K50 USB port failure

[Luigi]

Upon returning home after the hellish heatwave had passed, I turned my system back on and—to my great surprise—there was no sound. After some troubleshooting, I realized the issue was a USB communication problem between the K50 and the DAC. I ran various tests, all of which pointed to a problem with the K50’s USB port, so I arranged a consultation with technical support. It turned out the K50’s USB port was working perfectly—except when I connected the Jorma cable; yet, that same cable worked flawlessly when connecting my MacBook to the DAC. To cut a long story short, I discovered that the K50’s USB port is too “loose”—meaning it doesn’t hold the USB-A connector with sufficient “grip.” I’d like to know if anyone else has encountered this issue and how they resolved it. Thanks.

[terrycym]

I previously reported an issue with my USB connector here

[MarkCole]

Over time a USB connector can become loose with constant swapping of cables and/or very heavy USB cables used without support.
Not saying that’s the case here as the Jorma is a lightweight high quality cable.
If you are experiencing an issue and would like it checked by a technician, then we would require an repair request from our RMA portal:

Antipodes RMA and Repair Requests

When a server cannot be fixed, via email, and/or remote sessions and the device needs to be sent to a Service Centre for repair, we have a Portal to manage these requests.. https://antipodesaudio.returnsportal.net/ At the Portal, please create an account, and step thru the process of creating a repair request, please click all the way thru to submit the request.

[Luigi]

Hi Mark, I’ve only ever used lightweight cables in my setup, and I don’t enjoy the hassle of constantly plugging and unplugging them. I’ve always found the K50’s USB port tricky to use, and I remember a post on this forum about opening up the unit to better position the connector. The idea of ​​shipping the K50 from Italy to New Zealand doesn’t appeal to me, so I was wondering if anyone else had faced a similar issue and how it was resolved.
Invia commenti

[kennyb123]

@Luigi

I’ve only ever used lightweight cables in my setup, and I don’t enjoy the hassle of constantly plugging and unplugging them. I’ve always found the K50’s USB port tricky to use, and I remember a post on this forum about opening up the unit to better position the connector.

I believe it was @NickBacon who did that. If I recall correctly, he found that one of the later K50 models provided a way to tighten the grip. Maybe try searching this forum for Nick’s post where he mentions USB.

I only have problems with the loose connection when I make some kind of change with my equipment or cables and then forget to make sure that the cable is properly seated. It’s become a habit though for me to check that. When I leave everything be, I never have any issues with it.

I’m guessing the heatwave you had must have changed a physical property of something enough where the grip loosened. Maybe check with the manufacturer of your cable to see how excessive heat might have affected the connector. Easier to swap a cable than a K50.