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Strange interaction with Spotify and my DAC

Strange interaction with Spotify and my DAC

I'm using the most recent version (1.1.15.448) of the Spotify app for Win 10 which I downloaded directly from Spotify. It plays correctly when using the Realtek sound drivers for my on-board audio.

 

I just purchased a DAC (an RME ADI-2 DAC) which connects via USB, and I installed the current drivers from the DAC's manufacturer. I'm running the DAC at a sample rate of 384 kHz, and it operates correctly. When I turn on the DAC, Windows shows it as the output device.

 

If I turn on the DAC prior to opening Spotify and try to play a track, I get an error message from Spotify that says "Spotify can't play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it." The track won't play.

 

However, if I open Spotify before turning on the DAC, tracks will play properly through the DAC. This is a very repeatable error.

 

Every other app on my computer that plays sound has no trouble playing through the DAC if the DAC is turned on prior to opening the app. It's just Spotify that has this problem.

 

I've uninstalled and reinstalled Spotify, but it hasn't resolved this issue. Any ideas?

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6 Replies

I discovered the solution to the problem. When I changed the sample rate to 192 kHz, Spotify will work even if the DAC is turned on first. I guess Spotify, unlike other apps that I use, has trouble with the 384 kHz sample rate. The error message from Spotify must be a catch-all one since it had nothing to do with the underlying problem.

Nice catch, thanks.

 

You can also switch your default device to your onboard audio, then swap it back to your DAC - should then work @ 384 kHz.

Worked for me after ifi Zen CAN v2 refused to work regularly, thanks.

Thanks. I recently switched from a Topping DX7s to an E30II w/dual AKM chips, and I run 32/384k by default (for no good mathematical/audio reason other than "max settings to 11"). It which works with everything else on my Windows 11 media server (games, ROON, etc.) but for some reason Spotify is completely flaky with it now. If I drop settings down to 32/192 or 24/192 it works fine.  Given anything beyond 44.1k isn't human audible, and 16 bits is more than enough to encode it, not super important but no idea why Spotify is the only app on that system will not work with higher settings.

This worked for me, thanks. Spotify´s clean install didn´t do the trick for me.

I had a same problem with Spotify and Topping E50 DAC with usb input. The system for this DAC has to set up max sample rate to 192 or below and Spotify will work fine. However, Qobuz desktop app did not have any problem playing with max sample rate of 384.

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