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Baffled and Frustrated: Streaming/DAC Sound Issues

Hoping to find some guidance here regarding a significant noise issue. Running Quboz through Roon. Relevant Gear is an Auralic Aries G2.1 > Morrow USB cable >Aavik D280 DAC > Wywires Platinum RCA >Anthem STR.  

Previously had some issues with the Aries but that’s hammered out and sounding great.  Now, when running many songs through the DAC, I’m hearing terrible “crunching” distortion.  There’s very little consistency in the problem (loud Pink Floyd sounds great, loud Motley Crue sounds like garbage) except most hard rock/metal, which i started putting on per Morrow Audio’s recommendation for burning in their USB cable, is always terrible.  Volume is irrelevant, I’m getting the noise at sub-30db. The 4 DAC settings: upsampling/ non upsampling/fast/slow don’t change anything. USB cable isn’t likely the problem, it sounds great from streamer to amp without the DAC.   I’m running out of settings to change around.  Anyone have an educated guess or experience with either the output settings from the Aries or D280 setup that can provide any guidance?  Dealer wasn’t very helpful.

 

Thanks much,

Peter

128x128brewerslaw

Showing 1 response by zgas-music

zgas-music
80 posts
 

My streaming system is Tidal thru Roon to an Anthem STR. I’ve found there are some files Tidal sends across (and Qobuz before) that just sound bad; often when the file label says it’s been remastered. Never a problem with the 1700 CDs I imported locally to stream thru Roon. 

 

Maybe you’re just getting mangled content sometimes?  Do the same tracks always sound bad?  Or do they sound good one day and bad then next?

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