Popping/clicking when switching tracks

[AdieH]

Hi all,

I've had this problem since I got my WiiM Mini about 3 months ago. Each time you click "next", or select a new track, in each case while another track is playing, there is a pause (which is normal) followed my a clicking/popping sound before it plays the selected track. There is no clicking/popping if you simply let the one track play and then move to the next, automatically.

I am using Qobuz (thru the WiiM app), but this also happens with Spotify connect.

Hardware is a Denafrips Ares II DAC with a QED cable optical cable.

The release notes from a few months ago identified this as an issue, but it said it was solved. I don't think it is. (The issue was described as:"Popping noise coming through speaker's when changing tracks when using optical output to DAC optical in").

When I logged a ticket (after the release notes claimed it was "solved") they said they are working on it, suggesting it was indeed, not solved. But, the issue persists.

Any ideas? Does anyone else have the same issue, or the same hardware, with no issue?

Cheers,

Adrian

 

[TTC64]

just read in another forum about a related topic, they were suggesting to control the wifi signal strength fisrt, because some streaming services don't perform bitferfect if the signal doesn't have the quality to perform.

 

[SJC]

Yep, these clicks happen every time a track is changed, it’s very annoying, i’m sure it wasn’t like this when i got my first wiim some months ago, not the dacs as i’m running 2 different in different systems. And yes they did say it was fixed, i thought it was just me!
I’m running a Topping D50s and Topping E30ii with Amazon HD.

 

[kate25]

Same problem. And I did a direct comparison with the old streamers from Arilic. They don't have that problem.
Interestingly, if there is an inactive output, aux for example, and an active bluetooth connected at the same time. These pops will sound on the aux.
Very strange behavior.

With such a fundamental problem, the WiiM is nothing more than a useless toy. I hope the engineers can fix the problem.

 

[Brantome]

Same problem. And I did a direct comparison with the old streamers from Arilic. They don't have that problem.
Interestingly, if there is an inactive output, aux for example, and an active bluetooth connected at the same time. These pops will sound on the aux.
Very strange behavior.

With such a fundamental problem, the WiiM is nothing more than a useless toy. I hope the engineers can fix the problem.

I don’t experience that issue on my Mini nor Pro. Have you submitted a ticket to WiiM when this happens using the feedback section in the app so the WiiM engineers can investigate your log and individual setup?

For me, the devices are in daily use and far from toys …

 

[kate25]

I don’t experience that issue on my Mini nor Pro. Have you submitted a ticket to WiiM when this happens using the feedback section in the app so the WiiM engineers can investigate your log and individual setup?

For me, the devices are in daily use and far from toys …

Yes, sure. And not just once. At first I thought about the failed upgrade and did a downgrade with the help of tech support, but that didn't fix the problem.
Then the experiments began.
I made videos showing the problem using different amplifiers, input and output sources.
The line output recording does not show anything out of the ordinary, and there are no peaks. So the problem is most likely a hardware one. Pops are present even at the start (notable)/end (way quieter) of any sound on a PC that is connected via bluetooth to WiiM.

I'm glad there are more lucky people

 

[AdieH]

just read in another forum about a related topic, they were suggesting to control the wifi signal strength fisrt, because some streaming services don't perform bitferfect if the signal doesn't have the quality to perform.

Thanks, TTC64. I did some research and I don't think this is the same problem. The clicking that may be addressed by a wifi signal reduction sounds like it occurs during playback - this is not the case here. It only clicks between tracks when you manually hit the next track or previous track buttons. Strangely, there are clicks when you simply leave the app to play the songs sequentially.

 

[AdieH]

Yep, these clicks happen every time a track is changed, it’s very annoying, i’m sure it wasn’t like this when i got my first wiim some months ago, not the dacs as i’m running 2 different in different systems. And yes they did say it was fixed, i thought it was just me!
I’m running a Topping D50s and Topping E30ii with Amazon HD.

Thank goodness it's not me!

I've tried both the stock optical cable, and my QED cable and there's no difference. From the responses of other it sounds like it may be DAC-related.

Perhaps if we all log a ticket then WiiM might be motivated to address it.

