USB Audio crash with LOUD NOISE randomly

Stop making stuff up. I have a very low end spec machine by today's standards. Add to that I also have a P4 1.5 GHz non-hyperthreading machine from 2001 with only 768 MB RDRAM.

Both run Win 7 x86. Both work amazing with onboard Realtek AC '97. Both work amazing with my MOTU Traveler firewire interface. Both work amazing with USB port audio.

XP is not the professional audio standard by any means. Win7 was designed for professional audio use in mind as one of its major points and features, unlike any previous version of Windows ever!

it's a USB audio device which will have it's own buffers and drivers

And note that USB audio device and its buffers are hardware devices, and the drivers must support that device for the OS in use.

And while I don't disagree there are some issues with Win7, Win7 is designed to support current hardware not legacy hardware as the 10 year old XP does - which I might add, was designed to support DOS era hardware. Win7 users should be running current hardware that has current drivers.

And note that audiophile electronics was and remains my first love and my ASUS ITX-220 ITX box running Win7 Home works just fine in my HT system. And while my Onkyo based HT system may not be considered "high-end", it is not entry-level either.

It may not be obvious to the casual user but audio/video playback is one of the most time critical and demanding tasks you can ask Windows to perform.

I totally disagree. A simple check of Task Manager shows that is not the case and this is why streaming audio and video throughout a house is not that difficult. Now conversion and editing is another story but simply "playing" audio or video can be done in the background. I will also note that MUCH of the graphics processing is done by the GPU, not CPU and it takes very little CPU horsepower or Windows resources to hand off graphics tasks - this is exactly why your ATOM and my ASUS HT, or TorrentG's P4 systems are able to work fine in HT setups.

Originally Posted by TorrentG

Stop making stuff up.

Have you been told today?

Look, Win7 is far from a godsend. It is a second generation on a code base that failed miserably on first generation.
OF COURSE THERE ARE PROBLEMS and only a fool would deny that.

I see this all the time... For reasons I simply don't understand, a lot of people have magically decided windows 7 is perfect and some even get rather carried away (like accusing people of lying) at the mere suggestion of a weakness or flaw. Christ man this is code... just ordinary software written by human beings (lots of them) and it is just idiotic to pretend there won't be issues and errors (lots of them). A crucial part of offering valid support to end users is recognizing the problems and knowing how to advise people who run into them. You help nobody by denying the issues.

Originally Posted by Digerati

And note that USB audio device and its buffers are hardware devices, and the drivers must support that device for the OS in use.

My point exactly... some of the drivers on the el-cheapo stuff out there don't.

And while I don't disagree there are some issues with Win7, Win7 is designed to support current hardware not legacy hardware as the 10 year old XP does - which I might add, was designed to support DOS era hardware. Win7 users should be running current hardware that has current drivers.

I agree. But if you take a look at the lists of products certified by Win7 you're going to discover rather quickly that "certification" hinges more on money than performance... Some of the worst crap on the market has the Win7 logo on it.

And note that audiophile electronics was and remains my first love and my ASUS ITX-220 ITX box running Win7 Home works just fine in my HT system. And while my Onkyo based HT system may not be considered "high-end", it is not entry-level either. I totally disagree. A simple check of Task Manager shows that is not the case and this is why streaming audio and video throughout a house is not that difficult. Now conversion and editing is another story but simply "playing" audio or video can be done in the background. I will also note that MUCH of the graphics processing is done by the GPU, not CPU and it takes very little CPU horsepower or Windows resources to hand off graphics tasks - this is exactly why your ATOM and my ASUS HT, or TorrentG's P4 systems are able to work fine in HT setups.

Excellent... My primary line of work before getting mixed up in HTPC systems was audio systems. I used to design them, fix them, build them and install them...

I should remind you however that with audio and video, mere CPU usage from Task Manager does not tell the whole story. The latency issue (DPC latency) is real and it can occur at very low CPU usages... It's an OS multitasking issue not a CPU usage problem.

DPC Latency Checker

There is no latency problem lol.

