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Airport Express "local clock" issue?

I have an Airport Express going optical into my Marantz HT receiver, and sometimes I lose the first half-second or so of the beginning of a song. I believe it is related to the "local clock" issue, outlined in this article in Stereophile.

My question is, what DAC would not have a problem dealing with this? Maybe a Cambridge DacMagic, or Musical Fidelity V-DAC? Or does it have to be something higher up the food chain, like the Benchmark DAC-1.

Cheers,
Mark
markhyams
gherrera1
88 posts
 
Personally, I use a Benchmark DAC1 and I'm pretty happy with it. It doesn't have the local clock issue and plays the AE perfectly. That's actually the way I listen to music most of the time.
vinkim
28 posts
 
This is late, but try this download from Apple:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL973

I found this in the mac users forum for problems relating to pauses, skips, fadeouts relating to using the optical out from the AE to a DAC using Airfoil. I have not tried it yet, but have downloaded and ran the program.

Vinny
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Several questions:
Does the upgrade for the AE help its clocking?
What is Airfoil?
I just use whatever my Imac comes with to talk to the AE. When trying this, I don't know if you'd call it a dropout or not, but the music would get very 'glassy' and harsh. just for a few seconds, and not regularly. My DAC was losing lock, according to what I could find out.

Is the upgrade for me? The idea of all my CDs on confuser, wireless to stereo and a decent DAC is too good to give up!
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Magfan - Airfoil is to send sound from any application (or system) to AE. Without it AE only works with Itunes. AE worked with "Front Row" with previous OS but Apple disabled it in Leopard. A lot of people wrote to them about it but they are unresponsive and Snow Leopard has the same problem.

During gap between songs Airport Express stops sending data and DAC goes to "mute" (since there is no valid signal). My Benchmark DAC1 is fast enough to come back but some other DACs extend mute to second of two of the next song. Your DAC might provide substitute clock. Play with "crossfade songs" in Itunes to remove gap.
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Kij,
Thanks for answer....and more info to be stuck in my 'buffer'.
Problem with my system is NOT the 'gap' between tunes. Stereo will simply produce a glassy, nearly fingernails on chalkboard screechy sound at random thruout play.
1. happens on ALAC or MP3 at any bitrate
2. AE plugged into CA840c to be used in DAC mode.
3. Error correction at burn to confuser does NOT effect outcome.
4. Using earbuds on AE is perfect. At least for my crumby earbuds!
5. Error does not repeat at same place when replaying tune. Always at a different spot.

CA sent me the software UPGRADE which they claim (can't remember) fixes or mitigates the problem... I'm chicken since I have to connect the player to a computer, using a null-modem serial cable. Dealer? They want to CHARGE me for this 'service'.
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