Ethernet streaming and occasional white noise on Windows

[thumb5]

Yes - I am taking delivery tomorrow of a loan USB kindly facilitated by Absolute Sounds - but as my MacBook is 20ft from my Devialet I needed a USB that works beyond the normally specified maximum 15ft length which is, seemingly, a Transparent product.

Ian, assuming USB works -- and there's no reason to suppose it won't -- where would that leave you?   Would you then use USB permanently instead of AIR, or is it mainly an experiment to demonstrate that the problem is caused by AIR rather than something else?

[IanG-UK]

Yes - I am taking delivery tomorrow of a loan USB kindly facilitated by Absolute Sounds - but as my MacBook is 20ft from my Devialet I needed a USB that works beyond the normally specified maximum 15ft length which is, seemingly, a Transparent product.

Ian, assuming USB works -- and there's no reason to suppose it won't -- where would that leave you?   Would you then use USB permanently instead of AIR, or is it mainly an experiment to demonstrate that the problem is caused by AIR rather than something else?

Hi - well it is just to get me some music as my Macbook Pro is my sole source really - I had all my CDs ripped and packed them away along with my CD transport. 

But with Devialet perpetually saying that "the best cable is no cable" and that AIR is the best source possible, they have an obligation to fix AIR after what is at least 5 months now; and indeed one of the Devialet founders has given me a personal assurance that they will do it.

It will also be interesting to see what the Dialog unit delivers as I am told by Absolute Sounds (the UK importer) that AIR will be a feature of the new kit, with AIR essentially embedded within the Dialog rather than in the MacBook Pro (or whatever). All technically beyond me so I will wait and see ...

[canyelles]

I sympathise, I have had the same problem.

Just to clarify did you have this problem with OS X canyelles?

Guillaume

Yes, had problem with various versions of OS X and AIR. In my case I wouldn't describe it was white noise, more like dropouts and burbling. Still annoying though.

I was also extremely irritated by AIR's habit of changing the MAC volume at the same time as changing the volume on the Devialet.

Even if they fix the white noise issue, I probably won't go back to it.

[AlexS]

An update (of sorts): for me AIR-2.1.4-beta1 is NOT an improvement, at all. I do get white noise with it in the same scenarios. And the manifestations are exactly the same as before. I see no difference between this version and AIR-2.1.3. Devialet notified.

[Confused]

An interesting couple of weeks for me, I started getting one or two issues with AIR Ethernet. Some dropouts, stuttering, (stuff I have never relay had issues with) and yes, the occasional white noise. Then last weekend my Virgin Media "Super Hub" router packed up completely, so no internet, and no AIR. I plugged in an old router last Sunday, this was not compatible with the Virgin cable, but it did at least allow me to use AIR Ethernet, which ran fine, for Sunday at least. The replacement router has arrived now and is installed, I suspect my recent issues have been exacerbated by an emergent fault in the now defunct router. Time will tell as to how things perform with the new router. This is probably stating the utterly obvious, but it does illustrate how AIR is only one part of a system, a week or so ago I was thinking that I had new issues with AIR, but no, it was just my slightly rubbish Virgin router going on the blink. (or no longer blinking in fact) Having said that, maybe my recent white noise issues were nothing to do with the router and just random events. The issue clearly has not gone, and I still have no idea why AIR-2.1.4-beta1 falls over when my screen goes into power save mode. Possibly related to AlexS's issues posted above? Who knows, but for sure the robust fix we really need is still pending.

Also, last week I was in correspondence with Devialet, nothing to do with any new issues, I as just asking about the 4th, 5th and 6th Phantom invite codes I had been sent. In one message I asked about the AIR issues, there response; "Our engineers are doing their best in order to solve the AIR issue".

Well, maybe they are. Although this is pure speculation on my part, I rather suspect that their engineers are in a state of mild panic trying to finalise SPARK and Dialog issues, with fixing AIR demoted a few slots down the "to do list.

