Sound Sticks (USB) -crappy sound when not connected directly

Question

Sound Sticks (USB) -crappy sound when not connected directly

Hi all,

I've finally nailed it down.
If you use the original USB Sound Sticks from harman/kardon with a USB-Hub the sound has a cracking/popping noise all the time. This problem does not occur when connected directly to a USB-Port of my PowerBook. And it does not matter if I attach the speakers to the built-in USB-Hub of my Cinema Display or to an ordinary USB2.0-Hub.

This problem is computer-independent and started to appear around Mac OS X 10.3.x. I know it sounds weird, but I tested it with several different Macs. The speakers used to work perfectly on the USB-Hub with 10.2.

I believe that It has something to do with Core Audio drivers and the way Audio is routed through USB. The noise intensity varies, for example, when I plug the Sound Sticks into the different Ports of the Hub.

Having tried 2 Hubs (1.1 and 2.0), the ACD-Hub, 3 Macs and most recently a 10.4 Clean Install I can say that the Sound Sticks from now on only do work flawlessly when connected directly to one of the Macs USB-Ports which is very annoying...

Does anyone know of a WORKING USB-Hub or of any solution to this?

Thanks a lot!
Björn

Posted on Jul 5, 2005 5:22 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 7, 2005 8:27 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

I have the original Soundsticks from 2001 or thereabouts. I have them connected through my Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2 Pocket HUB and I have not heard any clicks or anything. There could be a power issue with your hub. I am imagining that power management in USB hubs may not be concerned with audio at all. It may also be some kind of driver issue as well. With all versions of OS X I have run I have not had nearly the problems with my Sound Sticks as those that I had in OS 9.

The hub I use is cheap, so if you are determined, buy it and try for yourself and see if it works. Best of luck.

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Answer 2

Jul 8, 2005 5:15 AM in response to Andrew Senna

Hi Andrew,

I also have these original Sound Sticks with USB. The ones sold today are called Sound Sticks II and don't have USB anymore, but a regular audio plug.

I'll give the Belkin Hub a try, but I do not have much hope left. 😟
Will let you know about it...

Björn

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Answer 3

Tsathul

Level 1

79 points

Jul 8, 2005 7:16 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

Tried a D-Link DUB-H4 powered USB 2.0 hub here -- same sad story. My USB SoundSticks produce frequent quick blips or warbles reminiscent of tape flutter. As others have found, plugging directly into a built-in Mac USB port eliminates the artifacts.

Have notified Apple via their feedback web page -- little hope but what the hey.

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Answer 4

Jul 12, 2005 1:41 PM in response to Tsathul

Hi, it works with a Belkin Hub!

Today I received a new 7-Port Belkin USB2.0-Hub. It is this one:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?MerchantId=&Section_Id=200913&pcount=&Product_Id=167899&Section.SectionPath=%2FROOT%2FUSB%2FUSB20%2FHubs%2F

At first I heard some of the same noise (only less) which I was used to, but I didn' give up and tried the several ports. That's the reason why I took the 7-Port version. 🙂 I found 2 of the ports to be as good as connecting the Sound Sticks directly to the PowerBook! The other 5 produce a very little cracking noise. Now my Sound Sticks finally work perfectly again. I can even use my Cinema Display's built in hub again, my USB setup is as follows:

PowerBook->ACD 30" (all cables connected=FW, USB, DVI)->Belkin USB Hub->Sound Sticks and several other devices (Scanner, MIDI-Keyboard, USB-Stick, Flash Card reader).

That feels good... 🙂
Björn

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Answer 5

Tsathul

Level 1

79 points

Aug 5, 2005 5:48 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

AN UPDATE -- The blips and warbles I heard on my USB SoundSticks when they were routed through my D-Link DUB-H4 external powered hub (but not when they were connected directly to the internal USB port of my PowerBook) ARE APPARENTLY GONE with the update to OS X 10.4.2. I have been listening for a few hours and have not heard any artifacts at all. With 10.4.1 I heard two or three artifacts a minute.

Since my hardware setup is identical, it appears that Apple has fixed this bug with the 10.4.2 release?

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Answer 6

Aug 6, 2005 3:44 AM in response to Tsathul

Hi Tsathul,

good to hear that. I thought there would never be a software fix for this. I just tried another USB port of my Belkin Hub, but the artifacts are still there. Maybe it is because I cascaded 2 Hubs (PowerBook->Cinema Display->Belkin Hub). At least it still works fine when connected to the leftmost port of the Belkin Hub... 🙂

Björn

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Answer 7

Tsathul

Level 1

79 points

Sep 20, 2005 6:21 PM in response to Tsathul

ANOTHER UPDATE -- the blips and warbles on my hub-routed USB SoundSticks are baaaaack, even under 10.4.2. I bought another USB peripheral and reconfigured my hub setup, and the sound artifacts on the SoundSticks returned. I tried changing the hub setup back to what it had been, and many other hub configurations besides, but with no luck -- huh??? As before, the USB SoundSticks do work fine when plugged directly into my AlBook's USB port.

No idea what supernatural force gave me a temporary reprieve, or if my ears simply weren't working right for several weeks and I missed the artifacts....?

One thing to note -- the artifacts I hear are very short warbles in frequency, not the clicks and pops that others have reported. Maybe they have the same root cause, maybe not?

I will try a different hub as others have done and see if that can solve the problem more permanently.

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Answer 8

Tsathul

Level 1

79 points

Sep 20, 2005 8:08 PM in response to Tsathul

PROBLEM SOLVED? -- I dug a 5-year-old Keyspan USB 1.1 hub out of my cabinet and substituted it for the spanking new D-Link DUB-H4 USB 2.0 hub, and presto, the blips and warbles are gone. And this is with the Keyspan hub UNpowered (!!) except by what it gets via its USB link to the PowerBook.

Not only that, but a new USB microphone whose data had been marred by multiple clicks and pops performs perfectly now that the DUB-H4 is not in the chain.

Analysis -- the SoundSticks trouble I was having was NOT due to insufficient hub power or speed, but seems more related to an audio incompatibility in the particular hub I was using. The D-Link DUB-H4 is based on a Genesys Logic (Taipei) GL850 controller chip. A web search turns up references to this part in hubs from other Asian manufacturers, so if it's a GL850-Mac audio incompatibility, one could see this effect with hubs from companies other than D-Link, especially economy brand hubs.

Don't know how one can know pre-purchase that a hub is or isn't built around the GL850. Odds may be better with higher-end brands such as Keyspan and Belkin.

Don't know either why the DUB-H4 appeared to work fine for a few weeks. But swapping it out for the Keyspan hub made an immediate and obvious difference.

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