Which AQ model? Another reasonably priced cable people have good results with are the Wireworld Violet 8 for better.
I’m not getting the picture of exactly how you connected the TT2 using the Apple A to C dongle. Or A to C adapter. I think of the dongles as being the Camera Cards or Lightning or C to audio out.
I run my MacBook Pro 14 into a Thunderbolt 3 dock and connect my Bifrost 2 to the dock. The dock happens to be the Wavelink “mini docking station” which I got because I haven’t seen reasonable Thunderbolt 4 ones out there.
Do you know if the Apple adapter was really a passive adapter, or if maybe it was limiting something?
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I think he is talking about one of these:
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Does adding a USB hub into the chain have any potential drawbacks? I’m specifically wondering if it adds another clock between the DAC and the computer’s internal USB clock.
I have a MacBook Pro I use as an audio source and I need more USB ports. I could add either a Thunderbolt USB hub or a USB 2.0 hub.
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I use a Thunderbolt 3 USB hub with my MacBook Pro 14. The critter has only those USB 3 ports and I’ve got way too much to attach. The BiFrost2 seems happier with the Thunderbolt 3 hub that it was when it was plugged directly into the Mini I had previously. I don’t know if it adds another clock, but I’ve noticed no degradation of sound. I’m certain that if I opined that the clock is probably way fast compared to audio frequencies that I’ll be taken to task by someone with actual knowledge. I was too cheap to buy a Thunderbolt 4 hub, and besides, the selection of those is poor.
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Fwiw when I used an rme dac awhile back I had my macbook plugged into a caldigit ts3+ dock then via usb to the rme. I forget the exact reason but I tried straight out of the macbook to the rme using an AQ adapter. The difference was pretty obvious. Less noise and harshness overall. But that was my situation and it prompted me to always plug in directly as much as possible. Not sure about it adding an entirely different clock though. I would guess it depends on the dock or hub (if it’s passive or active).
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I would agree and suggest plugging in the dac directly and use the hub for everything else.
Problem is I have 3 DACs, 1 accessory, and only 2 direct USB ports. I’ve just been switching the DACs by swapping which cable was plugged in but was hoping to be able to just have them all connected and switch in software. 
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I use my (various) DACs and interfaces connected to a powered hub. I have actually found in the past that a powered hub can also eliminate noise from noisy USB ports.
As always, YMMV.
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It seems like there should be a 1-to-3 switch selector but I wasn’t able to find one.
Hubs are not too expensive so you could give it a try. Wish I had something more useful for you.
I returned a Dell Thunderbolt Dock (WD19TB) once. Issues with this dock were very obvious and I was very greedy about, i.e., powering and running everything else (USB) through the dock so my XPS 17 would only have a single USB-C cable connected to it. I was shooting for the moon convenience-wise.
Anyway, I had to become less greedy and bought this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084BZL3JF?th=1
When I want to listen to my Liquid Platinum I have two DACs up and running in Windows with no issues whatsoever. Still have a port left in the hub which I’ve been carefully planning on what it is going to be used next.
Good luck.
True Isolators do ‘reclock’ the usb signal out of necessity, but as Torq mentioned in one of the first few posts this does not alter the audio clock/timing. USB DACs use their own clock to determine when to convert the next sample and the only benefit to a USB ‘reclocker’ is that it might allow you to use a longer connection as they are effectively active repeaters.
The benefit of an isolator is to break ground loops and reduce noise (Devices like the intona 7055-C for example are about as clean a USB output as you can possibly get), the reclocking isn’t actually a practical benefit and is just a necessary part of the design.
It’s worth noting though that using a galvanic isolator also means you’re running ungrounded which can be problematic in some setups.
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I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on a situation that I am experiencing and that I can’t really find a logical explanation for…
I am going to refrain from mentioning the actual unit (yet) as I also reached out to them to see if they have any opinions.
So, I have a DAC/Amp combo that has very noticeable power output differences depending on the USB cable used.
I have tried 15 different USB cables and with 13 of them, the output of the device is ridiculously low, as in I can max out the volume pot without it reaching my usual listening levels.
