]

I connect a windows laptop to the EVO 150 through USB using REW to take measurements. I have had no problems getting sound using USB on a windows device with an EVO 150.

Anybody who could check if usb Audio works with Mac or windows ?

 

[Modellbobby]

Thanks

Anybody with a mac here ?

 

[Kaiede]

Any resolution to this? I just got this unit, and have the exact same problem where USB from a Mac is no-go, but Windows with the appropriate driver works fine. As does other inputs. So this doesn't seem that great that this is still happening. I'd have saved the money and gotten the Evo 75 had I known the USB port isn't being consistently tested for compatibility.

And as these units do a firmware update out of the box, I am pretty sure it's on the latest.

 

[Kaiede]

Since I found what what's going on in my case, I figured I'd share:

I have a Razer Seiren Mini USB microphone I use for meetings and voice chat in games. Both the microphone and my USB Audio output sit on the same USB bus/hub behind a KVM. This worked fine until I got the Evo. But it turns out that I can do this (I also checked a bunch of other scenarios but this is super consistent):

- Plug USB hub into the Mac.
- Plug Evo into USB hub. Things work fine. I get audio.
- Plug in the Razer microphone to the USB. Audio output is now dead.

So if there is a weird issue like this, check what devices are sharing the USB bus with the Evo 150, especially USB Audio devices. Odds are there is some sort of compatibility issue between the Evo and something else on the bus.

I've reported this to Cambridge Audio and will be pushing to see if I can get their engineers to issue a fix for the incompatibility, as this is the first USB Audio output device that has been incompatible with the microphone like this.

 

[Deleted member 48437]

I am sorry you are having this problem. I surely hope you can get a work around. No one likes to hear that they just purchased a piece of junk. Huge apologies for replying to your thread in this way. I just want to warn people against this piece of downgraded quality in the name of Cambridge profit.

“Don’t buy it” Sounds like 100 to 150 feet back in a concert. Does not use a toroidal power supply, is class D (poorer sound than class a/b), not the same award winning streamer as in their CXN, cheapest of the ESS Saber chipsets (9018).

 

[voodooless]

“Don’t buy it” Sounds like 100 to 150 feet back in a concert. Does not use a toroidal power supply,

So what? It has a switch mode power supply, and that works perfectly fine.

is class D (poorer sound than class a/b)

Nonsense. It has a Hypex Ncore amp, rated here at ASR as one of the best measuring amplifier modules overall.

cheapest of the ESS Saber chipsets (9018).

Hardly. The 9018 should be just fine and audibly transparent.

As for USB: maybe try setting the USB class to UAC 2 via the menu, or if it’s 2, set it to 1..

 

[Deleted member 48437]

Ok. I am just echoing my experience. This is junk. Your choice. Maybe it has Gobblins-psr21’s inside. Idk the in’s and out’s. I can tell u that this is a two channel chipset only. I can tell u that the olderCarver amps were good and were one of the first to you toroidal. I can tell you that Cambrige uses twin toroidal in their more expensive line. I can also tell you that PS Audio uses nothing but toroidals. I can also tell you that I have now, now listened to many high end class D amps at The Music Room in Boulder, Colorado. There was not a small difference in soundstage, there is a huge.
My post is to help those who are thinking about this amp and caution them to choose carefully. Please read other threads. There are other users who think this. They are also on Audiogon. Idk which of those things make a difference and maybe they all do But “who cares?”, the people like me who shelled out $3,000 for this piece of crap. Let them decide by their ears. My ears tell me that I have been duped. Buy it if you want to. It is your money.

 

[voodooless]

Buy it if you want to. It is your money.

I’m not buying this, I’m just saying your arguments are nonsense.

That doesn’t mean this device may have bugs and has an awful user experience or lacking features.

… and trying to impress with Audiogon and PS Audio doesn’t get you very far here, not will subjective listening impressions.

 

[Deleted member 48437]

Not saying plus or minus about AG or PS. I am pointing out that there are other wagons in this wagon-train. I don’t have any dogs in this one.
To get this back on track and I do bow to your knowledge and experience, which is much more than mine, any ideas on why the Cambridge EVO 150 all-in-one would be so flat, sounding like 100 feet back from the stage? U have been around a very long time and a most respected senior member of this forum. If you believe that it is possible that this guy here is saying what he is hearing and it is reality, what would you suggest could be the likely reason for the flatness. It would be nice because the folks out there and myself, would really like to benefit from your expert advice.
You likely read other forums as well so I don’t mean to pee on your fire hydrant if I even mention Lexus on a BMW forum . (kidding of course)

 

[voodooless]

I am pointing out that there are other wagons in this wagon-train.