[DelaneyB]

The AIR issue on mac is VERY annoying.
It is better than USB, but drops out 'burbles' and crackles....
So its unusable.

[AlexS]

In one message I asked about the AIR issues, there response; "Our engineers are doing their best in order to solve the AIR issue".

Yes, they've been doing their best for almost a year now, but it turns out to be not good enough. Today's reply from Devialet to my latest incident report indicated that:
0) the beta version did not seem to have made things better
1) the data I provided were passed to senior (!) engineers (I guess that's promising)
2) the problem is very difficult to solve (we sort of know that already)
3) they are still collecting data from the customers (read - they have little clue about what's going on). 
To me, the fact that the white noise has so many different causes (for different users) indicates that AIR's implementation is flawed. It should probably be rewritten from scratch.

I would not suspect that the router has anything to do with that. Dropouts - perhaps, but not the white noise. I'm using Apple Airport Exterme (and that's the router Devialet recommends).

[pete86]

I've had the white noise issue even when going direct from my computer to the Devialet via ethernet (no router involved at all).

[IanG-UK]

Well, I have some interesting news on the white noise which has plagued me for months.

I run an Apple single source system ( = a nil source system for most of the last few months since I barely use it now knowing I will get perpetual heavy white noise after as little as 15 minutes) and it is essentially what Devialet use themselves and all line of sight. It could not be more compliant. And I can use either AIR wifi or AIR ethernet.

I've always used a couple of PS Audio PPPs as mains regenerators, positioned behind a dividing wall but in reality very close to my 800s.

Anyway, for reasons I won't bore you with, I've started using the kit without the PPPs.

Having tested this continuously over three days, I can report that the white noise is reduced by 80% - 90%. And once it starts (generally only on hi-res tracks) I can flip over to a 16/44.1 track and this generally clears the noise and within seconds I can return to 24/88.2 stuff on a noise free basis.

Whist the end result remains unacceptable, it is quite clearly substantially improved.

My technical knowledge here is minimal, but I venture to suggest that the "contribution" of the PPP comes from either significant SMPSs or high levels of RFI.

Indeed, when I reported this to Devialet they signalled that this would prove very useful information to their engineers which, on the one hand, is encouraging as it may speed up the delivery of a permanent solution but, on the other hand, is worrying in that this path had presumably not been explored by Devialet themselves. After all, without a PPP, Devialet can recreate this fault in their own offices.

Further testing and report later ...

[brit]

Well, I have some interesting news on the white noise which has plagued me for months.

I run an Apple single source system ( = a nil source system for most of the last few months since I barely use it now knowing I will get perpetual heavy white noise after as little as 15 minutes) and it is essentially what Devialet use themselves and all line of sight. It could not be more compliant. And I can use either AIR wifi or AIR ethernet.

I've always used a couple of PS Audio PPPs as mains regenerators, positioned behind a dividing wall but in reality very close to my 800s.

Anyway, for reasons I won't bore you with, I've started using the kit without the PPPs.

Having tested this continuously over three days, I can report that the white noise is reduced by 80% - 90%. And once it starts (generally only on hi-res tracks) I can flip over to a 16/44.1 track and this generally clears the noise and within seconds I can return to 24/88.2 stuff on a noise free basis.

Whist the end result remains unacceptable, it is quite clearly substantially improved.

My technical knowledge here is minimal, but I venture to suggest that the "contribution" of the PPP comes from either significant SMPSs or high levels of RFI.

Indeed, when I reported this to Devialet they signalled that this would prove very useful information to their engineers which, on the one hand, is encouraging as it may speed up the delivery of a permanent solution but, on the other hand, is worrying in that this path had presumably not been explored by Devialet themselves. After all, without a PPP, Devialet can recreate this fault in their own offices.

Further testing and report later ...

Hi Ian,

Very happy to hear that you may have identified a possible cause for your white noise issue. Interesting to see whether others, who suffer this problem, also have mains re-generators of any description.

Fingers crossed for a permanent solution to a very long running saga, which seems to be confusing Devialets own engineers.

David