C2500 Digital Playback Question - Newbie

Weirdcuba

New Member
After lurking here and wanting a Mc system for, well basically, my whole life - I broke down and did it. MC302, C2500, running BW 802ds. Sources right now are a buddy's old turntable while the MT5 is on back order (acknowledging all of the negative comments on this board about them, but I'm excited and it sounded damn good to me!), and a mac mini running jriver. The mac mini will be replaced by a Bryston BDP-2 in a few days (<half the cost of a MB100). Yes, the audio budget is shot for a good long while, but I think I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of this system in the interim. It sounds stunning.

My problem is this - when playing high rez 192k content, the display on the C2500 says 24/48k. By golly, I paid for all of those green lights and I want them to be correct, and I want to be sure I'm getting all of the digital signal. I checked Jriver and can't find anything that would be limiting the playback, but may have missed it. The mac mini doesn't have an upgraded sound card in it, so that may also be it. Wasn't sure where to post, but since the symptom was on the mc though, I thought I'd start here.

Many thanks in advance, and thanks and for all of the stuff I've learned just watching this board and dreaming for all of these months. Weirdcuba.
 
After lurking here and wanting a Mc system for, well basically, my whole life - I broke down and did it. MC302, C2500, running BW 802ds. Sources right now are a buddy's old turntable while the MT5 is on back order (acknowledging all of the negative comments on this board about them, but I'm excited and it sounded damn good to me!), and a mac mini running jriver. The mac mini will be replaced by a Bryston BDP-2 in a few days (<half the cost of a MB100). Yes, the audio budget is shot for a good long while, but I think I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of this system in the interim. It sounds stunning.

My problem is this - when playing high rez 192k content, the display on the C2500 says 24/48k. By golly, I paid for all of those green lights and I want them to be correct, and I want to be sure I'm getting all of the digital signal. I checked Jriver and can't find anything that would be limiting the playback, but may have missed it. The mac mini doesn't have an upgraded sound card in it, so that may also be it. Wasn't sure where to post, but since the symptom was on the mc though, I thought I'd start here.

Many thanks in advance, and thanks and for all of the stuff I've learned just watching this board and dreaming for all of these months. Weirdcuba.

Congrats on a great system!

I'll let someone else chime in on your playback problem, but in the mean time I have a question... what negative comments have you seen about the MT5? If anything the MT5 was much better received than the MT10 when it comes to appearance.
 
I probably mis-spoke and should have acknowledged the negative comments re the mt10, which still kind of stick with a newbie mt5 owner (re-branded, overpriced, etc). Apologies for the error.
 
My problem is this - when playing high rez 192k content, the display on the C2500 says 24/48k. By golly, I paid for all of those green lights and I want them to be correct, and I want to be sure I'm getting all of the digital signal. I checked Jriver and can't find anything that would be limiting the playback, but may have missed it. The mac mini doesn't have an upgraded sound card in it, so that may also be it. Wasn't sure where to post, but since the symptom was on the mc though, I thought I'd start here.

Many thanks in advance, and thanks and for all of the stuff I've learned just watching this board and dreaming for all of these months. Weirdcuba.

The display on the C2500 will reads what it is being fed......You might need to go into you Audio/Midi settings (on the Mac mini ) and select the McIntosh Audio Labs option and select the appropriate settings.....

I use Audirvana which runs with the C48 I have very nicely it feeds the C48 whatever the file rate actually is......

A Jriver expert will be along shortly to confirm what you may need to check in JRivers settings......
 
I think problem is with your Mac. Do you use USB? Need to configure MIDI setting properly. I am not Mac user, so cannot give you details.
 
Agree with for_p1, it's not with the C2500.

I play 24/192 all the time from a small Linux fanless machine over USB.

I tried Jriver on Linux but did not carry on. I use the native mpd and ipad/browser interface.

There is many cause for that behaviour. The same happened to me.

1) Make sure you are using the right sound device.
2) in JR, Disable all effects, levelling etc... and all resampling options.
3) Make sure your OS alsa configuration is correct and not limiting your data rate. If you google alsa mac mini I am sure you'll have hints.