I run Cubase 5, Sonar, Sound Forge Pro and many other professional apps with multiple vst plugins such as Guitar Rig 4, EZDrummer, Antares Auto-Tune...

all on a P4 2004 machine with perfect results. Perfect and nothing less. Multiple inputs, multiple tracks, midi going...the works.

Are you trying to say that I have a special magical machine or something?

I can only imagine how good it would be with a modern processor. Now that really would be something great.

Win7 for the win.

Oh yeah, forget to mention it's perfect at 192 kHz and 24 bit recording, 32 bit editing too. Not only 44.1 kHz/16 bit like a cd. Not only 48 kHz/16 bit like a DVD. But 192 kHz/24/32.

Yes, I must have a magical machine.

Originally Posted by TorrentG

There is no latency problem lol.

I run Cubase 5, Sonar, Sound Forge Pro and many other professional apps with multiple vst plugins such as Guitar Rig 4, EZDrummer, Antares Auto-Tune...

Are you running a set of USB headphones or a USB DAC?

Something like this... USBDAC

Really... these are very high bitrate devices, not your el-cheapo motherboard sound chips. Many of them had to be redesigned to work on Win7 because of the increased DPC latency, some models just disappeared altogether...

You can run cubase and vst all you like... You won't see this problem until you hook up a $150 Firestone DAC to $25,000 worth of McIntosh audio and $12,000 worth of Klipsh or Boston Acoustics speakers... THEN you will understand.

The USB headphones in question use the same technology... an external digital to audio converter (DAC), no soundcard, and can operate at bitrates your AC-97 chip would puke on.

Rule #1 for happiness in life.... Never argue with a zealot.

Thanks for inviting me back TorrentG... but I see now that I've made a terrible mistake accepting.

Bye!

I already told you that my ancient AC' 97 works perfectly on a 2001 machine. (That machine must be magical too, heh?)

You're talking so much nonsense it is unbelievable to me. I run one of the best pairs of headphones money can buy in my studio setup - AKG K701 (used by the highest end professional studios on earth.)

You can have a look at my gear here:

TorrentG's Rig and Home Studio pics/tour

"Making stuff up" was perhaps too harsh, but at the same time, some of your comments are "out there" too. "XP remains the OS of choice for audiophile use". Says who? Got a link to a reputable audio/videophile site that says that? The audiophiles I know building or buying new HTPCs are NOT choosing XP. They are going with Win7, or Linux.

My point exactly... some of the drivers on the el-cheapo stuff out there don't.

So you blame Windows 7? The "hooks" for Windows 7 driver support was published long before Windows 7 was released to manufacturers. It is not Win7's fault if "el-cheapo" hardware makers are negligent or unwilling to bring their hardware or drivers up to current standards. Nor is it Win7's or Microsoft's fault if users are unwilling to upgrade their "legacy" hardware or software to current standards. It's just simple Windows or Microsoft "bashing" to blame Windows for not supporting every bit of hardware out there.

Windows 7 certification is based on money - makers have to pay MS to test and certify. But certification does mean there are compatible drivers out there - so your point to this discussion is immaterial.

Microsoft tried to cater to users demanding legacy support with XP and look what happened. Badguys took advantage of the outdated security situation and MS bashers slammed MS for next 10 years. Now with Win7, MS is looking forward (as the forward thinking hardware makers have) and MS has put legacy support on the back burner, and rightfully so. But of course, now the MS bashers are bashing MS for not supporting legacy HW and SW again.

I will also note that the vast majority of the 100s of millions of Windows 7 users have no problems with latency issues. If this were an inherent problem with Windows 7 itself, it would be more widespread.

Finally, I note that Windows 7 supports hardware acceleration which is not supported by much of the legacy stuff out there - again calling for users to upgrade their hardware if they want to take advantage of what Win7 has to offer. I note it is because of hardware acceleration that Internet Explorer 9 will not, and never will run on XP system.

***
Back on topic, if this is not a problem with the headphones (or wires) then I would suspect a USB problem which are very widespread and which hopefully, USB3.0 will [finally - since 2.0 failed to] resolve.