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Thread: Bushmaster MK2 problem

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Surrey, UK

    Posts: 432
    I'm Phil.

    Default Bushmaster MK2 problem

    Hi all,

    Recently i sold my Bushmaster MK2 on ebay and the buyer wants to return it. Her reasons are as follows...

    Today only I was able to carefully check the DAC bought from you. Unfortunately, it is not working properly. When connected to my desktop via optical cable, it plays well but sometimes it just cuts off the sound for a split of a second. Or sounds like there is no good connection on the headphone socket or sound is like buffering after releasing pause or in the middle of the song. Touching cable or the plug does not make any changes to the sound. When I have sound paused sometimes I hear scratchy noises like poor connection somewhere. Anyway, I thought it may be something with an optical cable or computer itself. So I tried this unit with coaxial cable on the TV. And is still the same. It is really very random issue. My old dac/amp plays with no issues either with desktop or a TV. Therefore I would like to send it back for a refund.

    She said in a later message that the SPDIF inputs were working fine so i'm assuming it is just the coaxial that is the problem. I only ever used the SPDIF inputs so was completely unaware of this issue. Does anyone know what might be causing it and if there is likely to be an easy fix?

    Thanks
    Phil

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2018

    Location: Bucks

    Posts: 71
    I'm Alex.

    Default Same issue here with BM mk1

    I am actually trying to debug the same issue with my BM MK1, Venom & Serum mods, SWF1.

    It was running fine till yesterday, when I noticed that the Win 10 optical audio output driver was running at 44Khz. So I changed it to 192Khz, plus unsuccessfully tried to play test sounds with DTS, Dolby Digital and WMA Pro Audio modes. And this is where all problems started.

    So here are my main symptoms:
    • No problems with Chromecast optical feed to my BM mk1, it sounds great (44.1Khz?)
    • No problems with my PC playing through the Lindy 1039-CA optical to analog converter (32, 44.1 and 48.0Khz)
    • Same PC, same optical cable connected to BM MK1 randomly stutters and stops for a few seconds. It also occasionally makes scratchy noises. It happens at all sampling frequencies from 44.1 to 192Khz

    Extra details - if I switch off all LEDs (no LEDsas long as an active optical input is detected), the optical input lights start to flicker in sync with stuttering and scratchy noise. Another interesting observation is that it the stuttering/noise are always there when a new Spotify track starts. I suspect my BM to lose and reacquire sync with the optical signal, but I can't figure out why this doesn't happen with Chromecast or why Spotify pauses between tracks trigger this issues and why Lindy DAC plays everything I throw at it nicely.

    Another mystery is that BM started to misbehave at the very moment I touched the windows driver. Somehow setting it back to 44.1 Khz doesn't help. Perhaps testing DTS/Dolby driver modes at 192khz (it did make some scary clicking noises while playing test sounds) somehow fried something around clock acquisition logic and it looses the sync with optical feed of my PC.

    I'm not sure what to do next. HW resetting the BM doesn't help, changing optical cable didn't change a thing either.

    Any ideas?
    Last edited by alexk0il; 29-03-2018 at 14:45.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Feb 2018

    Location: Bucks

    Posts: 71
    I'm Alex.

    Default An update

    Looks like I had multiple issues at the same time - both HW and SW.

    SW issues - solved:
    Turned out that I had the "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" option turned on for the optical audio output. Multiple apps tried to reconfigure the driver to different modes as a result. Looks like Spotify was always trying to pull the 24/192, while Win 10 and Realtek HD Audio Manager tried to set something else.

    I uninstalled all sound apps, HD Audio Manager, all Audio drivers and let my windows to reisntall the default audio driver. Now my BM mk1 is rock solid with sampling rates from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz.

    I recommend your buyer to check if she has any audio problems with 24/44.1 kHz and increase the sampling rate till she starts to have issues.


    HW issues - still there:
    192kHz still stutters and makes static noises.

