Troubleshooting a Sonicore Orbiter SE with a M-DAC+ [Resolved with new DAC but has now returned]

My Sonicorbiter SE and my Audiolab DAC have developed a pretty serious problem - there is nothing but interference and no lock on an input signal to the DAC from either USB port on the SE. Tried rebooting and switching from Roon to Roon HQ - and even with neither music player on, the connection is dead between them.

I am trying to identify the issues - there is definitely a signal going across the network to the SE. But the audio connection between them by USB seems to be broken - and if so, it seems the SE might be faulty.

If I wanted to rule out the channel on the DAC - could I put in a Roon Remote laptop by USB to check there is a signal?

Anyone else had a problem with the SE - I’m in the UK and it was imported.

Jon

Have you checked the diagnostics in the se web gui to check connection to DAC? What are your Roon settings? Did you do anything, like upgrade software/firmware prior to it not working? Have you checked all your cables (try another USB cable). I’ve only got a microrendu, but these are all the things I can think of.

Hi Steve,

After extensive testing, it turns out that it is in actual fact the two month old M-DAC+ that is faulty. I’ve replaced with my OPPO HA-2 and I’ve got music back.

Thanks.

Jon

1 Like

Quick one for someone in the know.

Am I dreaming or was I able to convert to DSD in Roon 1.3 last week?? I run HQ Player but I remember switching over to Roon Ready for a quick test last week and was positive I was sampling DSD 128 from ROON - but only see options for PCM in the DSP. Am I just mistaken?

PS I got a brand new DAC replacement for the MDAC+ which had developed a monstrous fault.

Roon can upsample to DSD. However, if your source is DSD is will convert that to PCM upsample and then convert to DSD. Roon does not do a direct DSD to DSD upsample. yet.

Thanks Daniel.

I worked it out - because of the rebuild today swapping in and out DACS, updating software I hadn’t enabled DOP on the Sonicorbiter to play DSD.

All working now.

1 Like

That was quick! :slight_smile:

1 Like

I reported last month that a new 2 month old Audiolab MDAC+ developed a fault in my system running ROON via a Sonicore Orbiter SE - developed a heavy crackling and deteriorated until it could no longer handle a signal at all. When stripped out of system and wired up in store, it clearly had issues and was replaced on the spot.

A month on and the same model DAC has developed the same (though not yet as severe) problem as the previous one - popping and crackling when connected.

Steps taken:

Shut down ROON
Switch to headphone stage on DAC - (taking it out of hi-fi)
STILL crackling (without a ROON signal) - simply being on network
Disconnect from Sonicore SE
Connect Audiolab DAC to USB laptop - apparently no crackling with ROON at 44.1khz
Reconnect Audiolab to SE and reboot (next day) - crackling

Install OPPO HA-2 with SE on main system - Play ROON
No problems

The problem seems to be squarely with how the AUDIOLAB M-DAC+ interacts with SE signal over time - the OPPO doesn’t and has never had a problem so can’t be the SE.

Any ideas why a well respected and specced DAC could be challenged by working in a ROON system.
For the record, it has been fed maximum PCM and DSD settings - up sampled either from HQ or ROON’s new DSP.

Thanks

Jon

On further testing, with the Audiolab MDAC+ connected to ROON on a Mac via USB - no SE or network - it is intermittently crackling.

The question remains the same - is there any precedent for a DAC being fried on duty?