Blue Yeti USB Mic - Problem with...Windows? Hardware?

[RanceJustice]

Hello everyone. I've been having a problem with my Blue Yeti USB mic. Since they're rather popular, perhaps someone can help me sort it out. First, I'm using Win10 Pro x64 (and Linux, but most of the original tests were done on Windows as customer service/tech support requested), and I have a feeling that either there's something wrong with the hardware somehow, or its a Windows setting. In case its of any help, I'm using this on my Haswell-E / X99 based PC - I've not ruled out some weird incompatibility somewhere. I have plugged it into both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 slots - I've not seen any big difference thus far and am unsure which is preferable.

The issue is that the mic doesn't ever record properly. It shows up in Windows just fine, both the mic and its headphone monitoring jack. I have Yeti mic set up as my default input, with my speakers as default output. The first indication something is wrong is that in the "sounds" sub-menu of settings, you see a visual representation of the gain based on what the mic is picking up - it starts out active. However, after awhile it seems to freeze! The same thing happens in chat programs audio tests, like Discord - the gain / noise picked up is visible at first, but after an indeterminate amount of time (usually some point within 15 seconds), it visually "freezes" as well. Now, when running the Discord test it is supposed to be playing back your audio picked up through your specified output devices. During the period when it is "working" (visible gain indicator etc), it is picking up my voice test, but it seems very choppy like its cutting off not just the beginning and end of speech, but chopped up even when I try to speak continuously; its nigh unintelligible because of this. Worse, when the "freeze" occurs on the gain meter, it no longer picks up audio at all -its simply locked up. Closing whatever was using the mic (discord test settings menu, the Sounds menu etc) for a period of time will eventually seem to "reset" so the gain is visible again, but just trying to go right back immediately will often still find it frozen. There are some times when, even after a very long time I can return and still find it frozen. Killing a program entirely seems to help in this regard, when Discord (or whatever) restarts the gain display is active again. I should also mention that the limited in-game attempted testing I've done has failed as well. For instance, in pushing the push-to-talk key does NOT show the visual cues that you're broadcasting audio, nobody can hear etc.. but this isnt' a huge surprise if the mic has possibly "frozen" long before I actually get into a group for VOIP. Has anyone run into something similar in the past?

Speaking to the Blue microphones tech support, they thought it may be a hardware issue, started the RMA process via email, yet seemingly have been out of content for several days after I sent back the information requested. In the interim, I realize that I actually had a second Yeti I could test against. Replacing the original one (part of a broadcaster kit with boom arm, shock mount etc.. from Blue) with the stand-alone second Yeti , I was surprised to find... the exact same issue! Clearly it detected that it was a different Yeti (and needed a firmware update as it was much older; successfully updated it seems) but either I have 2 incompatible mics, there is some other hardware issue/incompatibility, or something is at least partially software related. Ideas? Only thing i've not done yet is swap the USB cable but that's my next item to try.; after that I'm out of ideas on the hardware side anyway. Anyone have some ideas what could be going on?

Thanks.

Edit: I'll also have to give it a try under Linux as well, but my primary Linux drive is having a storage issue so its not something I can just swap over easily; I'm sure I can set it up eventually though.