[USB-Audio - DAC-X6, playback] Underruns, dropouts or crackling sound

[Dan Habot]

I was playing back from SoundCloud where I pay for Go and use the "High Quality" streaming settings.

I'm also working on a react native app and this issue seems to happen after I start the bundle server (react-native start). I can't show you the code because I'm selling it.

I connected my headphones through an FX-Audio DAC-X6, a FiiO K3 Type-C USB DAC, and my motherboard and I get the exact same crackling, so it's defiantly a software issue.

As for the actual sounds, the popping sound like a momentary drop in all sound, I don't have an oscilloscope but I suspect the pops would look like ~15ish milliseconds of 0 volts right in the middle of the sound wave. Also these pops are repetitive, like there's a pattern to them starting with a big one and then smaller ones at regular intervals leading me to think some number isn't getting processed properly. Now that I think about it I might have been experiencing this bug ever since Ubuntu 19.10 but haven't noticed it up until I got these high impedance headphones and now have to turn up my DAC to twice the gain. It doesn't sound like static, but more like a single clap but slowed down.

I have already followed a menagerie of solutions (2 most recent ones):

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/PositionReporting

https://itectec.com/ubuntu/ubuntu-annoying-click-popping-sound-on-ubuntu-20-04/

And none of them have made a difference.

Appended you will find an audio file where I put my headphones on my condenser mic and played a 440hz tone in an attempt to record the pops. It's alittle quiet, so I'd recommend trying to amplify it. I hoped I could use Audacity to visually identify the pops in the actual waveform but I wasn't sure what I was looking for.

I really want this fixed because right now I absolutely can't use my headphones, I literally feel each and every pop and it hurts. If you have any further questions or want to test on my hardware, please email me at <email address hidden>. Thank you.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-58.64-generic 5.4.73
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-58-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.14
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Thu Dec 17 22:49:22 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-12-16 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:DACX6 failed
Symptom_Card: DAC-X6 - DAC-X6
Symptom_Type: Underruns, dropouts, or "crackling" sound
Title: [USB-Audio - DAC-X6, playback] Underruns, dropouts or crackling sound
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/28/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V17.12
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 760GM-P34(FX) (MS-7641)
dmi.board.vendor: MSI
dmi.board.version: 4.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MSI
dmi.chassis.version: 4.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV17.12:bd11/28/2012:svnMSI:pnMS-7641:pvr4.0:rvnMSI:rn760GM-P34(FX)(MS-7641):rvr4.0:cvnMSI:ct3:cvr4.0:
dmi.product.family: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.name: MS-7641
dmi.product.sku: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: 4.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MSI
mtime.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.alsa-base.conf: 2020-12-17T22:21:33.927437

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.