Innuos Zen Mini Mk II with an Ayre Codex

M. Vitorino questioned as to which USB hub I had tried and recommended a D-Link DHUB-H4. Based on this I went back to Best Buy and exchanged the USB3.0 Travel Hub for a 4 port USB2.0 hub with 5V external power supply. This has now been going for 2 hours! Problem solved for 20 bucks. Not sure why this works.

Congrats. USB sucks. It is far from a standard interface! Glad that Nuno sorted the problem, though. He takes clients very seriously.
I am sure you are now enjoying the music!

One additional suggestion if I may: insert an Intona Isolator behind the hub, I think you will be surprised.

@antigrunge2 I have continued to successfully use a USB hub, but didn't forget your suggestion and found a used Intona Isolator to try between my Innuos Zen mk II and the Ayre Codex. Unfortunately it does not work at all and I cannot get a lock with any cables on hand. (Surprisingly it did provide an improvement when used from the Zen directly into a M2Tech Hiface with a BNC cable into my old Theta Gen Va.) I have no idea of the difference in galvanic isolation it provides compared to the USB hub.

@oldears ,

Did you insert it after the hub? It’s normally pretty transparent for connection purposes. However, USB is by nature trial and error. Glad you got the original problem solved