With the other 2 USB cables, the output is much higher, reaching my usual listening levels around 1 o’clock on the dial, but I can still max out the dial without it becoming painful (although it is uncomfortable).
I know that this device is very powerful and that others cannot make it above 11 o’clock without it becoming painful.
The DAC output is also lower than all of my other DACs, with the same thing happening with the same cables (2 cables are louder than the other 13).
I have tried multiple sources, such as various PC’s, androids, ropieeexl and DAPs, all with the same results with the same cables. All of the cables are also tested as working correctly with other devices.
Any tips on testing and fault finding I may do to a) find out why and b) prove I’m not crazy?
Check the connectors for shape and alignment – hypothetically this problem may follow from a slightly too deep socket, out-of-place connector pins, or a bent socket. One can sometimes hear “a little output” when there’s basically an air gap between the jack and socket. It has happened with both my electric guitars and some headphone amps. I was able to solve the problem with one guitar by removing and reseating the socket so the jack went in further. With the amps I’ve pulled the jacks out a couple millimeters until they hit the right spot.
USB sockets are much smaller than 1/4" and they have tighter tolerances. I’ve run into situations where early mini/micro USB devices wouldn’t even function with a 3rd party cable. This was common with digital cameras 10 years ago – they made some ultra tiny connectors back then. Even my Amazon Kindle of that era worked with only a handful of USB cables.
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That is indeed a strange problem. Digital volume is not conveyed by the amplitude (magnitude) of the electrical signal but by the numerical value of the sample.
“Weak” connections are not really possible with digital connections. It would be like loading a picture from a flash drive where the image is intact but very dark. Digital failures just don’t manifest in that way.
Probably Torq is the person with the deepest knowledge of these things.
It will be interesting to see what the manufacturer has to say.
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I’ve never experienced this. Here are some random questions…
What type of USB connector are you using, e.g. A to B, micro-USB, USB-C?
Are any of them “audiophile” cables or are they all generic computer cables? Do you know who made the 2 cables that are louder?
Does the DAC/Amp get power from the USB cable?
I am using USB A to B.
None of them are “audiophile” cables, however, it just so happens that the two cables that somehow cause a louder signal are cables that came with Topping DACs.
No, it has an IEC input with internal PSU.
Neither have I, nor can I think of a logical explanation.
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My theory, FWIW: the DAC/amp has a flawed/damaged USB socket that causes some electrical issue (partial short?) on its circuit board with most of the USB cables in the collection, but not with the two Topping cables. I’ve experienced really weird USB issues with various devices (mainly phones) caused by incipient electrical failures, where some cables work OK but others not so well. Eventually the device’s USB socket fails completely. The main common thread in those problems is that the device fell/was yanked with a cable in the socket, and the resulting forces damaged the internal connections between the USB socket and other circuitry.
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The most obvious cause would be that there was a challenge with power delivery. In some instances a USB port with poor power delivery can bottleneck a USB powered DAC/Amp.
However given as you mentioned it has an internal PSU that would seem unlikely.
Given as the output is not outright distorted/crackly etc that would imply that data integrity isn’t an issue. And so it’s either a driver/communication quirk, or a short.
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It could be that the USB port is damaged in some way, shorting the device and causing it to behave in the manner you’re experiencing. Unlikely and I’d be surprised if this was the case but still possible.
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It could be a software communication quirk. Would you be able to say what source device you’re using?
Sometimes the host device OS can actually limit the volume of a device for various reasons. In the EU and Japan for example there are restrictions on how loud certain devices are allowed to play.
A notable example of this is the Apple Dongle, where on devices in the EU it will play much much quieter than if you plug it into a device in the US. Even though the hardware is the same, and you can actually bypass this restriction using a direct-communication option like USB Audio Player Pro on android.
It could simply be that your OS is imposing this restriction, but only with certain cables. I know that there can be some finnicky stuff with USB depending on whether you’re using an ‘OTG’ cable or not. But in theory that shouldn’t be applicable to USB B
Are you able to try the DAC with the same cables on a different source device?
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