USB audio output not automatically switching

[davehutch]

Hi all, I'm using a MBP M1 and I'm having a small, but annoying issue. It happens with Safari and Music and let's say I'm playing through the internal speakers...I plug in a USB audio adapter to lightning (Anker). The Mac picks up the fact that I've plugged it in and adjusts the volume accordingly, but the App itself doesn't route the audio to the USB output. I have to quit either Safari or Music and then once I open the app again, everything is fine.
Any ideas please?

 

[BrianBaughn]

Are you manually switching you audio output in System Preferences to the Anker adapter?

 

[davehutch]

I've tried allowing the Mac to switch automatically (which it does) but there's no audio. If I switch manually in Sound Prefs there is also no audio. Only by quitting the app and re-opening does the audio start to play straight away.

 

[Fishrrman]

This may help, or not at all...

Next time you plug the Anker in, open Audio/MIDI Setup (in the utilities folder).

See if it's recognized.

You might need to create a new "input" (or something like that) for it...

 

[davehutch]

Thanks @Fishrman, yes it is recognised (unfortunately). Might be a Monterey issue of course. On Big Sur I had the issue of the Anger not being recognised at all, until I went into Midi and selected it manually. I might contact Anker and see what they say.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Have you tried it in every port available? How about through a hub?

 

[J.Gallardo]

...It seems automatic audio directing doesn't work properly... I'm going to try how my MacBook behaves (will test usb out) , but my use is with analogue audio jack, and switching works ok, as supposed.
But I've found ocasional and inconsistent errors at recognising audio out, always fixed by restarting app, yes.
If it happens always, it's a bug, I believe.
Instead of closing & opening the app, you could try selecting "internal speakers" at the Sound icon in menu bar and switching back to "external"; it fixes things, sometimes, for me. (And it's not a real solution).

 

[davehutch]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I'll wait for Apple to do something about it but in the mean time I'll report the bug at Apple.com/feedback

 

[davehutch]

I had a 'standard' reply from Anker i.e. to check my headphones are MFi and my USB supports audio so that was pointless.
Anyway, I happened to have an old set of Lightning earbuds from Apple and they work perfectly with the Anker adaptor. So I assume now it's a compatibility issue with the Audeze LCDi3 IEMs I'm using. I'll drop a line to Audeze but I don't hold out much hope as they've now stopped supplying the lightning adaptor.