Puccini player/U-clock combo won't USB stream from new Mac

Support
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Trying to be as brief as possible here. Am attempting to set up a hi-res streaming system. Part of this would be utilizing my existing Puccini player and U-clock with USB input from Qobuz, or Apple Music, or Roon, etc, all of which I now have. Purchased a new M4 MacBook Air to just feed those services (and locally stored music on hard drive) to USB input on the U-Clock, and be a portable solution from shop to home.

I have been using a 10 year old iMac to run music files into the U-Clock for many years without issues. But, using the new M4 Macbook Air to stream is seeming impossible, though it should not be.

OS on the Mac is current. Software on both the U-Clock and Puccini Player is the latest version.When everything is connected, the MiDi setup window on the Mac shows that the output is “dCs Audio U-Clock” at 48k. “Sound” in Mac “Settings” shows the output is “dCS U-Clock audio out type USB”. The selected output on Qobuz playing on the computer is “dCS U-Clock audio out…up to 24 bit/192”. So, it seems to me that everything is connected. However, “Input 1” on the Puccini Player attempts to lock, and consistently reverts to showing “No input”. So, nothing plays.

Here is what makes it more interesting: I can substitute the 10+ year old iMac, running OS 13.3, which can’t be updated, that I had been using in the bigger system, change nothing else, and the Puccini will lock on to the USB signal. Usually, not instantly, it might take 5 minutes, but it will lock on and work.

Why don’t I just use the old computer? Apple Music, and that streaming capability, cannot be installed on an iMac that old. Qobuz won’t update to any software after 2020, and Roon, ha.

I have tried changing cables, switching from USB 2 to USB 1 and back again, as has been suggested in another thread here, several times with no change in the results. I cannot find any change I can make to the M4 MacBook Air that can make this work.

Does anyone have any ideas that don’t involve buying a Bartok Apex?

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Hi @LarryCloetta . I hope hat I can offer a little assistance especially as this is your first post here and you have been waiting for some time.

I had hoped that someone with experience of your equipment combination would have responded by now. However I now think that as the solution may need further information and as a forum is not the best place for what may become a series of questions to trace the cause, direct contact may be best. Send an email to dCS support outlining the issue:

[email protected]

I am sure that they will help.

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Since your M4 MacBook Air only has USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports, and the Puccini U-Clock a USB 2.0 Type-B port, while Thunderbolt 4 is backward compatible, my guess would be that you have some sort of compatibility issue with whatever you’re using to convert from one to another, and that’s where you should focus your attention to resolve this issue.

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Thank you. That had occurred to me, because the older computer, which was mostly working, uses a USB-A to USB-B cable, and I was wondering if the USB-C factor was creating a problem. I have tried three completely different converters, different brands, and that, in itself, didn’t solve the issue. But, am still working on it, trying other things.

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Thanks for the reply. I have had dCS equipment, mostly older, for quite a while, but this is the first time I have joined the problem solving “community” here, as it is the first time I have had any real problems.

You are correct that this is a situation which I had thought would end up needing some back and forth, because, as long as the original post was, I did leave out some things which I thought might be distracting, and figured there would need to be some questions asked and answered. I was unsure how the system here worked, and thought that maybe I was supposed to ask around here before going directly to the support email address you listed. So, I was just going to the community under “support”. I’ll get better at navigating things here as time goes on, with any luck, but do appreciate the help I have already received.

I did reach out to Apple yesterday, and, unsurprisingly they told me that it was probably a dCS hardware issue. I let it go at that for the time being, as he was level one support. I am going to wait a day or so before emailing support here, because I may have discovered something, but need to wait a while, try some different things, before I am sure. If things improve here, will be sure to post that.

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To Anup’s point, if you are using a dongle to convert from USB-C to USB-B via USB-A it may be worth trying a USB-C to USB-B cable to eliminate that variable. Plenty to choose from on Amazon starting at $5. I agree with him that the problem is likely neither the MacBook nor the Puccini, but what lies in between.