Sorry I can't help more on Mac but it's a Mac/Jriver problem for sure.

Brice.
 
If you have a Mac made after 2010 and running 10.6.4 or higher you can do USB 2.0 high speed over USB. On the website www.computeraudio.com they have some fine articles on setting up your Apple Mac with JRivers. You may want to research this to maximize your set up.
Also the JRivers Wiki help pages are useful for solving setting issues.

On a modern high powered computer JRivers can perform volume leveling and output format adjustment while maintaining Bit Perfect resolution.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
Fixed it by replacing the Mac mini with a bryston bdp-2. Much better sound quality and full res files. Great to get rid of the monitor and have the single purpose device. I'd planned the purchase anyway. No issues with the c2500 - getting the full Rez files popped the digital playback through the roof - sounding great.

Thanks for all of the comments.
 
Fixed it by replacing the Mac mini with a bryston bdp-2. Much better sound quality and full res files. Great to get rid of the monitor and have the single purpose device. I'd planned the purchase anyway. No issues with the c2500 - getting the full Rez files popped the digital playback through the roof - sounding great.

Thanks for all of the comments.

That's good and Welcome to AK weirdcuba:thmbsp:
 
Fixed it by replacing the Mac mini with a bryston bdp-2. Much better sound quality and full res files. Great to get rid of the monitor and have the single purpose device. I'd planned the purchase anyway. No issues with the c2500 - getting the full Rez files popped the digital playback through the roof - sounding great.

Thanks for all of the comments.

Thanks for your info. Nice server you got. Interesting.

I had no issue playing 24/192k files over USB. The file resolution is not the root cause of the USB instability, even between track change. It often happen when you stop abruptly the play.
Can't wait to get rid of the USB link as am tired of switching off and on the whole system 2-3 times a day...

I also ordered a $$$ custom fanless PC with optical and coax digital out. Once I get it working, I will also post my results.

Brice.
 
Thanks for your info. Nice server you got. Interesting.

I had no issue playing 24/192k files over USB. The file resolution is not the root cause of the USB instability, even between track change. It often happen when you stop abruptly the play.
Can't wait to get rid of the USB link as am tired of switching off and on the whole system 2-3 times a day...

I also ordered a $$$ custom fanless PC with optical and coax digital out. Once I get it working, I will also post my results.

Brice.

I'm so sick of the USB connection I have put my Benchmark DAC1 back in my system, however i still use the 2 optical connections, never have any issues with them.....
 
UPDATE: Music server over COAX versus USB

Hi Guys,

I said I will post my findings on this topic: C2500 trouble using USB input.

So looked for a custom fanless server with a digital coax output.

I found this one:
http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/slim-fanless-pc.html
These guys were so helpful in accommodating my Linux requirement (OpenSuse 13.1).

After 2 weeks of testing/listening at any rate (44 to 192k) all my flac collection, I am happy to tell that my all my problems went away.
Not a single issue playing over coaxial with my C2500.

So to all other C2500 owner, there is a solution :music:

I attached some pictures to see that the server is not an ugly monster but a slick piece of aluminium. Now I can listen any flac with piece of mind.
I am very happy with my choice.

For details on my server config, please msg me (like how to pause automatically the music play when your phone rings.. :D)

Thanks all,

Brice.
 

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USB audio works great as long as your computer is properly configured. JRivers is your friend of course.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
USB audio works great as long as your computer is properly configured. JRivers is your friend of course.

Thanks,
Ron-C

Sorry, but no it doesn't, I realise you are a McIntosh employee and very knowledgable about the products and also very helpful on the forum here which I know I am grateful for, but I am not going to be told its my computer, or my media player, or my setup, or that I have to use J-River....

I am an end user who is giving some feedback about the C48 USB input. I am not the only one who has trouble.....it seems to be very common....

