New firmware 1.42.168007 out. No more dropouts here so far (after three hours of listening…)
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Thanks! Is this confirmed?
Unfortunately, I still get stutters with CCA when streaming from Android (Qobuz) at 24/96 and 24/192; with latest firmware 1.42.172094
@Mycoft_Holmes: are you sure your problems (in Android) have been cured?
I experienced one dropout on a new 96/24 album purchased from HD Tracks. I didn’t listen to all of the album, only about 20 minutes worth, but that’s much better than it was before. I’ll keep listening when I can.
Quick follow up…still having the dropouts. I’d love to know what Google did to this thing to make it malfunction.
On the latest firmware, 1.42.172094, over the course of several hours I got just two dropouts. That is much better than before when I would get a drop out almost every track. One of the dropouts was quite extended, more like a wifi drop out, so I don’t even think it was chromecast. The other one was a short “hiccup”, very like the chromecast dropouts I got on previous firmwares. This was with a mixture of a local library and Qobuz streaming. I am using a Windows 10 laptop, not android.
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I was playing an album and went quite a bit without them, but then the final 3 minute track had 2.
Sorry, bouncing in without reviewing thread properly, but I’ve just been testing some old DACs with optical out from CCA over the last few weeks. No sure what release CCA whenI started but it is obviously auto-updating and on the Preview program and currently 1.42.172094. I was running sample tracks @ 44.1/16, 44.1/24, 48/24, 88.2/24 and 96/24. Did also run a 192/24 which ROON resamples to 96/24 for CCAs.
With an Arcam rLink DAC I only had problems @ 88.2kHz with pops and crackles. No problems when linking from a RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ running DietPi Roon bridge in place of CCA. Equally no apparent problems when running CCA straight to my Cyrus 6DAC or via a Beresford TC-7510 DAC.
Just been trying a Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100. Nothing coming through at all @ 88.2kHz, judging by LEDs couldn’t get a sync lock. Nearly managed to sync lock @ 96kHz but not quite so again no playback. Still apparently fine with CCA straight to my Cyrus 6DAC or via Beresford TC-7510 DAC.
This sort of implies that @ 88.2kHZ and 96kHz there was so much garbage/jitter/clock errors coming out of the CCA that some DACs could resolve but others couldn’t. Question is how accurate are the Cyrus and Beresford streams that result. Are they recovering the stream as sent ? Sounds OK but difficult to be certain. Shame can’t sync CCA and ROONBridge devices in ROON to allow bob on side by side listening (but do understand why not with differing implementations.
Oh yeah, DacMagic 100 was also perfectly happy with feeds from RapsberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ streamer.
Hmmm … Just ran some more tests, primarily to check 2 things. The CCA is on a UGreen Ethernet adaptor so wanted to try on wifi to see if that made any difference, and aslo thought I’d try an iFi Power 5v supply on the CCA. Both comparing results between DacMagic 100 and direct in to Cyrus 6DAC.
24/96 is now there on both but scratchy using the DacMagic 100 with either the UGreen attached CCA or a wifi attached CCA when using Chrome power supply. Still no sync at all at 88.2/24 on DacMagic 100 but Cyrus 6DAC fine on both sample rates.
Putting iFi 5v power on the CCA certainly didn’t improve things. Initially was worse but after tweaking connections returned to same as Chrome power supply.
DacMagic 100 still fine if using Raspberry Pi/HifiBerry Digi+ streamer.
The tweaking connections result was a bit worrying. Primary difference between driving from CCA vs streamer is use of 3.5mm mini TOSLINK to full TOSLINK cable vs full TOSLINK to full TOSLINK cable. I did try switching 3.5 to TOSLINK cables during 1st test session with no difference resulting. I draw no definite conclusions at the moment but could the 3.5mm socket on the CCA be a contributing factor ? I never had any problems using Apple Airport Express A1264’s using mini TOSLINK to full TOSLINK, but then AirPlay didn’t go over 48kHz.
I made the experience that pulling the mini Toslink plug slightly out of the CCA socket helped make playback more stable. Sometimes I had to pull it out more, sometimes less.
Curious if you experience the same
Interesting … Having just had some dropouts with ROON resampling 24/96 to 24/48 on the one of the CCAs I was using to test before, I eased the mini Toslink out a tad and that cured it. Took off the resampling in ROON and now playing beautifully at 24/96.
I’m currently using a cheap Fisual Pro Install cable as I am not convinced about high cost cable especially on optical, but then the Fisual is by far cheapest I’ve ever used on anything. I wonder if the issue is with the cable or the socket ? What cables are people who’ve had the same tweak experience using ? I have suspected the Fisual Pro Installs to be slightly weak at locking in at the full toslink end as well compared to say QED Performance cables I use on full toslink -> full toslink.
The mechanical connector on the CCA is about as lo-fi as you get with optical. Really doesn’t support optical alignment very well. Your cable is probably fine.
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I’ve had same experience, connector on CCA is just plain bad and most of the mini-toslink connectors I tried was too loose.
I have a few of these in the drawer and thought I would give them a try again. I am happy to say an hour into 88/24 music I have not noticed a single dropout.
I’ll try some 96/24 content tomorrow and see if I have the same luck.
Just to complete the above trial…
96/24 content worked perfectly. If you have one of these and put it away because of the stutter problem, it is worth trying again. I have tried them off and on for the last year and this is the first time I didn’t have trouble with the stutter/dropout. I have made no change to my system or the CCA’s setup.
Hi there -
After different attempts, I found something that seems to work! I changed the old ethernet cable that I was using with the router (modem to router, and router to the internet adapter for CCA). As part of an overall upgrade, I have also upgraded the cables to CAT-8. Et voila’ … so far so good. Before I was using some old CAT-5 cables.
It kind of make sense: 96/24 files might need quite a bit of bandwith that CAT-5 cable may not be able to provide.
Interested to know if you guys will experience the same improvement.
Best, Andy
Cat 5 cables have no trouble pushing 24/96 or higher files. My guess is just a flaky cable. Since higher cables can introduce issues, I always stick to Cat 5e or 6a UTP cables.
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I tried a CCA with a Fisual Optical/Mini Jack cable. Absolute rubbish. Drop outs constantly in Roon & more so on Spotify connect. Randomly would play & then not. Disconnect & re-connect.
The CCA has been moved to our conservatory on an old Pure DAB radio with a cheap 3.5mm jack I found. Still as bad as ever.
The CCA was the product that could have been great but never was. If they remastered it so it actually worked like a streamer, in a Pro version at £120/$160, it would fly off the shelves, even with average sound quality.
I’ve moved to a ‘proper’ streamer & other than some teasing issues, it works pretty much first time every time with no issues, in Roon & amongst other platforms. Roon is the most reliable way to play & connect to anything I’ve ever tried though - and that’s using a MacBook on WiFi as a core, until I bite the bullet for a Nucleus.
Odd - I have the same cable with CCA connected to Ruark MR2 mk2 speakers and, with the caveat that I now downsample any content >48k, I’ve never had a dropout. I would say that I never had much luck with >=96k previously.