Please help! Schiit Modi 2 not being recognized anymore by Windows?

[Fuzziekiwi]

Modius

I reached out to Schiit last week to see what they would say, but I still have no response from them. I don't think I'll ever be buying Schiit products again.

Decided to settle on a Fiio E03K. Gets the job done until the Asgard dies too- if it does. Noticed it might be slightly brighter than the Modi but it is only $18 and an improvement from my desktops onboard DAC (which is actually the most horrible thing I've heard in a long time).

 

[dhkimboa]

A possible $3 brute-force hack/"fix" that's been working for a while.
OK, so I also registered to post about this issue. Thanks to others for posting the temporary workaround (heat) to get these problem C-Media USB 2.0 audio chips recognized again.

I acquired a Schiit Modi 2 with this very problem that was waaayyy out of warranty. Not recognized until I heat up the C-Media chip a couple mins w/a hair dryer. Most certainly not a "solution" because every time you shut down the computer or DAC you've got to unscrew lid, apply heat, then Yay! DAC is recognized (again).

BTW this is not limited to Schiit DACs using these C-Media USB audio chips (e.g. CM6631A)... Other DACs using it can experience this problem, e.g. some Emotiva units - "I can tell you that failure of the C-Media chip is one of the more common faults we see in the DC-1. It doesn't go by batches or anything like that - that particular chip just seems to be more prone to failure than many other components."

Anyway, I've built several amps & headamps but never worked w/SMD. I could certainly order a new C-Media chip (~ $13 shipped?), buy a hot air re-work station (decent ones $50?) OR ChipQuick SMD1 removal kit ($16), plus a bevel solder tip ($12) and give it a go. And maybe I will if/when this $3 hack stops working...

For now I'm using this $3, possibly temporary but working for a while now, solution - a $3 shipped eBay Chinese "5.5*4CM 5V Carbon Fiber Heating Pad Hand Warmer USB" small USB heating pad. So far this had been "fixing" the problem for over a week now. I power the double-faced tape-attached heater pad for < 2 mins (through phone charger) and then bing! the Modi DAC is recognized, disconnect the USB warmer, and the DAC works for the whole day (until I shutdown).

Steps I used:
1 - Confirmed USB not recognized problem was the frigging C-Media USB audio chip... A hair dryer on low applied to it for a minute or two made it magically recognized.
2 - Ordered a USB heat pad like referenced above. Waited a couple weeks for it to arrive. Tested it by plugging into USB phone charger (not your PC/Mac), it got warm.
3 - Used strong double-faced tape, the type with a blue peel layer on the outside, to attach heat pad to frigging C-Media USB audio chip.
4 - Passed its wire out the back & was able to somewhat tighten the Modi 2 DAC's lid screws.
5 - For me, I power the heat pad for ~ 2 mins from an iPhone charger and voila! - the Modi is recognized & works well for the day.

Photos or it didn't happen:
the bugger:
View attachment 124033
the smallest USB warmer I could find... Is actually smaller than it looks here:
View attachment 124034
USB warmer attached, its USB wire out middle-back & screws tightened lightly:
View attachment 124035
Booted Mac not seeing DAC yet...
View attachment 124036
After 2 mins powering heater:
View attachment 124037
Unplug USB heater, DAC working well until next reboot.
Wild that a "fix" they use for diesel engines, block heaters, would have application for an IC

do you know where can I get the usb port? I wanna replace it cause it's loose and everytime I hit my desktop it disconnects

 

[arkelectron]

Hey guys, i'm following this thread also for a while; cause i'm having the exact same issue.. ( and get frustrated about it )

I discovered some new thing and pin-pointed where the issue is coming from. You can make the device work if you make contact with some little resistor, i think it's making mass or get's some minor 'pulse' or something when touching it (?).

It works everytime!

You can use your finger, or some random piece of thin metal ( other end of this metal has to touch nothing.. weird i know ).

Don't have the time or motivation right now to search for the exact partnumber and it's function on some blueprint or something. But it's better then nothing
---
Made some pictures, see below :

View attachment 68000

Hey everyone.

