• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Linux USB connect to DAC -- sometimes noisy

thats_it

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
11
Likes
4
I thought Linux was purported to be much cleaner with USB transport than Win.
And it usually is.
But pops and clicks (in playing audio) is what I might hear on my Linux (Linux Mint) PC when connected to an arbitrary USB dac. It seems to happen when I'm hot swapping dacs (conducting listening tests). Sometimes, If I re-start Linux's PulseAudio utility, the problem seems to abate. I use the PC for normal computing, but not heavy stuff like gaming or editing. Foobar (via WINE) is my playback engine of choice.
Any way, in software, to set up Linux to "isolate" the USB signal better? I'm thinking similar to"Pure Music: (Channel D software).
 

Bob-23

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
425
Likes
379
Location
Berlin, Germany
I thought Linux was purported to be much cleaner with USB transport than Win.
And it usually is.
But pops and clicks (in playing audio) is what I might hear on my Linux (Linux Mint) PC when connected to an arbitrary USB dac. It seems to happen when I'm hot swapping dacs (conducting listening tests). Sometimes, If I re-start Linux's PulseAudio utility, the problem seems to abate. I use the PC for normal computing, but not heavy stuff like gaming or editing. Foobar (via WINE) is my playback engine of choice.
Any way, in software, to set up Linux to "isolate" the USB signal better? I'm thinking similar to"Pure Music: (Channel D software).
I know these pops and clicks, too. Have'em when I start Quod Libet (the player - a good one, BTW) and PulseEffects (EQ) too quickly, one after the other. So, now, I give Quod Libet a few seconds (and let it load all the music files from the external hd) and then start Pulse effects. This works for me.
Restarting the whole system also seems to work.

EDIT: I guess, in your case the hot plugging is the problem, you may need to find other methods of comparing dacs - plugging-in and-out already takes too long for allowing a valid comparison, anyway, our acoustic memory is extremely short. I use for my amp comparisons an AB-switch box, switching instantaneously, seamlessly. And that's absolutely necessary if differences between the devices are supposedly very small, which is often the case with amps and dacs. AND volume of the devices has to be exactly equalized, not more than 1% difference.
 
Last edited:

StefaanE

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
528
Likes
929
Location
Harlange, Luxembourg
Linux is not a real-time OS, so it is possible that certain programs aren't getting enough CPU time to guarantee a steady data flow when there's a lot of activity. I suppose that hot-plugging DACs does stress the audio subsystem, and could lead to audible artefacts. I wouldn't call this a typical use-case though. Does it ever happen when you're just playing music?
 
Top Bottom