[Alsa-user] AudioQuest DragonFly v1.0 DAC

[Adam K. <tri...@gm...>]

Hello,

I'm trying to get an AudioQuest DragonFly v1.0 DAC to work from mplayer2 with ALSA.

uname -srv
Linux 3.14-2-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.14.13-2 (2014-07-24)

dmesg after plugging in the device:
[85853.148104] usb 4-2: new full-speed USB device number 9 using uhci_hcd
[85853.542494] usb 4-2: New USB device found, idVendor=21b4, idProduct=0081
[85853.542505] usb 4-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[85853.542513] usb 4-2: Product: AudioQuest DragonFly
[85853.542519] usb 4-2: Manufacturer: AudioQuest inc.
[85853.542525] usb 4-2: SerialNumber: (C) 2011 Wavelength Audio, ltd.
[85853.567454] 9:1:1: cannot get freq at ep 0x1

aplay -l
card 1: DragonFly [AudioQuest DragonFly], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

aplay -L
iec958:CARD=DragonFly,DEV=0
    AudioQuest DragonFly, USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

command used to test flac files:
mplayer -ao alsa:device=iec958=DragonFly -format s24le <file>.flac
The DAC will not accept other sample formats (s16le or s32le).

***Test results***
Works (audio track in video container):
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 448.0 kbit/14.58% (ratio: 56000->384000)
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 16 bits

Broken (multiple files tested):
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 0.0 kbit/0.00% (ratio: 0->176400)
AO: [alsa] 44100Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 16 bits

Broken:
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s32le, 0.0 kbit/0.00% (ratio: 0->352800)
AO: [alsa] 44100Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 24 bits

Works:
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s32le, 0.0 kbit/0.00% (ratio: 0->384000)
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 24 bits

Broken (multiple files tested):
AUDIO: 88200 Hz, 2 ch, s32le, 0.0 kbit/0.00% (ratio: 0->705600)
AO: [alsa] 88200Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 24 bits

Works:
AUDIO: 96000 Hz, 2 ch, s32le, 0.0 kbit/0.00% (ratio: 0->768000)
AO: [alsa] 96000Hz 2ch s24le (3 bytes per sample)
Source file bit depth: 24 bits

I am able to duplicate the results with mpv instead of mplayer2.

After the tests, dmesg has 261 entries of this:
9:1:1: cannot get freq at ep 0x1

Windows with kernel streaming... I tested Foobar2000's Kernel Streaming Component on Win7 and all files play properly with 24 bit sample format output. (24 bit output, files could be 16 bit or 24 bit). It would seem that the device is not defective.

I think if I could change the device from USB 1.1 (Full Speed) to USB 2.0 (High Speed) that it might be fixed (from my own experience with a Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus on Debian). The AudioQuest device does not support USB 2.0. 

I have not been able to identify the root cause of this issue.

Any help is appreciated!

Adam