My Schiit Modi 2 stopped showing up in Windows USB today. I found this thread and touched up the cm6631a solder joints. That didn't fix the problem. So I broke out the scope and found that the 12MHz oscillator, X1, wasn't working properly. It starts, but doesn't oscillate continuously. I removed 1MOhm resistor and it didn't fix it. I removed C1 and C2, the 18pF capacitors, and it started working again. I replaced C1 and C2 with new 18pF capacitors and it is still working.

This is the oscillator, X1.

ATS120BSM-1 CTS-Frequency Controls | Crystals, Oscillators, Resonators | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. ATS120BSM-1 – 12 MHz ±30ppm Crystal 18pF 40 Ohms HC-49/US from CTS-Frequency Controls. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

This is the second Schiit product I've had fail. My Fulla 2 died a week out of warranty and they charged me almost the cost of a new one to repair it. I will never buy another Schiit product again.

 

[arkelectron]

Hey everyone.

My Schiit Modi 2 stopped showing up in Windows USB today. I found this thread and touched up the cm6631a solder joints. That didn't fix the problem. So I broke out the scope and found that the 12MHz oscillator, X1, wasn't working properly. It starts, but doesn't oscillate continuously. I removed 1MOhm resistor and it didn't fix it. I removed C1 and C2, the 18pF capacitors, and it started working again. I replaced C1 and C2 with new 18pF capacitors and it is still working.

This is the oscillator, X1.

ATS120BSM-1 CTS-Frequency Controls | Crystals, Oscillators, Resonators | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. ATS120BSM-1 – 12 MHz ±30ppm Crystal 18pF 40 Ohms HC-49/US from CTS-Frequency Controls. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

This is the second Schiit product I've had fail. My Fulla 2 died a week out of warranty and they charged me almost the cost of a new one to repair it. I will never buy another Schiit product again.

View attachment 159030

I spoke too soon... It didn't fix it permanently. Here is the output of the 12MHz oscillator.

Taking the caps off again it starts working. It preforms the best with different USB ports and cables without the capacitors. I probably need to replace the oscillator.

 

[Behr]

After 6 months of doing the hair dryer trick, I am sick of it, buying a Topping DX7 Pro and selling my schiit stack. This is obviously a manufacturing defect and should be warrantied for life. I understand components fail but based on the mixed results of people fixing and soldering parts and the dryer always working, I'm convinced it has something to do with the PCB or soldering. Signed up here just to share my experience on this...

 

[bravomail]

My Modi 3 and Magni 3 show no sign of degradation
Most electronics will fail within first month - within return window. The rest will fail within a year - covered under warranty. Unless there's some planned obsolescence in play - after that electronics will work for decades.
Planned obsolescence is very real. None of my $20-40 electric kettles live more than 1 year. They all have the same design flaw. In Toyota Camry ppl found some wiring in the door, which will fry itself within 10 years.
Here we see some defective oscillator. No sign of foul play.

 

[tugget]

Hi I just made an account to say thank you! I've had a Schiit Fulla 2 for a few years until I had the same problem as the OP. Heating the unit up over my stove did the trick, it has to get quite hot so be careful! Thanks you!

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

No reply from Schiit at all. Not even a "Sorry we can't help you".

 

[zajin]

Hi guys!
I have a stand-alone CM6331A USB to spdif board in my Buffalo DAC, and have the exact same issues described in this thread.
There is another strange thing with mine, and that is if I use the onboard USB connector it never works, best I have gotten is an "unrecognized USB device" thingie in Device Manager. But my board has 4 holes just behind the connector for soldering in a cable, and I have a small USB-extension cord soldered on there and with that one it works.. (if I do the hair dryer trick). Makes absolutely no sense since both the connector and the "holes" are on the same traces.

Anyway, did anyone ever find a permanent solution? I'm thinking there is a problem with the 3.3V supply to either the main chip or one of the other components possibly?

 

[Behr]

Hi guys!
I have a stand-alone CM6331A USB to spdif board in my Buffalo DAC, and have the exact same issues described in this thread.
There is another strange thing with mine, and that is if I use the onboard USB connector it never works, best I have gotten is an "unrecognized USB device" thingie in Device Manager. But my board has 4 holes just behind the connector for soldering in a cable, and I have a small USB-extension cord soldered on there and with that one it works.. (if I do the hair dryer trick). Makes absolutely no sense since both the connector and the "holes" are on the same traces.

