Help! Arcam rDAC to PC connection not Working (USB 2.0 Cable).

[andywalton1831]

Help anyone? I have just purchased a Supra USB 2.0 Type A-B, Hi-Speed 15 metre cable. EAN - 7330060203923. I am using this to connect a Windows PC to an Arcam rDAC. When I connect the cable to the PC I get the error message - "USB device not Recognised - The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned and Windows does not recognise it.". I have also borrowed two other 10 meter bog-standard cables from a friend and getting the same problem with those. My system does currently work with my 1m bog-standard printer cable though?? I have also tried the following -

1) Successfully connected the DAC and the PC together using another 1 meter lower quality USB a-b cable that I have (this is my existing set-up - I just wanted to upgrade the cable in the hope it would give me better performance). I believe though that this confirms that in theory there is no problem with the DAC or this type of set-up, just a problem with the new cable!

2) Tried all the USB ports on my PC with no success.

3) Tried connecting the new cable between a laptop that I have and the DAC with no success (however this set-up does also work using the other 1m USB "printer" cable that I have).

4) I have also connected the cable/s to a printer to test the cable but still get the same error message.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks. Andy.

PS The DAC is working with the CD player I have connected to it!

 

[The_Lhc]

(this is my existing set-up - I just wanted to upgrade the cable in the hope it would give me better performance).

Well it won't. But if you're currently running with a 1 metre cable why are you trying to replace it with a 15 or 10 metre cable?

 

[cheeseboy]

hmmm, usb 2.0 is only rated up to 5m, not 15m. Chances are the cable is too long.

 

[andywalton1831]

Thanks both for the responses. In answer to you....

The 1 metre cable I'm using I use occasionally from a laptop that I set up on the floor in front of the hi-fi which was obviously just a temporary set-up. I've just invested in a new PC to which I've connected my large external hard drive which has all my music on it. I've set this up in my office in a different room (the only place I can set it up). My thinking was to run my music from this new PC and run a cable from it to my hi-fi in my living room. I presume when you say "well it won't" you a referring to the loss of signal because of the large increase in cable length? I was hoping to negate some of this by buying a reasonably decent quality cable (the new Supra one is dually- screen etc).

I did do a bit of research and the cable is actually marketed as a cable for audio equipment and for connecting to DAC's. If interested, this is where I bought it from "Futureshop" on the internet.

The 1m version also got reviewed by What Hi-fi - Novemeber 2012

My problem is I guess is that it just doesn't work full stop! Surely they can't just sell something that won't work (it doesn't even work with my printer!)?! I suspect I'm just doing something wrong: need a driver or some software on my PC or something?! If it gave me poor performance I would have accepted that and just sent it back and re-thought my set-up.

PS Please be gentle with me - I'm an absolute novice at all this! ;o)

 

[The_Lhc]

If the only difference between working and not working is the cable then it stands to reason that the cable is at fault. I doubt there's anything much wrong with what you're doing, inasmuch that you shouldn't have to do anything differently just because you've swapped the cable over.

For that sort of distance though I think you'd be better off sending the music data over your home network.

 

[andywalton1831]

Thanks again.

When you say "sending the music data over your home network" do you mean wirelessly?

I'm thinking I may have to go down the Wireless Audio Transmitter USB Dongle route?

I've got the wireless rDAC version (I didn't but the wireless version for any other reason other than I had it at a good price!).

 

[cheeseboy]

My problem is I guess is that it just doesn't work full stop! Surely they can't just sell something that won't work

if it was sold as an audio usb cable then I'd be scratching my chin already quite frankly. Usb is a data transfer thing, it doesn't care what you are sending down it.

(it doesn't even work with my printer!)?! I suspect I'm just doing something wrong: need a driver or some software on my PC or something?! If it gave me poor performance I would have accepted that and just sent it back and re-thought my set-up.

PS Please be gentle with me - I'm an absolute novice at all this! ;o)

as I said, the cable is too long. No idea what they've marketed it for or sold it. as i said, usb has a maximum length of 5m at best.

 

[andywalton1831]

Okay, thank you Cheeseboy. I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I'll be sending it back and going doing the wireless dongle route!

I have emailed the company... no response yet...

 

[MajorFubar]

How about using a short cable to the DAC and a long audio cable from the DAC to wherever you need the sound to be?

 

[sheoke]

Hello all,

Well I took the plunge and purchased an rDAC on eBay. Big mistake it seems now. I have tried a number of different USB 2 cables with it and also connecting it to two different PCs, all with the same result - "Unknown" under Other Devices in Win7 Task Manager.

I contacted Arcam and they said it should work with Windows 7 as is, without any add-on drivers. In any case, as they suggested, I downloaded the ones from their website but they didn't work. As one of the .inf files indicates, they are most likely for use with Win 98 to Win XP. After informing them of this they determined that I may have a defective unit. I even tried using the software for the irDAC II - no go.

The Arcam rDAC page is: http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,usb-dacs,USB-DACs,rdac.htm

Any ideas on this one folks?

[My first post - thanks for having me on your forum.]