macOS Catalina + USB DAC = sound breaks/gaps

[AGluk]

Dear all!

I need help with operation external USB DAC (FiiO K3 in my case), I've faced after update to Catalina.
During playing any audio - sometimes gaps occur. About 100-300 ms there are no sounds at all. Such gaps are occurred once per minute, sometimes less frequent.
I've noticed that on higher output audio frequencies the gaps occur more frequent. For example on 384kHz more frequent than on 96kHz.

macOS 10.15.2 (iMac19,1 SMBIOS)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Elite
Intel Core i9-9900K + 32GB RAM
Radeon RX Vega 64
USB DAC FiiO K3

I've found some advice around the forum. No one helped:

- Disabling iGPU doesn't solve the problem.
- Setting 96kHZ output doesn't help.

I hope for your help!
Thank you!

 

[theruck]

open the MIDI setup and choose one of the 48 kHz options and test
the 96kHz causes trouble even on real macs very often.
install latest catalina update.

 

[AGluk]

There are two modes on my DAC (FiiO K3): USB 1.1 and USB 2.0.
The first one allows output up to 24bit 96kHz. The second up to 32bit 384kHz.

In USB 1.1 there is no stuttering at all, even in 24bit 96kHz mode.
In USB 2.0 stuttering appears even on 32bit 48kHz, but less frequent than on 384kHz.

One more time want to say, under Mojave even on 32bit 385kHz there were no breaks/gaps at all.
Under Windows there is also no any stuttering.

I've tried a couple of more DACs from different companies, not FiiO. Absolutely the same behavior, breaks/gaps have appeared with the same frequency!

 

[Beskone]

Can confirm on my Designaire Z170 Mobo turning off the serial port in BIOS stopped the USB playback glitches in Catalina on my Presounus c24 USB Audio interface!

 

[AGluk]

Can confirm on my Designaire Z170 Mobo turning off the serial port in BIOS stopped the USB playback glitches in Catalina on my Presounus c24 USB Audio interface!

Unfortunately, I don't have such an option in my BIOS Setup

 

[AGluk]

It looks like 10.15.3 update solves the problem.
Continue testing...

 

[AGluk]

No... the problem is still presented. But the frequency of appearance is less.

 

[wallygee]

I have this same issue. Doesn't happen immediately upon reboot but after my machine's been running for a while, I click something with sound (youtube, music app, whatever) and the stutter begins... only a reboot fixes it. I have 10.15.3 installed on this iMac Pro going from USB to a DAC built into Kanto U2 speakers. Very annoying...

 

[macrod]

Can confirm on my Designaire Z170 Mobo turning off the serial port in BIOS stopped the USB playback glitches in Catalina on my Presounus c24 USB Audio interface!

After changing a bunch of UEFI settings I noticed that this also fixed the issue I was having with my Behringer UMC1820, as reported in this thread: USB Audio Interface Artifacts and Dropouts

Unfortunately, I don't have such an option in my BIOS Setup

User @Jabbr reported that setting XHCI mode to 'ON' in UEFI rectified the issue on their end, may want to check if you have that option.

 

[fravin]

There are two modes on my DAC (FiiO K3): USB 1.1 and USB 2.0.
The first one allows output up to 24bit 96kHz. The second up to 32bit 384kHz.

USB Audio Protocol isn’t related to USB version. Each one of the protocols has its capabilities and support audio in different way.
The most important thing to check is if you have your USB ports fully working with a DSD or a KEXT.
It sounds that you don’t have your USBs working properly.