DACs And Motherboards Working With Snakeoil

[BioBrian]

Oh dear, it should be me apologizing for the "when it works" part. I didn't mean any criticism at all.

The handshakes do seem easier with this new DAC, and I'm supposing it's got something to do with it needing the 5V DC in the USB cable?

But the handshake goes cold quite often still, like every few days I'll find no music getting to the preamp, with no apparent reason. Our power cuts quite often, and that's one obvious cause. JRiver has its own complexity, and way of letting me know it's "not happy Jan".

I sometimes wonder though, how many of us appreciate the dependence upon a rather extreme amount of computer nowse, just to play a bit of music - so far from the original "turn on the wireless" or "put on a nice record, would you sweetheart".

With digital the number of things that can stop the music is in the dozens, and most of them take a good amount of learning and upskilling to keep on top of. Not to mention a good memory  .

You've done wonderful things AK, thanks again, and I don't see that your New Year Resolution above is any change from the past!

Chuck the superstitions where they belong, and stay positive (and Covid negative, I suppose I have to say); I hope you have a great year.