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Thank you, Andrew. Would have replied sooner, but was waiting to make sure my current assessment was correct. (I will try obtaining a USB-C to USB-B cable, and trying that regardless of what I am about to describe next).

Bottom line, there seems to be an issue of “looseness” with the USB-B input on the U-Clock, which is causing problems with signal transmission. The longer Synergistic Research Cable I have been using for years, could establish a connection, which would enable locking “occasionally” (with help, see below). The shorter Cardas Audio I just bought for the current application, could not successfully pass a signal once. Which was disappointing. But, then, I tried a very old Belkin cable that came with a Dell monitor and it worked pretty well most (90%) of the time. That one was notably firmer in connection than the audiophile cables. But, did not sound as good. Perceptibly. Really:) (Still good, however).

(Here is the TL;DNR part: I have two Puccini U-Clocks. The one I have been using for many years feeds into a Purcell/Elgar Plus system, via the exact same Synergistic Research cable mentioned above. There has never been a second’s issue with that locking on to a USB signal, coming from the old iMac, playing locally hard drive stored music files, for years. The cable connection into that U-Clock feels subjectively firmer than the connection into the U-Clock in question here. Not hugely so, but noticeably. I had reported earlier that the older computer, brought into this room to hook up to the U-Clock, “worked” at least most of the time, with the Synergistic Research cable. But, the same Synergistic Research cable did not work with the MacBook Air as a source. My assumption earlier was that this was caused by a problem with the MacBook Air. Turns out, instead, that if I hold my finger under the cable where it enters into the USB jack, and push up slightly, the Puccini can usually lock on. When I was trying the older computer, it was located on a shelf above the Puccini, which gave the cable the same upward tilt, and when I used the same cable between the new MacBook Air and the U-Clock, the cable had a downward tilt where it entered the jack. And thus, not making a connection, even though solidly into the jack, and the Puccini never locking on. It had nothing to do with the difference in computers, it seems. The cheap Belkin cable has a tighter connection at any angle, though it also benefits sometimes from being prevented from hanging downwards. This U-Clock which I am having problems with here, now, has been partnered with a Puccini player, only playing CDs, and that is all I have ever used it for in the 5+ years I have had those (different system, different room), so until now, when trying to set up hi-res streaming, I have never tried using the USB input for anything. I am not the original owner of this Puccini combo, so I don’t know its full history, though I did purchase it from a dCS dealer.)

I will try a USB-C to USB-B cable (though am still convinced that the Synergestic Research cable sounds better when it works.) So, I think I have narrowed down the issue, though there is still a problem. If I cannot get it resolved, and it comes to seem that the USB jack in the U-Clock has seen better days, would the unit have to be sent back to the UK, or could someone here in the US replace the USB input? If it comes to that.

Sorry for the long explanation, but things were not as they originally seemed, and was trying to explain why.

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Hi Larry, Good to know you’ve managed to ring in the problem. I am guessing a USB-B receptacle swap could be carried out at our North American Service Center. @Phil, is that right?

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Hi @AndrewS

If it is just the receptacle then yes but it would need to be confirmed that it was just the receptacle and not - for example - that the USB port has come adrift and has damaged the pads where the connector is soldered to the USB input board…

Phil

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Thank you. But, the first step, if it seems me that there is a continuing problem, would be for me to send the U-Clock into the N. American Service Center, then they could make further decisions from there, right? I am not to that point yet, but having a way forward is consoling:)

Larry

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Hi @LarryCloetta …

Yes, I think that’s where all roads lead at this time given the information that you’ve given us…

Phil

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Hello @Phil ,

Thank you, again. One last question: I cannot find contact information for the North American Service Center, could you please direct me to that, or is this something that would have to go through my closest dealer?

Larry

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Hi Larry,

It will end up needing to go through a dCS dealer so if you do have a dCS dealer local to you then they would be a great place to start as they can arrange everything for you.

You’ve already been in touch with Emron and he would be your point of contact for dCS North America.

I hope that helps - if not please do give me a shout on [email protected] and I’ll push things in the right directions.

Phil

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Thanks, will do.