Help: DAC keeps losing lock from Squeezebox

Any help here would be greatly appreciated, as this problem is ruining my enjoyment of this system.

This is so frustrating - I am pretty much completely broke, and i have my system sounding so damn nice when it works, but its just so darned temperemental.

When I first got my Digilog DAC, i planned on using it as a source not only for the squeezebox but for the Sky.

I found it was unusable for the Sky because every time you change channels it loses its lock. So you would have to get up and cycle power repeatedly until it gets a lock, as soon as you change channel, repeat process.

I also had some difficulty getting it to lock onto the squeezebox, but once it was locked it was generally alright. However, for no apparent reason now and again it will just lose its lock completely. I have to do the power off/on thing repeatedly until it regains its lock.

Its done it twice in less than an hour now, and its just not good enough, I cant enjoy listening to music when its doing that all the time.

The really damn annoying thing is, the sound of this DAC does sound quite a bit better than the analogue outs of the SB3.

I cant afford a new DAC, and I dont want to have to step back in quality, but I just cant put up with this.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Paul

Sell it and buy a Meridian 203 DAC (£60) so shouldn't leave you oo much out of pocket.

Mr Perceptive

 

Hmmm...

I like the sound of it TBH, I would rather try and fix the problem than chuck more money at it. I've not heard the 203, but I really cant see that matching this thing i've got for sound (and I would hope not since i paid £250 for the thing), but hey i could be wrong.

I've tried disabling the volume control on the SB3, see if that makes any difference. I somehow doubt it though.

 

Paul

The 203 may be old, but its good, if you don't like it you can always resell it

Mr Perceptive

 

the sb2 has a pretty good digital out my decade has no trouble getting xlock which it did with the older sb1. the sb3 is basically an sb2 in a pretty box.
you might try saving and getting the digilog modded again with a decent clock / reciever. or just sell it, put up with less than ideal sound for a month or 3 and get somethign decent after you've saved a bit. i'd suggest a dax-2.
not really what you want to hear i know but sorry....

 

What cable are you using ? Have you tried optical to check if that does it too ?

 

Yep tried both... same result.

 

The digilog is quite long in the tooth ...

did you say it had been moded ?

May be worth a quick look in side to see if ots not some thing as simple as a dry joint or losse ground on the dig in.

 

Could do... it hasnt done since i turned of the variable volume control on the digital out of the squeeze, so i'll see how it goes.

Yes the Digilog is an old DAC, but I thought it would be good considering its modded and that it uses the seemingly very fashionable-of-late TDA1541A DAC chip. It does sound nice to my ears when it works.

 

You could be over loading the reciever chip ? if it now works with the output of the sqbox turned down I'd just keep it there. you could attenuate the diugi out of the sky boxd by adding a couple of res in the plug ....but I'd only be guessing at the values you'd need but something like 10k sig to ground and 6k sig only ? I'm certain that someone will know exactly the right value.

 

I've got a nos dac for sale..

 

When you turn the volume control off on the SB it seems to default to the maximum volume.

It hasnt actually done it since i wrote this thread though, touch wood.

 

Paul don't get rid of it for a NOS DAC or a Meridian. The one you have is supposedly a very good DAC. As you say, it uses the 1541 which is a good start.

Fancy posting a detailed picture of the internals?

 

Seconded.

That's probably the best thing MF ever put to market and it just needs a little TLC.

It sounds fast and pacey but is a little raw up top. It gets the fundamentals right which is what matters, far more than a little roughness. Don't get involved in all that cabling cobblers - let's see whats in it.

 

Just a note to say don't confuse the voltage level of the output with the volume that is being represented digitally. 1's are represented at one voltage level and 0's at another. Leaving the digital volume set at default, max, untampered, merely means full volume is represented by 11111111, whereas reduced digital volume reduction will cut the max down to 11111110, 11111101 ... In all cases the voltage representing digital 1 will be the same at the digital output. Apologies if this distinction was already clear

 

Believe me when i say i wouldnt have got rid of it for a standard NOS DAC or meridian. I had a great trouble believing they would be better. Its nice to see some have actually of it, i was beginning to think nobody had heard of it.

It sounds gorgeous to my ears. Very fast pacey sound and mine seems to have a great midrange to it, smooth and full of prescense.

 

Hi Paul.

Does the reliability vary with weather (temperature)?

Get you local Tech to check out the PSU, it may be low on volts and the pll is loosing lock (leaky old electrolytics.)

Chris