Digital Trauma.....!

[Breezy]

Hi,
I'm hoping there might be some Mac experts who might be able to help a technophobe in need of assistance!

Essentially I have no sound from my digital source. I run a late 2012 Mac Mini i7 with 16 GB RAM with Audirvana (latest version) feeding a Heed Obelisk Da with the 24/192 USB card. Anyway, out of nowhere I've got no sound output. The only thing that has changed is that I upgraded the Aurdirvana software, so logic would dictate that that is the prime suspect; but iTunes doesn't output sound via the DAC either, and both Audirvana and iTunes work fine through the internal Mac speakers. I've changed the USB cable without success and I've independently tested the DAC on another source (via USB) and it worked fine.

When it comes to Mac's I don't really have a clue past the basic stuff, but have checked all the sound output settings, including Audio Midi, and they are all set to output to the DAC and mute is off. Looking on t'interweb I've also reset the PRAM and SCM without success.

I'm now pretty much at the end of my tether, having exhausted every option I know about.

Anyone out there who is more technically minded or experienced on Mac's who can help?

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi Steve
I would try a set of headphones to see if audio is present at the mac mini. If audio is present then suggest using the prior version of Audivana to see if it restores audio. Also contact Audivana to see if their latest software has support for mac mini 17 - perhaps there is a update that applies specifically to the 17 model, or what is sometimes referred to as legacy support for earlier models that includes the 17.

[mikmas]

Just a long shot, but did you check the Audio Output settings in Audivarna Preferences after you updated? These are independent of the Mac settings so just might be the culprit. Also they 'take over' the Mac settings when Audivarna is running so nobble iTunes output.

Only other thing I can suggest is trying the optical output if you have a cable and your DAC accepts it.

(incidentally I have exact the same model Mac and can't remember problems last time I updated - which version of Audivarna are you running?)

[Breezy]

I've tried various combinations of the A+ volume controls, without success. The DAC has no volume controls. At the moment it's set on DAC or else software or such like. Other than USB there isn't much option as the DAC has input for SPDIF and Coaxial but not optical. I guess I'd have to use some kind of converter.
The annoying thing is that for the past few years it's all worked absolutely flawlessly. Visually on screen the track shows as playing as normal except for their being no sound. The only next step I can think of is to roll-back A+ to the previous version; but if A+ was the culprit then I can't think we iTunes would not output via the DAC either.
It's boggling my head to be honest! All ideas very gratefully accepted. Thankfully I have a vinyl source also, otherwise it'd be a very quiet Christmas!

[Audio Al]

I had the same sort of problem trying to run a dac , Turned out the first on I had was faulty
The second one worked and I could toggle between internal and Dac using the drop down menu top right hand side where the speaker icon is

[DGP]

I've tried various combinations of the A+ volume controls, without success. The DAC has no volume controls. At the moment it's set on DAC or else software or such like. Other than USB there isn't much option as the DAC has input for SPDIF and Coaxial but not optical. I guess I'd have to use some kind of converter.
The annoying thing is that for the past few years it's all worked absolutely flawlessly. Visually on screen the track shows as playing as normal except for their being no sound. The only next step I can think of is to roll-back A+ to the previous version; but if A+ was the culprit then I can't think we iTunes would not output via the DAC either.
It's boggling my head to be honest! All ideas very gratefully accepted. Thankfully I have a vinyl source also, otherwise it'd be a very quiet Christmas!

Don't know if you've solved this but the new version of Audirvana certainly selected a different audio source from the one I was using prior to the upgrade. You may need to reselect the source in the Audirvana Preferences > Audio System > Preferred Audio Device.

As an aside you may wish to try the new Sox setting with upsampling to the DAC - I'm getting wonderful results with my TEAC AI-301 from CD now in my office system.
DGP

[Breezy]

Sadly still unfixed

I did try the different settings in A+ without success. Although it seems logical, I really can't see how A+ would be the cause since iTunes in standalone mode fails to work either..... And both work fine through internal speakers. The DAC also seems fine as I took it to my local dealer and he ran it via a USB from a nas with perfect results.

Could it be some kind of USB issue I wonder?

It's all very odd.

[Lee Henley]

Open the midi settings on your mac it’s in the applications folder, make sure that your Dac is the device selected for sound output

[sq225917]

roll back Audivarna its fucked.


https://www.computeraudiophile.com/f...hread/?page=73

[Breezy]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm still without sound, however.

Latest is that I have completely removed Audirvana from the Mac and still nothing. All the sound settings in System Preferences and Audio Midi clearly show the DAC as being the selected output device. Having tested the DAC and tried different USB cables and also plugged the DAC into different ports on my pre-amp I'm beginning to wonder if it's a MAC hardware issue.

Only thing I haven't tried - yet - is a different cable from DAC to pre-amp.

I might give Apple Tech Support a try - not much to lose really!