usb sound devices crackling

[uvi]

After upgrade from 20.04 to 21.04 all 3 my usb sound devices start crackling, i have xduoo05plus, audeze mobius, audient id4.
I also tried to modify

default-fragments = 5
default-fragment-size-msec = 2

to different sugested on stackoverflow articles setting

Also this is in my config:
high-priority = yes
nice-level = -11

realtime-scheduling = yes
realtime-priority = 5

I even tried to switch to pipewire, but it still the same. Possible issue in alsa kernel drivers for usb interface, submitting bug to pulse as it default in ubuntu.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.04
Package: pulseaudio 1:14.2-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.11.0-17.18-generic 5.11.12
Uname: Linux 5.11.0-17-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu65.1
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Wed Jun 2 11:11:55 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-08-13 (658 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo" - Release amd64 (20190416)
PulseList: Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to hirsute on 2021-05-16 (16 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/12/2015
dmi.bios.release: 4.6
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F11
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: B85-HD3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrF11:bd08/12/2015:br4.6:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnB85-HD3:pvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnB85-HD3:rvrTobefilledbyO.E.M.:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.family: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: B85-HD3
dmi.product.sku: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
modified.conffile..etc.pulse.daemon.conf: [modified]
modified.conffile..etc.pulse.system.pa: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.daemon.conf: 2021-05-18T13:33:15.787174
mtime.conffile..etc.pulse.system.pa: 2021-05-18T11:20:40.860787

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks for the bug report. Please try some older and newer kernel versions and tell us if they have the same problem:

https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=M;O=D

[uvi (vladimir-umnov)]

Checked
5.9.16 - the same
5.8.5 - much rare and smaller (but 'cracks' still exists).

Also there are cracks in 90% cases when i click on kmix tray app (opens kmix window), when i change volume or tab in kmix (between apps and hw), or when another app open stream. Its on all kernels and was on 20.04 too.

5.12 cant check, i have home profile on zfs, zfs dkms not builds on it.

Also it much bigger in time and more noticeable now.

There is no cracks when playing one stream on ae-5 and xonar d1, only usb affected. But there is sometimes when new app open stream or volume is changed, its not the case of that bug report, seems it some kind of general architecture problem >:-( >:-[

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It might also be a good idea to ensure your USB sound device is never sharing the same USB bus/hub as other devices. You can check that using:

  lsusb -t

[uvi (vladimir-umnov)]

Here connected audeze (Port 8: Dev 8) and xd05p ( Port 1: Dev 7). It share bus 3, but only keyboard and mouse here. i have no other usb. Cracks exists even if only one usb audio is connected at a time. And the major thing - it was fine before upgrade.

/: Bus 04.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/6p, 5000M
    |__ Port 5: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/4p, 5000M
/: Bus 03.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/12p, 480M
    |__ Port 5: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
    |__ Port 5: Dev 2, If 1, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
    |__ Port 6: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/4p, 480M
        |__ Port 3: Dev 5, If 0, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 1.5M
        |__ Port 3: Dev 5, If 1, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 1.5M
    |__ Port 8: Dev 8, If 0, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
    |__ Port 8: Dev 8, If 1, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
    |__ Port 8: Dev 8, If 2, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
    |__ Port 8: Dev 8, If 3, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 480M
    |__ Port 9: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/4p, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 7, If 1, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 7, If 2, Class=Application Specific Interface, Driver=, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 7, If 0, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
    |__ Port 12: Dev 6, If 1, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
    |__ Port 12: Dev 6, If 2, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
    |__ Port 12: Dev 6, If 0, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
/: Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M
/: Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M

[uvi (vladimir-umnov)]

Tested mpd today all day long about 10hours - no crackling at all, even with dsd 256 (11mbit).
pulse and pipewire - stable crackling (1-5 in 5 minute about 0.2-0.3s).

So buses, alsa, kernel, etc cannot affect this.
I can make other tests, change config settings, please suggest how to investigate further.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I'm not familiar with mpd. It sounds like maybe you should seek advice from the developers by opening an upstream issue at:

  https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/issues

or

  https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/pipewire/-/issues

[uvi (vladimir-umnov)]

created report https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/issues/1227