    I set my PC to 24 bits/192 kHz and move optical cable between the the Lindy converter and my BM MK1 while playing the same track. Lindy plays it without any problems, BM is next to useless. The optical cable is quite wobbly with BM and quite stable in the Lindy. Repositioning the cable in BM however doesn't make any significant different. Looks like it is also not going to help your customer as she complained about the same problem with Coax S/PDIF inputs, right?

    My guess, there is something finicky with the 192 kHz sampling in my BM, may be in yours too. A better optical cable could help, do you know what cable your customer is uses?

    Cheers
    Alex
    Last edited by alexk0il; 29-03-2018 at 23:21.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Surrey, UK

    Posts: 432
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    Thanks Alex, since I went back to the buyer with news from Stan that the unit was not at fault I have had complete silence from her, but I have passed on your advice in the hope that it will work for her. If nothing else it will show eBay that I have been making efforts to sort the issue. I have now sent her 5 messages without a response while my PayPal account remains locked! I think my days using eBay to sell are over, everything is just too weighted in favour of the buyer.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2018

    Location: Bucks

    Posts: 71
    I'm Alex.

    Default

    How is it going?

    I also had a chat with Stan and supporting higher samples rates turned out to be a grey area. There are no strict requirements/regulations on jitter over s/pdif, hence vendors are free to implement their designs in any way they want. A particular DAC may support high sampling rates with a particular combination of a Source and a Cable, yet another DAC may not work with the same combination. Unfortunately for you, ebay doesn't care about this and will rule against you as your equipment will be perceived to be defective.

    If you need more help with diagnosing Windows issues with audio drivers, please do feel free to contact me, but you can't fix fixing issues with a bad source neither you can't blame the source, as far as ebay concerned.

    Ebay protection is a hit and miss, I did have a couple of unfair rulings in favor of bad sellers in the past, but ebay is usually good for protecting the buyer. I personally would do my best to avoid getting a bad feedback as a seller, so I accept all returns that are filled as "not-working". I prefer to lose the shipping fees and get a positive feedback, than to go through ebay escalation, lose the same money and to get a negative feedback on top of it.


    Cheers
    Alex

  6. #6
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Surrey, UK

    Posts: 432
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    Thanks Alex. The buyer is trying out the suggestions and has said they will let me know how they get on in the next couple of days. As you say there is little to be gained from arguing about it. If she can’t get it working to her satisfaction then I will accept the return and either keep it or sell it on here or PFM.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: Bristol, England

    Posts: 28
    I'm Pike.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MarginWalker View Post
    Thanks Alex, since I went back to the buyer with news from Stan that the unit was not at fault I have had complete silence from her, but I have passed on your advice in the hope that it will work for her. If nothing else it will show eBay that I have been making efforts to sort the issue. I have now sent her 5 messages without a response while my PayPal account remains locked! I think my days using eBay to sell are over, everything is just too weighted in favour of the buyer.
    Hi. Sorry to hear you are having problems with eBay. You are right. Completely and utterly in favour of the buyer. Sold set of speakers. Buyer changed their mind claiming they weren't original so naturally I refused the return as utter nonsense. They opened a case. My PayPal was frozen. EBay said had to accept return. Returned maliciously damaged and eBay not interested. Subsequently, don't sell much On there now.
    Good luck mate.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: England

    Posts: 290
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MarginWalker View Post
    ...She said in a later message that the SPDIF inputs were working fine so i'm assuming it is just the coaxial that is the problem. I only ever used the SPDIF inputs so was completely unaware of this issue....
    Just me being pedantic but both Coaxial and Toslink (Optical) carry SPDIF.
    SPDIF is the type of Signal, not the type of Connection.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S/PDIF

    Jim.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Surrey, UK

    Posts: 432
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    Every day’s a school day!

  10. #10
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: Surrey, UK

    Posts: 432
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    Thanks for the advice Alex! The return on eBay has been closed so looks like your advice did the trick. Much appreciated!

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