Zenith stuck in loop

MadCityGeoff

New member
Jun 15, 2025
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Madison, WI, USA
Hi, all. I have a Zenith with the latest 3.3.1 software. When I play a track in my library, the time display starts counting from 0 up to about 9 seconds and then loops back to 0 over and over. There's no sound. I've rebooted both the Zenith and my remote device (iPhone). Any suggestions?
 
I seem to recall that some DAC modules on McIntosh gear can be very sensitive to the order in which the devices are booted up. Try booting up one device at a time, so for example turn on the Innuos and wait for that to boot fully, and only then turn on the McIntosh. If that does not work, try the order (so with both systems off, turn on McIntosh first and select input, and then turn on Innuos).
 
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I tried both boot order methods as you suggested, but no luck. After many trials, I noticed that the Zenith will occasionally start playing a track. The timer counts up normally and I hear sound. Unfortunately, when I try to play another track, the looping/no audio problem comes back. I tried the phono and other inputs on the Mac C52 and they work fine. So, I guess the problem is the Zenith and not the dac or usb cable.
 
Okay, the other variant to try then is if you have any other kind of DAC at all to the ZENith, even something like a USB headset, to see if the issue repeats.
Equally, does plugging a different USB source like a laptop into the USB input module on the McIntosh work okay?
The STREAM3 is the direct replacement to the ZENith Mk3, which is about 1/3 the cost of a ZENith Next-Gen which is a much higher-end product rather than a replacement to the Mk3.