Topping E50 light "crackle" sound on Linux (Pop OS 22.04/Ubuntu 22.04) with Pipewire and Wireplumber

[rentaclaus]

Another thing I found was a list of "Bad" USB controllers (https://uadforum.com/community/index.php?threads/apollo-solo-usb-pops-crackling-in-playback.51593/):

AMD
ASMedia
Etron
Fresco Logic
Nvidia
Texas Instruments

Quite a lot, so that would leave Intel and Via?

I have AMD and ASMedia on my motherboard and I have no crackle, noises or hum with my S.M.S.L D6 via USB.

Your power-supply is okay ?

USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 (and higher) use different drivers ... so different behaviour/sensivity with crackle and noise is possible.

One more thing ;-) you could try is:

execute 'alsa-info --output usb.txt' in a terminal. In the generated usb.txt you will find more informations than you might want to have .... Maybe you also send it to the alsa developers.

 

[rentaclaus]

Could you test with Corsair Commander Pro completly removed ?

looks a bit like you tried to build a "egg-laying wool-milk-sow" ...

BTW. I disabled all light-and-thunder-effects in my bios and I prefer fans and coolers from https://noctua.at .

 

[CodeError]

Again thanks for the reply!

Think i'll collect some data and try and contact the ALSA team.
I wonder if getting another DAC to play with gets me any different result (your SMSL D6 seems like an option then)
After extensive "googeling" on this subject matter it seems that there are alot of variables (including the kernel version) that can play a factor in this.
I've removed the commander (and disabled Conky) and crackle was a lot less, yet still there (on the 2.0 controller almost gone, the 3.0 controller was less but still more than the 2.0 controller)

This system is a mixed bag that's for sure not my most sensible system it's more a server than a workstation so I don't think the designers @Gigabyte even tested this for audio output.
Ah yes all of the 19 fans (watercooled, 3 radiators push pull fans) are from Noctua.
I've also detached the 3090 video card and that made no difference in crackle (there is a ASPEED AST2500 on the motherboard with a video chip, according to the motherboard schema that management chip is attached through PCIe 4.0 and USB)

PSU should be ok, it's a Corsair AX1600i

I've attached the Creative AE-5 SPDIF out to my E50 DAC now and the sound is quite nice, not really how I expected it to work (I hoped for an Plug&Play USB dac)

 

[rentaclaus]

PSU should be ok, it's a Corsair AX1600i

I forgot... you only use excellent quality.

Corsair AX1600i im Test - mit Galliumnitrid-Transistoren an die Spitze? - Hardwareluxx

Test des Corsair AX1600i, dem neuen Netzteil-Flaggschiff mit Titanium-Effizienz, Corsair Link Interface und einer beeindruckenden Performance

www.hardwareluxx.de

Corsair AX1600i im Test: Titanium-Power-Haus für Enthusiasten

Corsair hat einen echten Wattboliden konstruiert, der mit 1.600 Watt Nennleistung auf den 12-Volt-Schienen eindeutig für große Projekte vorgesehen ist. Damit aber nicht genug, denn der kalifornische Hersteller bewirbt den eigenen Spannungswandler als das "beste Netzteil der Welt". PC Games...

www.pcgameshardware.de

according to these tests (sorry only in german) noise from the PSU should be neclectable.

On the other side your experience shows, that adding best available quality results not automatically in best available quality overall.
I would "bite myself in the ass" if this would happen to me.

Maybe thats the price for using "exotica" (means less users, less experience, less feedback and therefore more issues).

I'm running out of ideas, so I wish "good luck", maybe the alsa developers detect the culprit.

 

[CodeError]

Thanks for your insights! it did help, and I think you are right about my less than ideal selection of parts to build something that it was never designed for in the first place.
If there is something new that could (maybe) help others, ill report back

 

[rentaclaus]

Maybe the newest kernel has a fix, you should give it a try.

https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/ChangeLog-6.1.19

"AMD has issued an advisory indicating that having fTPM enabled in
BIOS can cause "stuttering" in the OS. This issue has been fixed
in newer versions of the fTPM firmware, but it's up to system
designers to decide whether to distribute it."