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Please help me identify Optical Audio Skipping/Stutter

sze5003

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Hi Everyone,

I recently got a Loxjie A30 to replace my SMSL AD18 and it is powering 2 Micca MB42X speakers, using the optical port on my Asus Z790E motherboard. I replaced the SMSL because the usb port stopped working and the amp itself was getting pretty hot in use.

I have a weird problem that I am not sure how to solve. When I use optical audio out I have a lot of intermittent stutter or skipping. I was testing and I noticed when I use any bitrate in windows between 44hz-96hz 16 bit or 24 bit, doesn't matter..I get the stutter or skip intermittently (it can happen 5 minutes in, it may not show up for an hour or 2, etc; or it can happen every 15-20 seconds when playing audio/video on pc).

When I change the bitrate to 192hz in windows there is no more stutter or skipping. I'm not sure why this is happening. The Loxjie A30 is brand new and so is my motherboard. I tried 2 different optical cables, no difference. The SMSL AD18 also did this but it was way less subtle and more like tiny static which was easier to overlook and ignore.

I tried using the Loxjie through USB but the audio quality is not the same, its not louder, doesn't have the range that you get with optical. On the AD18 usb when it worked, sounded similar. I notice windows shows the Loxjie via USB as "Headphones HiFi Audio" but I think that is just a name, since you can rename it? Not sure if it has anything to do with the audio quality limitation.

Another thing I thought about, would it make sense if I want to continue using optical, is add a Doukaudio USB to optical converter? Would that get rid of the skipping and stutter on the lower bitrates? I guess that would eliminate the need to plug in the optical cable to my motherboard.
 

Dunring

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I'd first remove any sound card software you don't need. Then go to properties for the MB optical and run the test for each mode and listen to uncheck any that don't sound right. Also disable power management in the applet for any media settings, and set your hard drive power off time to zero so it never tries to put it to sleep during playback.
I use optical on my d30pro and keep it at 96khz 24 bit and that covers everything. Are you using exclusive mode like in Foobar2000?
 

JSmith

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When I use optical audio out I have a lot of intermittent stutter or skipping.
It's probably jitter related on the optical out... and unfortunately it seems the A30 doesn't have a setting to adjust the DPLL on the internal DAC (ES9023) which allows adjusting the amount of jitter filtered (or rejected) from the input.

Can you not go back to USB?


JSmith
 
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sze5003

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I'd first remove any sound card software you don't need. Then go to properties for the MB optical and run the test for each mode and listen to uncheck any that don't sound right. Also disable power management in the applet for any media settings, and set your hard drive power off time to zero so it never tries to put it to sleep during playback.
I use optical on my d30pro and keep it at 96khz 24 bit and that covers everything. Are you using exclusive mode like in Foobar2000?
Yup I did uninstall sonic studio which came with the Realtek usb audio drivers from my Motherboard. I don't let the desktop ever sleep anyway and I can mess around with the power options under windows sound settings. Not using Foobar2000 at all I mainly just stream music via youtube music or play it straight off my hard drive and the issue happened in either source.

The odd part is why is 192hz bitrate not skipping or stuttering but anything lower is? You would expect higher bitrate to be more problematic?
It's probably jitter related on the optical out... and unfortunately it seems the A30 doesn't have a setting to adjust the DPLL on the internal DAC (ES9023) which allows adjusting the amount of jitter filtered (or rejected) from the input.

Can you not go back to USB?


JSmith
I can go back to USB it just does not sound the same as it did on the SMSL AD18 amp. On the Loxjie it does not sound as good as optical..sounds low powered, less range, less amplified compared to optical. Can't use the AD18 because the usb port on it is messed up.

Would something like this resolve the issue?

 

wwenze

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Is your music delayed when the issue happens? e.g. 1-2-3-4-5-6-(missing)-8 or 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-7-8

The latter situation can only come from the source i.e. the sound card, the audio controller, the clock master... same thing, goes by many names. Might happen to your analogue out too.
 