Alternatively, if any of the admins from WiiM are reading this, please acknowledge and provide an update. I'm thinking of moving to a Bluenode sooner rather than later ...

 

[SnowDog]

I too have the clicking problem between tracks on aux port. Happens only when manually changing track position or prev/next song. I'm on firmware 4.6.503558

 

[onlyoneme]

I too have the clicking problem between tracks on aux port. Happens only when manually changing track position or prev/next song. I'm on firmware 4.6.503558

For any sample rate?

 

[SnowDog]

For any sample rate?

doesn't seem to be specific to any particular sampling rate or bit depth... just tried these real quick and they all click when manually changing tracks

16bit/44kHz
24bit/44kHz
24bit/96kHz
24bit/192kHz

 

[onlyoneme]

doesn't seem to be specific to any particular sampling rate or bit depth... just tried these real quick and they all click when manually changing tracks

16bit/44kHz
24bit/44kHz
24bit/96kHz
24bit/192kHz

I've noticed it for 44.1 but it was a kind of more prolonged static noise rather than a simple click.

Can you hear those clicks also for Spotify? Or for Tidal when Tidal Connect is used and when sample rate does not change?

 

[SnowDog]

What I'm experiencing is a single click. It's not super loud, but pretty annoying with headphones for sure.

I only have amazon music. I just checked and It definitely has an audible click when changing between songs of the same sample rate. It even does it when you simply change the position of the current song. If you let a song complete and go to the next song on its own the transition is smooth.

 

[AdieH]

What I'm experiencing is a single click. It's not super loud, but pretty annoying with headphones for sure.

I only have amazon music. I just checked and It definitely has an audible click when changing between songs of the same sample rate. It even does it when you simply change the position of the current song. If you let a song complete and go to the next song on its own the transition is smooth.

Yep - this is precisely the behaviour I experience except more often than not it's more than one click AND the series of clicks have differing volumes. I'm using the Toslink cable to my DAC --> Glow Audio One tube amp. Sample rate and streaming source do not matter - I primarily use Spotify Connect, and Qobuz (the latter thru the WiiM Mini app).

 

[Ryan]

It is a part Dac part Wiim issue.

I had the same problem with my Theta Dacs using a BD player as a source, some BD players would create a loud pop or static sound when changing tracks, but on different BD players it would be fine.

After some research I found that the Theta Dac doesn't have a signal mute to turn off the signal when skipping tracks, plus the BD player doesn't either, so what happens is when you skip a track instead of muting the signal for a split second the signal stays engaged and you get the static coming through in-between the next track starting while thf signal locks again.

Either your Dac or source needs to mute the signal when skipping a track, as long one of them does it, it won't give that noise issue, so I'm sure Wiim could try fix it with an update.

 

[SnowDog]

If they can manage to provide gapless playback they should be able to figure out a way to avoid introducing noise when manually changing tracks.

It's probably worth opening a ticket with them for this. I had a number of issues when I first got the mini 6+ months ago. I finally dusted it off to give it another try and all my previous issues have been resolved.

 

[onlyoneme]

It seems to be related to turning off/on spdif output and syncing/locking with the DAC. Unfortunately it happens almost always when switching to the new track manually.

 

[Klipscher]

I notice if mostly when the bitrate changes on tidal. I listen to mostly playlist and when ever it switch from master to hifi or vise verse I hear clicks.

 

[onlyoneme]

I notice if mostly when the bitrate changes on tidal. I listen to mostly playlist and when ever it switch from master to hifi or vise verse I hear clicks.

Sample rate change forces resync on spdif. I've observed that resync is done all the time when Tidal playback is initiated in the WiiM app but only if sample rate changes when in Tidal Connect.

 

[kate25]

If a network (WiFi) or bt source is selected, then clicks are present with any output option (Bluetooth speaker does not consider, there are separate problems with it).
If the AUX input is selected, there are no clicks on both output options.

This is one of the tests on a simple build. Bt-WiiM-aux. The portable speaker has enough gain to show the problem. Clicks sound much more unpleasant on a large audio system.