I recently bought the xDuoo TA-10 and I really like it, it has what I require:
amp/dac
balanced output
usb input
digital display of volume level
But… my ears are too sensitive for the cracking such a tube amp makes everytime a new source (or just a new YouTube clip) is selected. So I need to change for a solid state amp/dac, but I can’t find any with the requirements listed above.
Any suggestions?
Thx!
That crackling isn’t the tube, I think it’s the dac switching on and off. This can happen in windows sometimes if there are driver issues. Does it only happen when you start playing audio?
Mainly yes - a new audio/video makes it crack.
Does it stop after it starts playing?
yes it does stop after it starts playing
Do you have the driver for the ta-10 installed?
Yes, I got the driver from the xDuoo web site and it installed without any issues.
So can you open your sound and recording devices in windows and go to the device and right click on properties. To get to the panel in the newest windows 1903 update you gave to go to the control panel and then search sound
I have opened the proporties for the device
Set your sample rate to 24bit 96000 Hz for now in the advanced tab, and make sure you disable any sound enhancements and spatial sound. Also if you have any nvidia display devices that you aren’t using, make sure to right click and disable those as well. Then apply
Something else to consider is that make sure to turn on the ta-10 and make sure it is already connected to the computer before you start the computer, as this can sometimes fix that issue as well
It still clicks.
I read some where, that I should turn on the computer first and THEN the TA-10 and shutting down with the TA-10 first.
When I test it, it clearly clicks.
Have you tried turning on the unit first and then turning on the computer? That usually fixes that issue for me, as it happens with most dacs
I was just testing to see if you had some strange sample rate incompatibility which can also happen. There are many things that can cause an issue like this
Not yet. Hang on, I will try that and be back in 5 min.
It is the same with the clicking, but now in the control panel, it says the driver is not available
If you unplug and replug does it pick up the driver?
I just switch the usb port to see if that could help and now it found the driver, but the clicking is the same
Yeah that clicking noise is the dac muting or changing sample rate or bit depth, and that’s why you hear it on the start of audio playback. Could you try plugging the ta-10 into a different outlet of the computer if it’s not a laptop running on battery power? Could be dc offset voltage
Also was your unit plugged in when you installed the driver?
Still the same.
well… I guess so, I can’t remember but I am going to reinstall it.
Keep the unit unplugged until you finish the driver installation and reboot the device, then plug it in and turn on the ta-10.
Also uninstall the ta-10 through device manager before uninstalling the driver
It doesn’t click anymore when starting an audio/video playback…