Anyway, did anyone ever find a permanent solution? I'm thinking there is a problem with the 3.3V supply to either the main chip or one of the other components possibly?

Absolutely found an answer! I just bought a topping dx7pro...

 

[zajin]

Absolutely found an answer! I just bought a topping dx7pro...

Did the same thing, ordered a XMOS XU208 board to replace it with. Too bad there seems to be no easy permafix as it has been a nice little board up until now

 

[ioev]

My now 7 year old Modi 2 has been doing this for at least the last year, and I found that enough messing with it (changing usb ports, removing driver from device list, waiting...) has caused it to come back up, but today nothing seemed to be working. Tried the hairdryer on the open board and it detected in about 5 seconds.

I also had a first gen Fulla that I sold and replaced with the 2nd gen because it was doing this same sort of thing and I assumed it was software. Likely failed in the exact same way.

I was tempted to upgrade to a Modi 3 to see if it would fix some of the problems I was having but definitely not going to now...

 

[Davlumbaz]

I've made this account just to thank everyone here for their findings and suggestions! My Modi is now back alive and kicking! I went with placing a thermal heater directly under the faulty chip as someone else also suggested.

• I ordered a heating pad (5V, 20x25 mm) from AliExpress, this one to be exact https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000454364722.html
• Cut and placed a thermal pad on it. Probably anything will do, I used one that's 1.5mm thick with 3.6W/Mk heat conductivity. I could have used a thinner thermal pad (like 0.5mm) as both pads combined became a little too thick in the end, but it all worked out anyway.

• Soldered the heater's wires to a regular USB cable
• Placed the pad directly on the audio chip, used some kapton tape to keep it all in place (the additional pressure once I closed up also made sure it will stay in place)

• Routed the cable out from one of the screw holes at the bottom.

• Voila! When I need the Modi, I just connect it to a phone charger or a power bank and it gets recognized in less than 30 seconds. I should probably NOT forget to disconnect the USB once it's on, don't want to accidentally melt a hole through my desk lol.

Still disappointed that I needed to do all this in the first place, though I'm glad to have extended the life of my little stack of Schiit for some time.

Thanks again y'all! Hope the pictures help someone!

 

[JNOV]

Joined just to post on this.

Modi 3 had the same issue and the hair dryer worked. Thanks for doing God's work on the internet.

 

[shougang_wang]

My Modi DAC (1st generation) can not be recognized by windows 10.
No matter which USB port, it just can not show up again.
Found this thread and use the hair dryer heat trick. When I applied the heat for 10s of second, the windows started to recognize it and work for the rest of the use.
As long as I disconnect, it will not show up any more until the next heat up.
Would love to know the reason behind.
some thermal changed some settings.

 

[EL_PW]

CPU make may be an issue here. I have an AMD system that the Modi 2 works fine on but never could get it to be recognized on any Intel system that I tried. Even returned a new Intel laptop for that very reason. The Modi 3, however works great on both systems.

 

[Slavox]

I have just completed this repair on both a Schiit Modi and a Fulla both are working perfectly now.
I recorded the replacement of the CM6631a on the fulla in case it's helpful to anyone wanting to attempt this repair.

 

[EL_PW]

I have just completed this repair on both a Schiit Modi and a Fulla both are working perfectly now.
I recorded the replacement of the CM6631a on the fulla in case it's helpful to anyone wanting to attempt this repair.

Muchas Gracias mi Amigo!

 

[LilSilverBullet]

I join this forum to post this:

My 2-year old Modi 3 starts having disconnection issue. I tried swapping cables and tested with multiple computers both mac and pc and it made no difference.
I found this post and used hair dryer to heat the bottom of the unit for about 1 minute, plugged it in - immediately recognized by macos 12.x

I am pretty sure if I unplug it and let it cool down, it will disappear again.

 

[Tom C]

I join this forum to post this:

My 2-year old Modi 3 starts having disconnection issue. I tried swapping cables and tested with multiple computers both mac and pc and it made no difference.
I found this post and used hair dryer to heat the bottom of the unit for about 1 minute, plugged it in - immediately recognized by macos 12.x

I am pretty sure if I unplug it and let it cool down, it will disappear again.

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