Is this a reasonable Audiophile Mac-based Server?

S789f, have you checked if iTunes - which I suppose you use - is set up to download album pictures automatically? I had occasionally drop outs, but when I unchecked this option in the preferences, they disappeared.

i have had that unchecked and just unchecked everything automatic.

still happening!

S789f, I guess there might be a problem with the Bel Canto then - do you know anyone in the area with other USB DACs that you could try out. Would a Benchmark have similar problems?

I would test your DAC with another software and PC than iTunes and your mac mini. There are many programs that play music....surely you can find something and just test to see if you get drop outs...in which case it would lead one to suspect the DAC.

Is there anything else that might be hogging the USB bus...do you have a dongle and wireless mouse or something plugged into USB (printer/scanner)that might cause latency in the USB port?

S789F ... I had the EXACT same problem last month with the exact same set up. It was a digital locking issue with the Bel Canto. My solution is below ... I also went to Radio Shack and found a shorter USB cable with gold plated connectors. I don't know if that helped, but everything works perfectly now with no drop-outs.

"I think that it is a digital lock problem as the first decimal point in the display lights up just before I get a drop-out or pop. Hold on, I am going to try something ...

... I think I have found the problem. I connected my USB cable directly to the Mac Mini, instead of going through the USB Hub, and the drop-outs have almost completely disappeared. I am now using a 20ft USB cable ... I'll try a shorter one and see if that removes the remaining pops.

I guess the Benchmark has better digital locking as it was able to lock on with my old set up without issue. Anyway, this looks like it is going to solve the problem ... now to spend a couple of days doing an A/B comparison between the two ..."