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DIGITAL POPS WITH HDMI CABLE IN DDC TO DACS CONNECTION

Hello everyone.

I need your help. My setup is as follows: Lumin U1 Mini - USB - DDC Gustard U26 - I2S G to SMSL SU-X and I2S to Holo Cyan 2. I bought the U26 a couple of days ago and haven't been able to find an I2S cable, so I'm using a generic Chinese 8K/UHD HDMI cable, one meter long, while I wait for the Ricable I2S cables (SUPREME HDMI 2.0b MKII, 0.5 meters). I've already checked the connection compatibility and I think it's fine (IIS-G: Fixed Gustard standard protocol, IIS/SMSL SU-X Normal, and IIS: Gustard Mode 4, IIS/Holo Cyan 2). The problem is that the digital pops at the beginning of each track when there's a change in bitrate or format from PCM to DSD are unbearable. My question is: is this a result of using a cheap HDMI cable and will it be resolved with the Ricable I2S, or will it not be resolved...?
I look forward to your response.
Regards.

tutonunez
lanx0003
1,926 posts
 

Before concluding the dac is the fault, try bypassing ddC to see if the pops continues. The pop / static noise I was experiencing is not due to sample rate changing. When I connect streamer to dac directly the issue is gone. Also, when I used much cheaper ddC (smsl po100 pro) there is no issue with either DAC. I return u18 since. I maybe talk about completely different issue even the symptom is similar. 
 

btw I have not heard any reviewer reporting popping issue with SU-X due to sample rate changing. The issue was with lower end smsl dac. 

tutonunez OP
19 posts
 
audphile1 I’ve always used Lumin’s native software because it sounds better than Roon, and I’d rather put up with the pops than lose sound quality. Unfortunately, Lumin doesn’t have that resync delay feature.
Today I unplugged the 20-inch HDMI cable from my Roku: the pops are still there, and the sound was terrible.I went back to the Chinese HDMI cable.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,846 posts
 

Some dacs are more sensitive. But if the pop is not too bad just ignore it. 

whart's avatar
whart
3,369 posts
 

I encountered this with DSD files using a DDC to output i2s into the DAC. Switching  to the DOP setting on the file transport eliminated the "pops".

rrboogie
69 posts
 

I had the same clicking and popping issue with the Gustard U26 outputting i2S to a Musician Pegasus II DAC. I have had a Denafrips Gaia and a Laiv uDDC and never had this issue. Although the U26 sounded great I returned it within the 30 day return window. 

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