Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

[Julien]

Hi

As stated in the title, I have a strange sound with some tracks (not all) between the track change.

It's like a 'tchick' sound, it's horrible in the speaker.

I thought it was random but it's not (I can find the tracks and repeat the problem)

If I go manually to the next song, I don't have this sound but if I let the song go the end, I have this horrible sound between the track change.



I was using Asset 4.5 on a Mac mini, updated to 4.6 but I still have the problem.

I thought the problem was from the file itself (official ALAC download from Qobuz (French music platform). I encoded the file again in ALAC with XLD -> I still have the problem.

When I setup Asset to stream as WAV or LPCM, the problem disappears.

But I'd prefer to stream in ALAC, because I can go forward in the file.

My setup:
Asset 4.6 OS X
Mac Mini, all my files in ALAC (1000 albums - 12000 tracks)
Itunes to store and tag the files
XLD to encode when needed.
Naim SuperUniti
Naim App on Ipad or Iphone.

I'm trying several setup or change but I don't know where to go.
and it's quite long (download, encode, check, sometimes restart...)


Would you have some advice ? or idea ?

thanks

Julien


EDIT:
I dowloaded the FLAC file from QOBUZ --> no issue, no "tchik" sound
I encoded by myself this FLAC to ALAC with XLD
and.... "tchik" again


EDIT2:
The original (ALAC) files with the problem are 24bits.
I dowloaded the 16bit ALAC from QOBUZ
and miracle : No problem (so far)

Curious isn't ?

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Alternative question : Would it be possible to add "stream as FLAC" ?

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

EDIT:
I dowloaded the FLAC file from QOBUZ --> no issue, no "tchik" sound
I encoded by myself this FLAC to ALAC with XLD
and.... "tchik" again


EDIT2:
The original (ALAC) files with the problem are 24bits.
I dowloaded the 16bit ALAC from QOBUZ
and miracle : No problem (so far)

Curious isn't ?

Do you think the problem with ALAC 24bit is from Asset or from the Naim streamer ?

[mville]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Can you play 2 ALAC 24bit files that exhibit the track change problem, on a media player on the Mac mini? If yes, do you hear the same problem?

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Can you play 2 ALAC 24bit files that exhibit the track change problem, on a media player on the Mac mini? If yes, do you hear the same problem?

Yes I can play:
to the screen speaker (Apple Display) : no sound, no problem
to the airport express with airplay on the same amplifier (Naim SuperUniti is a streamer and amplifier) : no sound, no problem

[mville]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Yes I can play:
to the screen speaker (Apple Display) : no sound, no problem
to the airport express with airplay on the same amplifier (Naim SuperUniti is a streamer and amplifier) : no sound, no problem

So that implies the ALAC 24-bit files are ok. Just need a way to determine if the problem is with Asset or the Naim.

You are sure the Naim supports 24-bit ALAC playback?

If I understand correctly, streaming 16-bit ALAC in Asset to the Naim is ok?

[Spoon]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

>When I setup Asset to stream as WAV or LPCM, the problem disappears.

It means that Asset is better able to decode the ALAC file than the Naim player, perhaps send the file to Naim so they can check it out.

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

So that implies the ALAC 24-bit files are ok. Just need a way to determine if the problem is with Asset or the Naim.

You are sure the Naim supports 24-bit ALAC playback?

If I understand correctly, streaming 16-bit ALAC in Asset to the Naim is ok?

I would say yes for ALAC 24 bit, based on the Naim Website

https://www.naimaudio.com/product/superuniti

And yes, 16 bit ALAC seems ok in Asset to the Naim (I tried other 16bit album in the meantime and no issue)

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

So that implies the ALAC 24-bit files are ok. Just need a way to determine if the problem is with Asset or the Naim.

You are sure the Naim supports 24-bit ALAC playback?

If I understand correctly, streaming 16-bit ALAC in Asset to the Naim is ok?

I would say yes for 24bit ALAC based on their website.

And yes, so far, 16 bit ALAC in Asset to the Naim are ok

[magagne]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Interesting because I experiment the same problem that is describe here.

I have a NAIM N-172XS (streamer), and on some ALAC 24/96 track (NOT ALL from an album) transition between two track made the same sound "tchick" sound. The trick I found to resolve this is to convert the album to AIFF 24/96.

[magagne]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Do you think the problem with ALAC 24bit is from Asset or from the Naim streamer ?

Not with Asset, cuz I tested it with Twonky, and same problem occur on my side...I think it's a NAIM problem side.

[Julien]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Not with Asset, cuz I tested it with Twonky, and same problem occur on my side...I think it's a NAIM problem side.

Interesting
I performed some test with other server and yes, the same problem occurs on my side too

I sent an email to Naim Support to get their feedback but in any case, with only 1 software update per year, we can wait a long time before this issue is solved (the last software update was launched in october 2015, I guess nothing before end of 2016)

[magagne]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

Interesting
I performed some test with other server and yes, the same problem occurs on my side too

I sent an email to Naim Support to get their feedback but in any case, with only 1 software update per year, we can wait a long time before this issue is solved (the last software update was launched in october 2015, I guess nothing before end of 2016)

Julien, keep us inform of your reply from NAIM, maybe they already work this case.

Other interesting thing I note yesterday with further test is when I converted 4 albums from ProMasterStudio in 24/96 AIFF, to ALAC, with dbPowerAmp, with one of them, dbPowerAmp log some errors. And, effectively, when I had played it, transition track generated the "tchik" sound. So, "some" 24/96 AIFF contain bad stuff in them, that even dbPoweramp can detect it when it convert it to ALAC.

[cjw]

Re: Strange (and horrible) sound between track change with ALAC

This sounds like a problem I've had playing 24 bit ALAC files on my SuperUniti, and which I have reported to Naim. The 'tchick' sound (great description BTW) usually happens between track changes but I have found one track where it happens if the track is played in isolation. I sent this track to Naim but haven't heard back yet. The problem occurs with MinimServer as well so definitely looks like a Naim issue. My workaround has been to transcode everything to WAV for the moment.