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sze5003

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Is your music delayed when the issue happens? e.g. 1-2-3-4-5-6-(missing)-8 or 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-7-8

The latter situation can only come from the source i.e. the sound card, the audio controller, the clock master... same thing, goes by many names. Might happen to your analogue out too.
I would say its more of an interruption or cut out for a split second than a delay like 1-2-3-4-5-6-(missing)-8.
I did order this https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Interface-Coaxial-Optical-Audio/dp/B08HN3VSF8 it should be coming today so I can basically bypass my onboard audio. Although if this works well it seems they don't have drivers for windows 11 so if my pc gets updated I wonder if it will still do its job.
Although last night I set the bitrate back to 48hz and I only had 1 or 2 interruptions in the 1 hour time frame I was listening to music.
 

Skylamar

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Hi. I just found this thread and was surprised by it. I just bought an Loxjie A30. It came yesterday and I hooked up to my LG C2 television via an optical audio cable. I was excited to have it for the Super Bowl.

I had been using an SMSLQ5 Pro which I bought in 2016. But I decided to finally replace the SMSL Q5 because the remote stopped working (and was a terrible remote anyway) and some of the display was broken. I read reviews of the Loxjie A30 and it sounded like the perfect replacement.

However, I'm experiencing the same stuttering as the original poster. I would describe it more as a "hiccup." The sounds goes out for a fraction of a second. But it keeps happening and it's distracting me.

So sounds like the Loxjie A30 is just not suitable for optical audio.

Can anyone recommend a similar device in the same price range? I need the following: oprical out, subwoofer out, RCA in/out (for a dedicated bluetooth receiver) and the ability to hook up speakers via speaker wire.

Thanks,

Skylamar
 

Chrispy

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Hi. I just found this thread and was surprised by it. I just bought an Loxjie A30. It came yesterday and I hooked up to my LG C2 television via an optical audio cable. I was excited to have it for the Super Bowl.

I had been using an SMSLQ5 Pro which I bought in 2016. But I decided to finally replace the SMSL Q5 because the remote stopped working (and was a terrible remote anyway) and some of the display was broken. I read reviews of the Loxjie A30 and it sounded like the perfect replacement.

However, I'm experiencing the same stuttering as the original poster. I would describe it more as a "hiccup." The sounds goes out for a fraction of a second. But it keeps happening and it's distracting me.

So sounds like the Loxjie A30 is just not suitable for optical audio.

Can anyone recommend a similar device in the same price range? I need the following: oprical out, subwoofer out, RCA in/out (for a dedicated bluetooth receiver) and the ability to hook up speakers via speaker wire.

Thanks,

Skylamar
Curious, what are the audio output settings used in the tv for the optical output?
 

Skylamar

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Chrispy, thanks for responding so fast.

So the LG TV's audio settings are Optical Out Device + TV Speakers. The LG TV doesn't have a setting for Optical Out Device only. I'm also using a new Apple TV device. I mute the Apple TV/LG TV so the sound is just coming through optical audio. It worked fine with the SMSL Q5.
 

JSmith

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So sounds like the Loxjie A30 is just not suitable for optical audio.
Yes the unit needs a user adjustable DPLL setting, however it doesn't, which is a shame.

You could try an optical to USB converter before replacing... although hard to say if it will solve the issue, maybe yes, maybe no.


JSmith
 

Chrispy

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LOL just came first in the feed at the moment. Is there an optical out only + tv speakers, or other settings? Needing to mute the ATV device for analog output might make sense,but not otherwise (but have never had Apple gear except for one disappoinging iPod). I'm not familiar with LG menus/choices, nor sure of your whole setup/connections in any case. Not familiar with the differences in your dac thingies.
 

Skylamar

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I just realized I can get a new remote on Amazon for the SMSL Q5. The screen is big wonky but it at least it works with optical audio.l
 
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