I'm the guy who made the split DIY USB cable referenced in the first post and along this thread. I tried the Dragonfly USB cleaner device, no improvement nor did a powered USB hub help. I had occasional problems after my cable solution as well.
Real solution: I bought a Macbook Pro to replace the 2013 iMac that was giving me the dirty USB power and all good now. (was not the only reason I upgraded computers)
That's a pretty drastic solution, I know, but it just seems that some implementations of voltage via USB is just plane bad or aging components on the MB may be the cause. Other DACs weren't affected using the same iMac but over the years I've had similar issues with DACs on other machines Mac & PC. It seems to me galvanic isolation is something that was known of 20 years ago and is so easy to implement in a build that all digital audio devices should include it by default. The D10 just seems to be more sensitive somehow.
Still happily using the D10 though
Real solution: I bought a Macbook Pro to replace the 2013 iMac that was giving me the dirty USB power and all good now. (was not the only reason I upgraded computers)
That's a pretty drastic solution, I know, but it just seems that some implementations of voltage via USB is just plane bad or aging components on the MB may be the cause. Other DACs weren't affected using the same iMac but over the years I've had similar issues with DACs on other machines Mac & PC. It seems to me galvanic isolation is something that was known of 20 years ago and is so easy to implement in a build that all digital audio devices should include it by default. The D10 just seems to be more sensitive somehow.
Still happily using the D10 though