I only heard it a few times when using i2S and even then, could not trace it to anything. I flashed the firmware and now can't say I've heard it again. And I do agree, it's preeeeetty conspicuous when it happens. Sounds like dust on vinyl, except you can go back to the point in the track where it occurred and it doesn't recur. And FWIW, I've only ever listened in NOS mode.
Well that's good to hear. I hope I come to that conclusion when my amp gets back and I resume listening, which should be soon. I was mostly using OS mode and getting the noise on BNC coax. When testing toslink I found it there too but BNC sounded better for me. I look forward to the day when I can use the i2S input. What i2S cable are you using and did you compare different ones?
Further thoughts on the Zen Streamer? Have you heard the BS Node? Interested to hear what you're hearing.
Didn't really compare any cables, no. I did use multiple different ones, in case that was the issue - a 1' length, 1m length, and a very short 4" one. No difference in occurrence of the sound. I didn't pick up on any differences in sound. Each cable was as high a spec as HDMI currently allows, but I didn't use anything "audiophile grade" or whatever. Frankly, all were relatively affordable options.
On my phone so hard to capture it all, but suffice to say, I really am enjoying it. More than I expected to. It's simplified my setup but also seems to have elevated it. I normally don't listen much during summer but I find myself eager to go back down and fire it up again tonight, so that's awesome. I actually listed all the old gear for sale last night, so I fully expect to keep it. I like that it can do many different things, and in my case, be a simple, quiet, low overhead NAA for HQ Player.
Tonight I've listened to a few things I just felt like I hadn't heard in a long time - some Aerosmith, GNR, and now I'm onto Tool - Fear Inoculum. If I had to sum up the difference I'm hearing from Zen Stream to my previous streamers (Pi4 USB, Pi2AES AES/EBU), it's a bit like moving from an MM cart to an MC cart with a really good SUT, on a turntable. There's just better detail, more lifelike transients. The rendering of space and time though - and I won't pretend to even understand why - but Chocolate Chip Trip is an incredible "demo" track to me. I also happen to dig it musically. But it's got so much going on. Layers with layers upon layers. It's got huge pans. It's got front to back movement. It's got a really punchy kick drum, and toms that truly "breathe." And on my honor, I've never heard it as enveloping and convincing as I just did through Zen Stream. I really don't get it - but I'm glad I tried this thing. Now granted, I am using it simply as an HQ Player NAA/Endpoint alongside Roon. It's not a setup many people use so this is all very much "your mileage may vary." But in my use case, I'm just kinda blown away how good it sounds. Edit - and I would be remiss if I didn't give Venus II credit here. It's ultimately responsible for "scaling" with these different streamer sources. And it's doing a marvelous job showing the differences, IMO.
Ordered a Pontus 2 yesterday. Will pair it with a Lumin U1 Mini. Switching a Mytek Brooklyn dac+ for the Pontus. This will be interesting.
A Lumin U1 Mini as I wrote in my post. Thats the source. Playing Qobuz and Tidal and local FLAC files.
Ok pardon. Does the Lumin as a streamer sound better than when you were using just the mytek? Don’t know if that is a streamer as well, or if you used a laptop into the mytek. basically what I’m getting at is if you could actually hear a difference between just the streamers. Thanks
The Mytek is also just a DAC. And yes, I think there is a huge difference using my Lumin streamer compared to just plug the dac into the laptop. Very much more cleaner sound, more organic, more 3d. A dedicated streamer can absolutely make a HUGE difference. Highly recommended!
Hmmmm.... I've not been aware of it happening on NOS mode at all, which is good, and in a way that's probably the most important thing, but it seems daft that the DAC is not operating properly in OS mode. I'm also a Mac person though my son has a PC laptop so updating firmware is a possibility, but surely since it's a brand new unit it will have the latest firmware? To be fair, I'm very pleased with it otherwise, but I need to get this sorted since it will bug me like it clearly bugged you. And I'm sure it must be a rarity as anyone who has listened to the DAC wouldn't miss the issue if it occurred, it's quite easy to hear and doesn't need golden ears or anything like that. I will try the OS mode again with the cd player on something mellow, like a Satie piano performance, which is the sort of music such an anomaly would be most obvious - it'd stick out like a sore thumb there. If it's still doing it, after three days of continuous power (and streaming - Radio Paradise - when not actively listening) it should be suitably warmed up and settled to discount temperature or whatever as a reason for the glitches. I'd really rather not have to swap boards or do firmware updates - in my mind, it should work perfectly without my having to do this sort of thing, and it definitely puts you in a sense of listening for the next glitch rather than the music - but if that's what's required then so be it. Or I'll press for a replacement unit, but that's a last resort.
I have done my critical 'listening for the glitch' test now; sad to say, it occurs with different sources and even with NOS (though perhaps less obviously?) I've contacted Alvin to see if he has any ideas. I'd hate to have to send it back, since otherwise it's exactly what I had hoped for. But a clicking DAC is not something I'm prepared to accept at this price, especially since the DAC it replaces has never, ever misbehaved in any way. I'll keep the thread updated, but I'm away for a couple of days so won't have a chance to listen or to post. Hopefully it won't require physical board swaps or even firmware updates, but I'm not ruling anything out including returning as defective if we can't work it out :/
clicking noise would definitely be very annoying. Sounds like it maybe isolated to the venus as I havent heard any on my pontus ii or other pontus or ares owners. Hopefully Alvin and sort it out for you!!
Hoping this is the case, as I'm a Mac user about to order an Ares to pair with my Bluesound Node and don't want to have worry about firmware updates and clicks and the like.
You mention you're a Mac user, do you have an Airport (extreme or express) anywhere on your network? I was have problems with intermittent clicking and after endless troubleshooting I finally narrowed it down to a defective Airport express (with 100% certainty). Just throwing it out there.
Not disputing you have a problem with the DAC, just offering you other possibilities I've personally dealt with. If you're using a UTP ethernet cable (unshielded) you can pick up cell phone / WiFi signals which sound like pops and clicks. I'm guessing you've tested without the ethernet cable, but if you haven't, see if you get the problem with WiFi. I've also had clicking problems with TOSLINK so ditch that too if you're using it
If that were so, not sure why I’d be experiencing the same issue when using my cd transport, though. Odds are that it’s a problem with the DAC IMHO…
I solved my clicking Marantz DAC issue by replacing the USB to USB connection with an HDMI to USB connection. Used one of those HDMI audio extractors between my MacBook and DAC.
The Marantz HD DAC1? What sort of clicking? I have the same DAc if that’s the one and I have zero clicking between my laptop and DAC. Legit question thanks
Ah yeah I remember that one. That does sound like a defect cause mine doesn’t do that at all. cheers man
yeah any clicking of any kind after switching cables and connection methods is likely a lemon or a design flaw of a particular model imo. hopefully it's just an issue with particular venus units.
