[sunnydaze]

I'm below the bottom of the learning curve when it comes to modern digital and computer audio.  I still use a cdp for goodness sakes!   

I have owned an EE Minimax plus DAC and a laptop for years.  Just too lazy to educate myself and climb the curve.  Seems like too much work.....the acronyms and multiple options boggle my brain....so I continue to spin vinyl and cd's.

Ready to dip my toe now.  Promise not to laugh at this very simple situation.....

If I connect my ASUS laptop (Windows 10) to my EE DAC via USB cable, why is there no output through my system when I try to play something on Amazon Prime Music?   (Music plays on the laptop speaker.) The "signal" light on the DAC lights up indicating signal received.  I checked all connections.  All other sources play.  And when I run my SB Touch into the same DAC via coax it plays fine.

Please keep your replies gentle and simple and clear...I did say I'm in negative curve territory.  I know very little about modern digital and computer technology.

Thanks in advance.

[JakeJ]

Hi Sully,

How ya doin' man?  Let me take a stab at it.

I think all you need to do is tell Windows which device to output to (USB) since the DAC has a handshake.

Open " Sound" in the Control Panel.  You should get this:


In your view there should be a USB device listed to choose.  Yours is like selected to something else.  In my example it is set to optical as that was what I needed for the DAC a was using.  Set it to default so it always uses that device.

Mine has no USB option because there is no audio device connected to a USB port.

If you are still having issues check Device Manager and look at the USB hardware group to make sure Windows is seeing the DAC

Try that and let us know what you get.

Jake

[sunnydaze]

Hi Jake....

Thanks for the reply.

I connected laptop to DAC (via USB) and opened "sound".  It looks identical to your screenshot, but it only shows the first option:  Realtek High Definition Audio

Device Manager shows my DAC under "other devices".  But it says "drivers not installed".   So I click on "find and install driver" and it returns with "drivers not found".

Where do I go from here?  TBH I don't even know what a driver is.  Is it a program I need to download from a website?

PS:  so you know how computer illiterate I am I had trouble doing the above 2 steps!     

[bacobits1]

 Hi John,
http://www.eeaudio.com/eeaudio_012.htm

This is Eastern Electric's last driver page. Look for "Driver Download"  "Windows 7 driver" middle page.
Down load it and install it. Restart computer and go to the "Sound " in control panel as above and look for the EE MiniMax listing it should be there, choose it.
May have to unplug and re- plug the usb cable to recognize it. If not restart machine and make sure it's selected in the same sound control panel USB plugged in with the EE MiniMAX DAC on.

Not easy to explain this stuff. But try the above fix.
Even though it says Win 7 Driver that should work,Win 10 does not always choose or find the correct driver.

[sunnydaze]

Thanks Den....

Downloaded as per your instructions.  But when I open the new page on bottom left of my screen (exe file?), it says compressed files.  So I Extracted all.

Now all I have is a bunch of new files on my hard drive.

What next?   How do I "install" drivers?   

Any time I've installed an app previously I open the new page just downloaded (exe file?) and then click on where it says to install......restart the computer.....and done!

How do I see that install page?

[WGH]

Double click on the "Setup64.exe" in the files you extracted

I would first unplug the USB to the DAC
then run the setup64 file
then plug in the USB

don't worry, you won't break anything if you forget to unplug

[sunnydaze]

Double click on the "Setup64.exe"

Thanks so much!   Now I know why I've resisted this shit for so long!   Frustrating to feel so dumb. 

There is also a file there called "setup32.exe" that is also described as "driver package installer" when I put my cursor on it.  Should I double click that one as well?

[bacobits1]

No Win 10 is 64 bit use that one.

[WGH]

There is also a file there called "setup32.exe" that is also described as "driver package installer" when I put my cursor on it.  Should I double click that one as well?

No, no, no don't touch that thing.
Setup32 is for old versions of Windows 7, a legacy driver that nobody uses.

[sunnydaze]

Yay!!   Music!!   

You guys are the best, thanks!     

Stay tuned for more dumb questions as I slowly enter the modern age.   

[bacobits1]

Congrats ya did it, superb! 

[JakeJ]

Thanks guys!  I got side tracked today but as always the team comes through.

