Itunes sound rubbish off the computer.

why did you move them? could you not just add the hard drive as part of your itunes library.

lose connection?

hi IDC, can you try an mp3 128 0r so with the itunes and see if that has the same problem?

Nads - the hard drive is upstairs. I was about to go with a network hard drive, but was sent the wrong size and returning it and getting my money back turned into a saga. I spent the money buying the Fubar instead. Moving some files onto the PC is a temporary measure.

Method man - it is the same for AAC as lossless, listening to Peter Gabriel as we speak (type) and the sibilance and crackles are very bad.

Ok and you only get the sibilance and crackles on lossless but dont on the lower level version of the same track?

Wired, presumably? Do drivers exist for the Fubar and have you installed them? Have you tried another USB cable?

I have some imported CD AAC files as well and they crackle too, as well as some downloaded tracks off itunes. Its the whole lot, I am starting to pick way way through it all and nothing sounds very good. I had not fully realised the problem till tonight as I have been listening to Spotify so much and even remarking with lordmortlock that Spotify sounds better!

EDIT - confirmed: everything from CDs imported losslessly and at AAC to music downloaded from itunes and Amazon suffers from the same problems.

JohnDuncan:

Wired, presumably? Do drivers exist for the Fubar and have you installed them? Have you tried another USB cable?

I am wired with the Fubar installed and working fine, with sounds off the likes of youtube and Spotify, but not itunes. I dont have another A to min B USB cable, but as I say only itunes sounds rubbish.

Could it be anything to do with your settings on itunes? Its got to be an itunes software issue if everything else sounds good.

I know it shouldn't make any difference but I'd be inclined to uninstall iitunes and start again.

Yep, definitely sounds like an itunes-specific problem, but can't think of any settings that could affect it. Will have a dig...

lordmortlock:

Could it be anything to do with your settings on itunes? Its got to be an itunes software issue if everything else sounds good. I know it shouldn't make any difference but I'd be inclined to uninstall iitunes and start again.

I would agree with you and JD. The other thing is some sort of PC setting that is unique to itunes, but my lack of PC knowledge has left me a bit flummoxed.

Lordmortlock, if nothing else comes up I will try the unistall/install route. I know we agree that Spotify sounds just as good, but do you get crackles and from the bass a strange cuffing noise?

Can't say I do. The SQ through itunes is very much affected by the quality of the file as I've got some poor quality mp3s on there but theres certainly no blanket degradation of quality generally.

Uninstalling shouldn't be too onerous - all the music will be kept in your my music folder and itunes can be pointed at this again after reinstallation. Are you using the newest version? I wonder if maybe itunes doesn't like your fubar, although I don't see why it wouldn't.

Could it be that for some reason itunes is downconverting your files automatically due to a setting issue? JD?

I did think it might be an up/downsampling issue but couldn't think how you'd do that in Windows.

JD, your Lordship, I have found a thing called Troubleshooting in Sounds and Audio Devices, which included a question do you have distortion and crackles? So I thought I was on to a winner there. But I have been through it and none of the suggestions have cured the problem. I have also used it to check that the DAC is all OK and installed properly, which it is.

I understand what you are saying about sampling, but like you haven't a clue whwere to even start.

So I am going for the big uninstall/install - fingers crossed.

Don't worry - itunes doesnt actually hold any music - just reads it from your 'my music' file. Really interested to know if it solves the problem. Not sure what happens to all your playlists (if thats a feature you use much - I don't really)