I’m sure there are plenty of other good alternatives, no doubt about that.

To get this back on track and I do bow to your knowledge and experience, which is much more than mine, any ideas on why the Cambridge EVO 150 all-in-one would be so flat, sounding like 100 feet back from the stage? U have been around a very long time and a most respected senior member of this forum. If you believe that it is possible that this guy here is saying what he is hearing and it is reality, what would you suggest could be the likely reason for the flatness.

Let’s first determine that what someone is hearing is actually reality, because this usually the the main issue. Sighted comparisons are just flawed. Even more so if you have multiple variables changing, like speakers, room and listening volume, huge time period between sessions. All bets are off! Next we have all kinds of biases that steer our preferences and cloud our judgement. You cannot consistently shut them (all) off, the mere fact that you know you listen to a $6099 amp will influence your judgement, if you want it or not.

If you account for these things, then most differences in audio electronics quickly disappear. What is left is usually due to frequency response differences, which for these kind of products should not even exist. In some severe cases distortion may also play a role, and for high sensitivity speakers also signal to noise ratio.

Having said this: Carver amps, especially the tube ones, they often have a high output impedance, and therefore will interact with the complex speaker load, leading to frequency response errors, notably in bass. This may very well be audible.

Class D amps tend to have very low output impedance and will have tight control over the woofer.

Some Class D amps also have some load dependence because the feedback loop does not include the output inductor. Usually that would manifest at higher frequencies. In some cases this may also be audible as well.

Does this make it a bad amp? Why is it good for the Carver, bad for Class D? Neither I would argue, because a few simple EQ tweaks can fix either, and consequently you can make them sound all the same.

The amps in this Cambridge are absolutely excellent, see here a review of an amp with the same modules:

Buckeye NC252MP Stereo Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Buckeye NC252MP balanced stereo class D amplifier. It was kindly drop shipped to me by a member and costs US $575. The amp is almost the size of a loaf of bread and literally weighs nearly as much! Amazing how far amplification technology has...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And Stereophile confirms this:

Cambridge Audio EVO 150 streaming integrated amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

 

[Deleted member 48437]

I really like this response of yours and it opens my mind to possibilities more than I initially thought of. Let me organize them. We are on the same page
(1) I agree with you so much. Hypochondriacs and conversion disorders have been studied for decades. Why are some people histrionic, when in the same situation, CEO-types just as a very crude example, may be able handle the exact same emotion without outward expressions of stress?
Why do some people perceive things differently? Why do some people, such as yours with a seasoned audiophile ear, hear those changes better that another, like me?
Yes, yes, how people react to music may be influenced by all of those and more. High pitched female pop singers for example, I cannot listen to them 5 min, yet they sell millions of records.
Why do some people swear by $50k Audio Q carbon fiber cables and I cannot hear the difference between a shielded THHN cable and a set of Belkins? I think you great reply is very on-track for that one. Do the folks that use those expensive cables really hear something different or do they imagine they should so then they do? What do you think?
(2). I have been a Cambridge die-hard fan since before they were even called Cambridge. They seemed to be really good quality and their target income market seemed to be the guys who really liked listening to good music but just could not afford the 426 Hemi option (same as now me, Hell cat . I am and always will be a Cambridge fan. Manny, in Customer Service, is a respectful, nice and gracious guy.
I have their CXN streamer and I am giving most serious thought of buying their Edge A. Now, for some reason then, this $6500 amp has gone back to using toroidals x2. Why do you think? Seriously, why do they use a class a/b on their highest end E and use their D in their EVO 150? It is pretty common knowledge that the class d amps are cheaper to make, they do not need a larger power supply as a/b. Why did they use a lower 2 channel chipset in the EVO 150 and a 4 channel in the Edge A. Why does it not have the same headroom, in my house, as the 851a did? Why would they use a different streamer configuration as their CXN when almost everyone loves the CXN, even me?
I am a huge Cambridge fan. It is only their EVO 150 at $3,000 and feeling strongly about sensing being ripped off that I wanted to dissect this on forum. Thanks to you then your questions /replies will help me know what Not to look for (Dr. de Grass’ famous quote).
I have a second idea. I have a Red Rose Music 3a tube pre-amp. THD .1 (ugh) that I cd use with a dedicated amp. If you had $6k to spend would you recommend using the RRM and if so, what amp (that you were impressed with the soundstage. Alternatively, if you recommend an integrated amp that has great soundstage, to your more educated ears than mine, which would you recommend? If I used this tube pre-amp, wd it color the music with that tube sound when putting it in series with a solid state amplifier?
Great food for thought u have given here…thx