[django11]

 Last week I installed an Audioengine D1 DAC in my little kitchen setup.  This is a replacement unit ( the first one died) and the darn things are finicky.  I ended up installing it with the optical cable from a Win7 computer.  The USB cable only provides power ( icould not get it to work with just the USB cable).   In "playback devices"  if I choose the DAC it is very temperamental:  on starting up the computer and amp I have to push the power button on the DAC on and off repeatedly until I get any sound.  My spouse uses this to listen to the radio during the day and sometimes it drops out and refuses to start.  So yesterday in the "plaback devices" I disabled the Audioengine DAC and enabled "Realtek digital output" and this seems to work flawlessly.  So my question is: is the DAC  still doing the decoding?  I assume it is but I am a bit disconcerted by this.  In my other system I have an HRT Streamer II and that is what is enabled in "Playback devices" and it works perfectly ( it is USB only no optical option).

[srb]

So my question is: is the DAC  still doing the decoding?  I assume it is but I am a bit disconcerted by this.

Yes.  You will only see a DAC listed as a sound playback device when connected by USB and will only choose it as the playback device when using USB for sound, otherwise you will choose the computer internal soundcard's digital output that is sending the optical or coaxial S/PDIF signal to the DAC.

Not sure why you're having problems with it when used with the computer's USB output, but maybe a setting or driver selection will help.  What music player software are you using?

Steve

[django11]

Thanks for clearing that up.  I use JRiver media and Itunes.  I know the AE DAC does not like USB cords longer than 1 1/2 or 2 feet and did not work at all with one 8 feet long.  My computer downstairs tells me that it doesn't have the drivers installed when I tried to connect it there.  The computer upstairs is hit and miss with the USB cord but works fine with the optical connection.  The first unit I had died after very light use.  It is probably not necessary to say that I am not a fan of Audioengine...although when working it sounds much better than the Super pro 707  it replaced...

[srb]

You could try a few different driver selections in J. River Media Center.

You should be taking advantage of the ability to use one of the internal Windows Mixer bypassing driver modes rather than the default Direct Sound or Wave Out.

If you're already using one of these preferred drivers, see if one of the other ones might solve the problem.  Go to Tools > Options > Audio > Output mode and try WASAPI, WASAPI - Event Style, ASIO or Kernel Streaming.

Steve

[django11]

I am aware of those options,  thanks for your help!