Now you just need to get a Tidal subscription.  Have fun.

[sunnydaze]

Thanks guys!  I got side tracked today but as always the team comes through.

Now you just need to get a Tidal subscription.  Have fun.

That's the 2nd toe in the water, Jake!     

I'm actually looking into the Bluesound Node 2i.  Don't need super high-end digital -- still spin LPs a lot -- just something reasonable cost for streaming that's decent sounding and easy to use for this computer audio neophyte.

If it wets my whistle for better, I can always upgrade later as I learn.  I'm sure it will satisfy me for awhile.

[bacobits1]

I use a Node 2i here with Qobuz. Will never use Tidal that's me. They all have a free trial period.
I don't use the Node's internal DAC.
Oh,  wires and power cable makes a difference.Wires are worth more than the Node 2i.

Last thing is the Node Bluesound  software has a bit of a  leaning curve.

[Stu Pitt]

That's the 2nd toe in the water, Jake!     

I'm actually looking into the Bluesound Node 2i.  Don't need super high-end digital -- still spin LPs a lot -- just something reasonable cost for streaming that's decent sounding and easy to use for this computer audio neophyte.

If it wets my whistle for better, I can always upgrade later as I learn.  I'm sure it will satisfy me for awhile.

Definitely get the Node IMO. It makes life so much easier after you get through the initial setup. Regardless of if you’re using a subscription service or playing music you have stored on a hard drive. Untethering your computer from your stereo and controlling it with a smartphone or tablet is very liberating

[sunnydaze]

Last thing is the Node Bluesound  software has a bit of a  leaning curve.

Got you to help me, Den!   

[Craig B]

I use a Node 2i, too, for several sources: streaming Qobuz and Tidal; playing hi-res downloaded files on my iMac music server; and as an AirPlay streamer for my iTunes library. I have to use AirPlay for those instead of pulling the files over the network because my iTunes library is on an external HD, and the BlueOS only finds and recognizes internal server storage, or so they tell me when I ask them about it. But that's OK - even though AirPlay is limited to standard redbook, that's all I have in my iTunes library anyway.

And in my case, I utilize the Node's DAC, outputting to my preamp via analog, since that's required to fully unfold MQA. I know there's a lot of heated discussion about MQA, and it has its proponents and its naysayers. On my system, in my room, to my ears, it's almost always indistinguishable from Qobuz hi-res files, and since there's a fair bit of music that's unique to each of the two services, I keep subscriptions to both. I may cancel one or the other in the future, but for now I'm having fun exploring both.

But regardless, the Node 2i is an incredible little piece of hardware, and punches way, *way* above its price in terms of capabilities and sound quality. There's a pretty rave review by Paul Seydor in the latest Absolute Sound that gets into some detail about its trickle-down tech from the high-dollar NAD stuff. I want to say it's in issue 308, but I could be wrong. I don't have it at hand. I know it's the latest Editor's Choice issue.

[sunnydaze]

Appreciate all the input.   

[StackAudio]

I'm below the bottom of the learning curve when it comes to modern digital and computer audio.  I still use a cdp for goodness sakes!   

I have owned an EE Minimax plus DAC and a laptop for years.  Just too lazy to educate myself and climb the curve.  Seems like too much work.....the acronyms and multiple options boggle my brain....so I continue to spin vinyl and cd's.

Ready to dip my toe now.  Promise not to laugh at this very simple situation.....

If I connect my ASUS laptop (Windows 10) to my EE DAC via USB cable, why is there no output through my system when I try to play something on Amazon Prime Music?   (Music plays on the laptop speaker.) The "signal" light on the DAC lights up indicating signal received.  I checked all connections.  All other sources play.  And when I run my SB Touch into the same DAC via coax it plays fine.

Please keep your replies gentle and simple and clear...I did say I'm in negative curve territory.  I know very little about modern digital and computer technology.

Thanks in advance.

There is no such thing as a stupid question, sunnydaze!

A little tardy for the party on this one but glad to see that you are up and running, always nice to see people (new & old) dabbling into digital audio.

Happy listening!!

[sunnydaze]

Just picked up a new Bluesound Node 2i and a used Border Patrol DAC SE,  so I'm sure I'll be back with some basic questions.   

Stay tuned.