Help With Identifying A Problem

ZLS · « **on:** 3 May 2011, 09:18 am »

Here is my situation. I have a Mac Mini with an outboard HD running through an outboard Dac. I am using Pure Music, but the problem occurs with Itunes as well. This is what happens, everything plays fine for about four minutes, and then the volume cuts out. Silence for about 45 seconds and then the volume comes back on. The song has continued to play, because when the volume comes back on it does not come back on at the same place. This is something new that just started happening. Any suggestions? Any solutions? I should add that it is not the preamp or amp, because I run my flat screen through my system and there is no problem with the sound cutting out.
Help, Please.

kenreau · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 May 2011, 04:18 pm »

Hhhmmmm...? I would start trouble shooting by;
1) delete/uninstall iTunes and then reinstall iTunes, re-establish it to your outboard music HD library.
2) delete and reinstall PM
3) go into mac system preferences, then hardware, then select sound and re-establish the audio output to your dac (your dac should pop up as a choice sim. to built in speakers) is selected. If your dac name does not show up, maybe you need to add/download custom drivers for it. Defeat the built-in mac mini internal speakers.

Reboot the mac mini and start up everything and see what happens.

Kenreau

jparkhur · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 May 2011, 04:55 pm »

Also go to system preferences , rather the utilities and update-disk utilities-update disk preferences or check. Also, may want to do disk utilities from the DVD and not the hard drive.

low.pfile · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 May 2011, 05:41 pm »

Quote from: ZLS on 3 May 2011, 09:18 am

Here is my situation. I have a Mac Mini with an outboard HD running through an outboard Dac. .........I should add that it is not the preamp or amp, because I run my flat screen through my system and there is no problem with the sound cutting out.

Is the DAC in the output chain to the flat screen tv? is it HDMI?
If you connect any headphone/earbud to the the mac mini 3.5mm jack output, that should help you narrow it down to the issue occurring IN the mini (HW or SW) instead of the other components downstream. just remember to check your volume before listening through the headphones.

Crimson · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 May 2011, 05:49 pm »

I concur, Dr. pfile. Make sure it's the Mini via it's other outputs if possible.

JRace · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 May 2011, 06:08 pm »

Quote from: ZLS on 3 May 2011, 09:18 am

I should add that it is not the preamp or amp, because I run my flat screen through my system and there is no problem with the sound cutting out.
Help, Please.

You have not fully diagnoised the issue, and your pre-amp may indeed be the issue.
What you have discovered is that the mac-dac-pre is the problem, just not which component.
Which pre-amp are you using?

skunark · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 May 2011, 07:40 pm »

Have you done any upgrades to the Mac mini? RAM? Both DAC and HDD using USB?

jrebman · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 May 2011, 03:19 pm »

Zack,

Are you by chance using PureMusic? Try turning off hybrid memory play and make sure preallocate is checked, and see if that does anything -- assuming you have 4 gb or more of memory in the mini.

-- Jim