Clipping Problems :(

[BoredErica]

Okie,

 

I have a problem. When I use my O2/Odac and turn Foobar and Windows volume up to 100%, I get pretty cereal clipping. It's not the amp not being powerful enough. I know this because if I turn down either the Windows volume or the Foobar volume (basically digital volume) to like 85% instead of 100%, the clipping goes away. However, I can easily make the music louder than it was at 100% digital volume by turning the amp knob clockwise a little more. Even if I turn the amp volume knob down a lot, as long as the digital volume is set at 100%, I get clipping.

 

Setup:

Rokit 6 g2 -> ground loop isolator -> Sescom a/b switch -> O2/Odac

HD800 -> Sescom a/b switch -> O2/Odac

 

In addition, if I use my onboard, this problem goes away. Well, I couldn't exactly plug the speakers in and play it at 100% digital volume. That might damage my ears. I went to Audacity and tried to decrease the volume of the track uniformly by 10dB. At 100% digital volume (of course, now I don't have an amp knob), the clipping is gone.

 

The clipping occurs for every single track but is worse in some tracks than others. I'm also not sure if it's my mind playing mind-tricks on me but I kindda feel like sound quality is degraded in a way that isn't just clipping.

 

I have tried moving the O2/Odac to a different USB port, and I've tried reconnecting all the connections.

 

This occurred today. I went to sleep, woke up, and this problem started happening. I've never had this problem before. Oh, and it might be relevant, you never know: I had Razer Surround installed. I uninstalled it and ran CCleaner and that didn't help. Changing the output to 24bit or 16bit didn't change anything. The clipping is present on both the headphones and the speakers. I have tried using VLC or WMP instead of Foobar and there is no change.

 

On top of this, this problem doesn't seem to occur with Youtube... I play the same song at the same part, and I don't hear any clipping. (Youtube volume set to 100% of course.)

[xtroria]

Uh, I believe if you're using a DAC, windows shouldn't be able to control your volume through volume control

[Guest]

Uh, I believe if you're using a DAC, windows shouldn't be able to control your volume through volume control

 

Sure it can.

 

Probably OS/software issue if it just started happening one day.

 

What playback device do you have set in Foobar? Is the ODAC configured at max quality? Any other DSP enabled, like EQ? Can you test the ODAC on another computer?

[xtroria]

Sure it can.

 

Probably OS/software issue if it just started happening one day.

 

What playback device do you have set in Foobar? Is the ODAC configured at max quality? Any other DSP enabled, like EQ? Can you test the ODAC on another computer?

 

IDK, my iBasso D-zero which is a plug and play dismisses windows volume control. It happens both on my PC and notebook. But yeah, I believe it's mostly software issues

[Guest]

IDK, my iBasso D-zero which is a plug and play dismisses windows volume control. It happens both on my PC and notebook. But yeah, I believe it's mostly software issues

 

Most DACs will response to windows volume. Your case seems to be a strange exception.

[BoredErica]

 

Sure it can.

 

Probably OS/software issue if it just started happening one day.

 

What playback device do you have set in Foobar? Is the ODAC configured at max quality? Any other DSP enabled, like EQ? Can you test the ODAC on another computer?

Ok, I believe my odac/o2 vs onboard clipping test is invalid. I went back and played a track I decreased the volume of by 10dB on the O2/odac instead of my onboard, and the clipping is gone. This means it's still possible clipping at max digital volume will happen on my onboard.

 

The device selected for WMP/VLC/Foobar are all Odac.

 

As far as I know all EQ have been turned off and has been off for months. To my knowledge I have not fiddled with my audio settings in the past few days. I don't use any sort of global EQ. No "enhancements" from Windows like bass boost. It's on 24bit 96khz right now, but changing it to anything else doesn't change the clipping.

 

I just touched the 'configure' button under sound devices, where it says "choose your configuration", and the test sound clips.  :rolleyes:

 

I will try to test this on another computer... well, I have a netbook with a busted OS which I can hopefully fix and test. I don't wanna borrow my brother's laptop unless I have to. I don't understand why Youtube has no audio problems while the rest of my computer does. I wonder if it's just Youtube or any music from the internet...

 

EDIT:
Just tried internet radio. If there's clipping, it is waaaaaay less obvious than playing files off of my computer.

[Guest]

 

 

 

Ok, I believe my odac/o2 vs onboard clipping test is invalid. I went back and played a track I decreased the volume of by 10dB on the O2/odac instead of my onboard, and the clipping is gone. This means it's still possible clipping at max digital volume will happen on my onboard.

 

The device selected for WMP/VLC/Foobar are all Odac.

 

As far as I know all EQ have been turned off and has been off for months. To my knowledge I have not fiddled with my audio settings in the past few days. I don't use any sort of global EQ. No "enhancements" from Windows like bass boost. It's on 24bit 96khz right now, but changing it to anything else doesn't change the clipping.

 

I just touched the 'configure' button under sound devices, where it says "choose your configuration", and the test sound clips.  :rolleyes:

 

I will try to test this on another computer... well, I have a netbook with a busted OS which I can hopefully fix and test. I don't wanna borrow my brother's laptop unless I have to.

 

 

Unfortunately I don't have any other suggestions if the separate computer test comes up clean; I don't spend a lot of time picking through the dark corners of Windows.

 

Interestingly, JDSLabs suggests leaving the windows volume below 100% slightly. So if this hadn't come up suddenly I'd say it was normal.

[BoredErica]

Unfortunately I don't have any other suggestions if the separate computer test comes up clean; I don't spend a lot of time picking through the dark corners of Windows.

 

Interestingly, JDSLabs suggests leaving the windows volume below 100% slightly. So if this hadn't come up suddenly I'd say it was normal.

Just tested it on another computer.

 

Plot twist:

The clipping still occurs on the other computer with the Objective. Same issue, and same remedy (moving digital volume down to like 75% rids the sound of clipping).

 

 

EDIT:

Extra plot twist:

You know what? I'm starting to think that... 100% digital volume is a lie and it's actually doing 130% digital volume. I don't recall my music being this damned loud on my normal listening settings.

 

...But that sounds like a software problem, and yet this problem occurs on the other computer...

[Guest]

Just tested it on another computer.

 

Plot twist:

The clipping still occurs on the other computer with the Objective. Same issue, and same remedy (moving digital volume down to like 75% rids the sound of clipping).

 

 

EDIT:

Extra plot twist:

You know what? I'm starting to think that... 100% digital volume is a lie and it's actually doing 130% digital volume. I don't recall my music being this damned loud on my normal listening settings.

 

What headphones and high or low gain?

[BoredErica]

What headphones and high or low gain?

OH MY GOD

 

Why is my O2 gain switch toggled LOL... 

 

I bet it's my brother that did it. Or one of his cats.   This explains why the music is louder than I am used to and the clipping all in one...

 

 

RIPerinos

Problem solved,

TYVM

 

/Thread

[Guest]

OH MY GOD

 

Why is my O2 gain switch toggled LOL... 

 

I bet it's my brother that did it. Or one of his cats.   This explains why the music is louder than I am used to and the clipping all in one...

 

RIPerinos

Problem solved,

TYVM

 

/Thread

 

It's the simple things that always get you.