I have been absolutely loving the iFi ZEN DAC, so I figured that an upgrade from v1 to v2 would be a sensible upgrade for low cost. Francois very kindly assisted with the upgrade, so it has been an easy switch.
I can report that the v2 offers a subtle upgrade over the v1. But... that's when it's playing. So far it has been really frustrating. For now, I still believe this is a software rather than hardware issue, which is why I'm asking for help here before trying to exchange the device itself.
My standard setup was as follows (and it has been working beautifully):
I thought swopping the ZEN DAC v1 for v2 would be straightforward, but it hasn't been. I have experienced the following issues since swopping the devices:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Playback through Tidal halts intermittently - several times even during ONE TRACK. The streaming doesn't stop - I can see the track still playing
To fix it, I have to click on audio settings and toggle "Exclusive Mode" off an on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The same happens on iTunes, but there you don't have the option of exclusive mode, so I have to restart iTunes.
[*]Every time I close and reopen the Tidal desktop app, the audio settings reset to "disabled".
So I have to re-enable Exclusive Mode, Force Volume and Passthrough MQA - every single time before I start listening. It was not like this with the v1.
[*]When I try to upgrade the firmware from v7.20 to v7.20C (GTO filter), it fails. Every time.
[/list]
I have tried the following so far:
NOTHING HAS WORKED to resolve the issues. I have logged support cases with both Tidal and iFi. iFi suggested that I try the firmware upgrade on another PC, which I haven't been able to try yet. Tidal have asked for the app logs, but I haven't seen any meaningful response as yet.
It is so bad that I have now gone back to plugging my headphones into my phone, because listening uninterrupted on PC is impossible, even for one track.
Has anybody experienced similar issues - especially with a v1 to v2 upgrade? Or have any advice for this?
I can report that the v2 offers a subtle upgrade over the v1. But... that's when it's playing. So far it has been really frustrating. For now, I still believe this is a software rather than hardware issue, which is why I'm asking for help here before trying to exchange the device itself.
My standard setup was as follows (and it has been working beautifully):
- ifi ZEN DAC v1 (with GTO filter installed and iPower power supply)
- plugged into Windows 10 64-bit laptop via Dell docking station (i.e. the ZEN DAC is plugged into the docking station, not directly into the laptop)
- Tributaries Series 6 USB2.0 cable between dock and DAC
- Tidal desktop app for music playback, with iTunes (Apple Music) as backup
I thought swopping the ZEN DAC v1 for v2 would be straightforward, but it hasn't been. I have experienced the following issues since swopping the devices:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Playback through Tidal halts intermittently - several times even during ONE TRACK. The streaming doesn't stop - I can see the track still playing
To fix it, I have to click on audio settings and toggle "Exclusive Mode" off an on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The same happens on iTunes, but there you don't have the option of exclusive mode, so I have to restart iTunes.
[*]Every time I close and reopen the Tidal desktop app, the audio settings reset to "disabled".
So I have to re-enable Exclusive Mode, Force Volume and Passthrough MQA - every single time before I start listening. It was not like this with the v1.
[*]When I try to upgrade the firmware from v7.20 to v7.20C (GTO filter), it fails. Every time.
[/list]
I have tried the following so far:
- Uninstalled the iFi device in Device Manager (I haven't been able to find directions to remove it from the registry entirely)
- Uninstalled and reinstalled the iFi drivers (v3.20)
- Uninstalled and reinstalled the Tidal desktop app
- Cleared the Tidal cache and restored the app (under troubleshooting settings)
- Tried the supplied USB3.0 cable (rather than the Tributaries cable)
- Tried plugging the device directly into the laptop, rather than the docking station
NOTHING HAS WORKED to resolve the issues. I have logged support cases with both Tidal and iFi. iFi suggested that I try the firmware upgrade on another PC, which I haven't been able to try yet. Tidal have asked for the app logs, but I haven't seen any meaningful response as yet.
It is so bad that I have now gone back to plugging my headphones into my phone, because listening uninterrupted on PC is impossible, even for one track.
Has anybody experienced similar issues - especially with a v1 to v2 upgrade? Or have any advice for this?
