Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper

Posted by Chris from Lafayette (A) on May 17, 2017 at 17:45:10

I finally connected everything up and started playing around with it today. It took a while for everything to jell, but I finally got it all working - first just with iTunes and 2-channel, then with Audirvana+ and HQ Player in multi-channel. (I've got the current, latest versions of each on my system.) I'm using Core Audio because I couldn't get ASIO to work. My set-up is as follows: Mac Mini USB connected to the e38 with analogue IC's connecting to the analogue multi-channel inputs of my pre-pro.

As mentioned in the subject line, I'm not a happy camper, for a number of reasons:

There's a noticeable hum now in my system - it was barely audible before, but now it's appreciably louder.
(This is the most bizarre.) Some multi-channel files play fine - notably, the files which I've downloaded from BIS, and also one file which I'd ripped with DVD-Audio Extractor. OTOH, the files which I've downloaded from Chandos have the sounds going to the wrong channels! (Some type of full range signal is ending up in the sub-woofer, while the Right-Front and Left-Front speakers don't play anything at all - Go figure!).
In general, even on the BIS files which do play fine, I just don't hear any any improvement over the previous SQ (with the Mac Mini connected directly into my pre-pro via HDMI) - and certainly not $4,000 worth. (The reason this previous set-up became unsatisfactory is because the video synchronization between the Mac Mini and the pre-pro became increasingly unstable. The current connection, with the Mac Mini video directly connected to the TV via HDMI is once again completely stable.)

Fortunately, Exasound has a 30-day money-back guarantee (less shipping), and I'm planning to send it back, unless I get some kind of revelation in the next week or so.

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Topic - Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - Chris from Lafayette 17:45:10 05/17/17 (28)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - stereo5 09:14:14 05/21/17 (8)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - Kal Rubinson 10:14:49 05/21/17 (6)

And SOME problems I mentioned were clearly on the HQ Player side, not the exaSound side [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 11:22:36 05/21/17 (5)

HQPlayer - Kal Rubinson 12:31:10 05/21/17 (4)

But Audirvana does not support ASIO - Chris from Lafayette 17:15:42 05/21/17 (3)

That's unfortunate. (NT) - Kal Rubinson 18:50:03 05/21/17 (2)

Really - I've used HQ Player for awhile and I'm fine with it [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 22:40:17 05/21/17 (1)

Fine. - Kal Rubinson 05:42:23 05/22/17 (0)

But see my post below - main problems are solved now [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 10:02:27 05/21/17 (0)

OK! - Couple of breakthroughs in the last couple of days - Chris from Lafayette 17:13:45 05/20/17 (2)

RE: OK! - Couple of breakthroughs in the last couple of days - oldmkvi 08:14:44 05/21/17 (0)

Downloaded the Fischer/BFO Mahler 3 in DXD - no problems so far [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 20:20:45 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - Todd Krieger 09:45:58 05/19/17 (3)

Well, fortunately, they do have a 30-day money-back guarantee - Chris from Lafayette 12:15:45 05/19/17 (2)

RE: Well, fortunately, they do have a 30-day money-back guarantee - Kal Rubinson 18:14:41 05/19/17 (1)

So I'm told! [nt] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 06:17:30 05/20/17 (0)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - oldmkvi 07:10:04 05/19/17 (3)

Yes - you have to choose it in two places. . . - Chris from Lafayette 08:40:58 05/19/17 (2)

exaSound drop-down menu? - Kal Rubinson 15:42:56 05/19/17 (1)

Probably a Mac thingy - Chris from Lafayette 16:09:17 05/19/17 (0)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - oldmkvi 19:28:07 05/17/17 (2)

Thanks - will do! [nt] - Chris from Lafayette 20:35:24 05/17/17 (1)

Yes. Contact exa. - Kal Rubinson 08:57:16 05/18/17 (0)

RE: Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper - ahendler 18:20:06 05/17/17 (4)

Thanks, Alan - I understand about the cables - Chris from Lafayette 20:36:00 05/17/17 (3)

RE: Thanks, Alan - I understand about the cables - ahendler 07:32:48 05/18/17 (2)

Yes - that's a priority for me - Chris from Lafayette 09:08:10 05/18/17 (1)

RE: Yes - that's a priority for me - AbeCollins 16:10:25 05/18/17 (0)

Exasound e38 DAC - I'm not a happy camper

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