The simple fact is, that the McIntosh USB is not entirely reliable, every time I use the USB input, at some point I will need to power cycle the C48, which means power cycling the whole system which has just become so boring and annoying, that I have gone back to the DAC1, I NEVER have had to reboot the DAC1, it works EVERY time without any issues at all.....

I run iTunes/Audirvana, both reputable media players, my macbook pro is 2012, it has 16gb Ram, I am a professional audio engineer, I use digital audio equipment for a living I now how to set my computer up........
In my opinion, the McIntosh USB is temperamental and unreliable.....
However, I have found my solution, and I am happy with it.....

I still use the optical inputs on the C48 for my TV and my appleTV, there has never been any issues with that however....

As a matter of fact I really like the C48, and the USB audio department is the only criticism I have of it......
 
USB audio works great as long as your computer is properly configured. JRivers is your friend of course.

Thanks,
Ron-C

I have tried almost every player that is available for a Mac including JRiver and all of them eventually locked up the USB input where I had to power cycle my C2500 to fix the issue.

It appears many users have this problem with not only the C2500 but other models as well. For the money we spent on these components I think McIntosh should fix the issue and initiate a recall on the components where they can be taken to the dealer and fixed for free while we wait. I believe this used to be done at the McIntosh clinics.
 
I have tried almost every player that is available for a Mac including JRiver and all of them eventually locked up the USB input where I had to power cycle my C2500 to fix the issue.

It appears many users have this problem with not only the C2500 but other models as well. For the money we spent on these components I think McIntosh should fix the issue and initiate a recall on the components where they can be taken to the dealer and fixed for free while we wait. I believe this used to be done at the McIntosh clinics.

Yep, and you're not wrong.....

I have the problem when I say play a video file with VLC, and then stop it (close the file and close VLC), go to iTunes/Audrivana and try to play something in there, when i do that, the pre-amp locks up, same if I play a you tube clip and then try and play something in iTunes/Audrivana.......especially if the resolution is different....
I also have a lot of multi-track audio files which I play back/Mix in a program called Reaper, and sam thing, the pre-amp isn't seen from Reaper, and to make it seen I have power cycle the preamp, multiple times usually......
None of this is a problem with my Benchmark DAC1....It always works, I can jump from youtube to VLC to iTunes/Audirvana and swap to different resolutions and it never falters.....ever....

I think McIntosh have tried to make the preamp too interactive by having the ability to play/pause/skip tracks from the remote.....I don't need that, and I dont want that.....theres no point to it.....

I don't understand why they can't just make it simple and reliable? Thats what McIntosh is all about, or at least used to be......currently it is in no way relaible...

Exactly, these units are not exactly cheap, but then again, I knew about the problems before I got the C48....so it comes as no surprise and I'm not that upset about it, I just think its a rip because McIntosh is high end and you would expect better.....

The most disappointing thing about this, is that the DAC sounds really good when its working......
Look if I use the DAC just to play iTunes/Audirvana, and play all the same res files, then there is no problem.....sometimes though it does need power cycling to show up to use it, which is a little bit annoying....but I want t be able to play anything from my computer with different programs and different resolutions, the DAC1 does that, come on McIntosh, get it together....

The fix??
I believe they could fix it with software/firmware if they wanted to, and I for one vote to strip it back and get rid of the play/pause/skip nonsense, get it simple and reliable.......
 
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The D100 has never did any of this to me so maybe Mac should look at what they are doing right with this unit and what's wrong with all their others.
 
Not to pile on here, but I had the same problem with my Bryston BDP-2 feeding into the 2500 when trying to use USB. I just had continual hang ups in playback to the point that I just sort of stopped messing with it until I was able to call Bryston. I called Bryston and they suggested that I switch from USB to SPDIF/BNC into the coax (btw - Bryston put me on the phone with a human being who helped me and gave me his cell # as he knew that I would have to deal with it on the weekend - great experience). After spending an afternoon driving all over Atlanta looking for a BNC adaptor for my cable, I switched it and it works just fine - haven't had a reboot or a hang or anything except perfect playback since. I have no idea as to the technical details, but that was my clear experience.
 
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