I am opening this thread with the sole purpose of reaching a solution to this without clogging the main thread for this device https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/smsl-su-8-version-2-balanced-dac.5433/
So far to me it seems that it is a problem with how the device works with Windows sound drivers.
Since several members on the original SMSL SU-8 thread claim they DO NOT have pops and clicks and I have no reason to not trust them, I start with the presumption that there must be a certain configuration where the problem is solved.
Here’s what I tried so far without success:
- No windows intervention, just native win sound drivers - the device is seen by both Windows and Roon and can play music, but it clicks between tracks when format changes.
- XMOS driver installation from the manufacturer page http://www.smsl-audio.com/download.asp
The SU-8 driver is on the second page, 4th from top. However for me this didn’t even install - installation stopped in the middle and it left the driver hanging somehow because after windows restarts it did not even see the DAC at all.
There is an XMOS driver on the first page, also 4th from top and this seems to be the same thing as the one marked as being the SU-8 driver but a newer version. I was able to install this, the DAC is now seen by both Windows and Roon and Roon sees two versions, an ASIO and a WASAPI one.
So with these drivers installed, when using the ASIO drivers in Roon the DAC produces the same clicks and pops when format change. When using WASAPI in Roon it will simply not play anything that is not red book.
NOw, many members in the original thread suggested that WASAPI must be set to exclusive mode and then the clicks will disappear.
I can say two things about this - Roon has this application exclusive mode enabled by default, and it reports it as such in the signal path, so in Roon the device has exclusive access to the WASAPI driver if I understand this correctly. I’m not sure if this is the exclusive mode required though, because there’s another setting for WASAPI exclusive mode under windows sound settings/device properties/advanced and there is a checkbox saying ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’
Presumably when this box is UNCHECKED the WASAPI exclusive mode is activated.
The problem is once this is activated ROON will not play ANYTHING. It will just skip through the tracks for a while and then it stops with the announcement ‘Too many playback errors’
So all solutions proposed and tried so far not only fail to solve the problem but actually make it worse.
To test the hypothesis that this is a windows problem I fed the SMSL DAC from a Raspberry Pi streamer using Ropieee and indeed the clicks disappear!
For analog out I am using XLR into powered speakers/sub (ADAM T10s/T5V). I am not able to test RCA out as I don’t have long enough cables.
I also tried optical out from my PC but I must be doing something wrong there as windows/Roon doesn’t even see the device...
I might have misunderstood things, or used the wrong drivers or miss something important and here is where I am asking help from the members of this forum.
Thank you,
Dan
So far to me it seems that it is a problem with how the device works with Windows sound drivers.
Since several members on the original SMSL SU-8 thread claim they DO NOT have pops and clicks and I have no reason to not trust them, I start with the presumption that there must be a certain configuration where the problem is solved.
Here’s what I tried so far without success:
- No windows intervention, just native win sound drivers - the device is seen by both Windows and Roon and can play music, but it clicks between tracks when format changes.
- XMOS driver installation from the manufacturer page http://www.smsl-audio.com/download.asp
The SU-8 driver is on the second page, 4th from top. However for me this didn’t even install - installation stopped in the middle and it left the driver hanging somehow because after windows restarts it did not even see the DAC at all.
There is an XMOS driver on the first page, also 4th from top and this seems to be the same thing as the one marked as being the SU-8 driver but a newer version. I was able to install this, the DAC is now seen by both Windows and Roon and Roon sees two versions, an ASIO and a WASAPI one.
So with these drivers installed, when using the ASIO drivers in Roon the DAC produces the same clicks and pops when format change. When using WASAPI in Roon it will simply not play anything that is not red book.
NOw, many members in the original thread suggested that WASAPI must be set to exclusive mode and then the clicks will disappear.
I can say two things about this - Roon has this application exclusive mode enabled by default, and it reports it as such in the signal path, so in Roon the device has exclusive access to the WASAPI driver if I understand this correctly. I’m not sure if this is the exclusive mode required though, because there’s another setting for WASAPI exclusive mode under windows sound settings/device properties/advanced and there is a checkbox saying ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’
Presumably when this box is UNCHECKED the WASAPI exclusive mode is activated.
The problem is once this is activated ROON will not play ANYTHING. It will just skip through the tracks for a while and then it stops with the announcement ‘Too many playback errors’
So all solutions proposed and tried so far not only fail to solve the problem but actually make it worse.
To test the hypothesis that this is a windows problem I fed the SMSL DAC from a Raspberry Pi streamer using Ropieee and indeed the clicks disappear!
For analog out I am using XLR into powered speakers/sub (ADAM T10s/T5V). I am not able to test RCA out as I don’t have long enough cables.
I also tried optical out from my PC but I must be doing something wrong there as windows/Roon doesn’t even see the device...
I might have misunderstood things, or used the wrong drivers or miss something important and here is where I am asking help from the members of this forum.
Thank you,
Dan
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