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Airport Express clicking sound

I'm hearing a clicking or popping noise when using my Airport Express. It only happens on very "pure" sounds, like a high trumpet or a high soprano. Perhaps it is occurring other times but I can't hear it then.

I'm going from iTunes on a laptop to the Airport Express, digital out to a DacMagic. I know it's not the DAC, as I burned the same files to CD and played it through a CD player hooked up optically to the DacMagic, and no problems. I also tested the same files going directly from an iPod Touch to the Airport Express.

The only other thing it could be is the router, but I don't have a second router to test with. Any ideas of what's going on?
markhyams
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Your DAC may be clipping.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
markhyams OP
28 posts
 
Steve,

Thanks for the input. How can the DAC be clipping if when it is fed the same signal from the CD player, it doesn't clip? It only "clips" when the signal is coming from the Airport Express.

Mark
jdoris
972 posts
 
Very curious to hear more about a clipping DAC, Steve. I'm getting "skipping" (interrupted signal, different places in songs on different plays) while using my Perfect Wave DAC since upgrading to the MK II board (only with computer as transport, not CDP).

I updated the system, version of iTunes and added memory on MACbook, but problem persists.

Any suggestions appreciated.

John
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Jdoris - skipping is usually caused by the playback software and hardware. The latency is too large for it to keep-up. This can be caused by network congestion if you are using the bridge, or by competing applications on the computer, or slower front-side-bus and small DRAM size with USB.

Which interface are you using on the PWD?

Clipping is usually indicated by ticks on only the louder passages and transients.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
I had dropouts from time to time on Airport Express digital outs but it stopped after I installed stronger 802.11 transmitter (USB adapter) setting it to transmit on 2.4GHz and 5GHz simultaneously (AE listens on both by default). I don't know if AE receives anything on 5GHz (my router is only 2.4GHz) or is it better transmitter (MacMini has just short piece of wire for antenna inside), but dropouts are completely gone. MacMini's internal Wi-Fi transmitter (Airport) is disabled (won't work with two networks). Dropouts were just gaps lasting 1-2 seconds and not clicks. AE has about 2-3 second buffer judging by amount of time it plays after shutting down transmitter.
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