Intermittent "Crackling" with MOTU 896mk3 Hybrid and Sonar

I have an intermittent issue with MOTU and Sonar.  Sometimes, when I start Sonar and load a project (not play the project) I will get static/crackling on the output on my MOTU 896mk3 Hybrid (and I see it on the output in Sonar).  Usually I can exit Sonar and restart Sonar and load a project (any project) and the static/crackling is gone and never returns for the day.  I've had 3 896mk3 Hybrid's (two new and one refurbished) and they all have done it.  It only happens with Sonar.  I have Studio One 3 and it has never done it with that.  I've tried the MOTU with Windows Media Player, Band in a Box and youtube and it has never done it with that. 
 
I used to have a Roland Octa-Capture and it never did it with that unit.  I have a Tascam 16X08 for backup and it has never done it with that.  Just the MOTU and Sonar.  I'm using the identical, default ASIO setup in Sonar for audio devices, no changes.  I've tried different buffer sample settings for the MOTU and that does not appear to be the issue.  The MOTU person I've been working with has no clue to what could be causing it.

Its been on different USB ports, different USB cables, different buffer sizes.  I tried it with my Laptop about 2 hours ago and it did it the first time I opened Sonar, but never did it again after that.  Another different USB cable was used with the laptop.   
 
All the obvious things have been done.
 
Once it stops doing it, its good for the rest of the day and maybe several days before it does it again.  Its powered off till I need it, but I left it powered on all day yesterday and it only did it twice (first two times I ran Sonar) and never did it again after that.

I've got a firewire port but its not a T.I.  Usually anything other than T.I. and there can be problems.

Not using any MIDI.  Just "analog" tracks.  And only happens with the MOTU, no other USB recording interface unit.
For the record, I tried it this morning and no clicks.  But that's the way it is, may do it one morning when first tried and not the next.  Has only done it with Sonar, nothing else.
 
 

I'd try changing USB cables one more time. I just spent a long time tracking down sparse, random crackling of a Behringer X32 used as audio interface and it turned out that the cable was the troublemaker. USB cables and USB interfaces have a strange relationship - some work out, some don't, some work but not forever ... so in my case even swapping it  for the same brand USB cable fixed it.

I "Think" I've found what is causing it, USB 3.0.  Apparently, or at least in my case, the 896mk3 Hybrid "does not play well" with USB 3.0, since all 3 I've had did the same thing.   I had moved to different USB ports, but as it turned it was always another USB 3.0 port. I tried a USB 2.0 port yesterday and today, again, there are no clicks. All the other recording interface units I've had , including Roland Octa-Capture, M-Audio, Tascam, have worked OK with USB 3.0 ports but the 896mk3 Hybrid apparently "doesn't like" USB 3.0 ports. I went back and traced where I was plugging it in, using USB Treeview utility (that shows what is on every USB port) and it was always on USB 3.0 ports, whether an Intel USB 3.0 or Etron USB 3.0 (both are on my motherboard, an ASRock Z77 Professional). It is now on an Intel USB 2.0 port on the motherboard.
 
Maybe MOTU needs to update the firmware?  The date on the firmware is 2012.  Wasn't much USB 3.0 around then. 
 
 

I have/had older USB recording interface units and they all worked OK on USB 3.0.  That included an old M-Audio Ultra 8R that was purchased back in the Vista days when there wasn't any USB 3.0.  USB 3.0 is supposed to be backward compatible with USB 2.0 devices.  I've got many USB devices, all USB 2.0 except one and they all work on 3.0 ports.  The MOTU is the ONLY one that has a (intermittent) problem, and it is ONLY when I use Sonar.  If I use Studio One 3, Ableton, Band in a box, etc it NEVER had the problem, ONLY with Sonar, which is also baffling.
 
The buffers in Sonar are set 512 playback and 256 record, the same as I used with the Roland Octa-Capture, Tascam US16X08 and Steinberg UR44 that I had.

But, why only with Sonar?

My Quad capture would not work on my system using USB 3. I also found out that a couple USB 2 devices were actually USB 1.1 My Cakewalk UA25EX interface was an example.

That I missed trying a USB 2.0 port early in the troubleshooting is my fault.  The fact still remains, EVERY other USB 2.0 device I have or had has worked perfectly on USB 3.0 ports.  The ONLY device that exhibited a problem is the MOTU 896mk3 Hybrid.  Because everything I've had has worked OK on USB 3.0 there was no reason to suspect the MOTU would not work on USB 3.0 ports.   

I had an open ticket.  MOTU support was basically useless.  The person that worked the problem came across as a nice guy but didn't really help.  I did report to them about the USB 2.0/3.0 issue.  Never heard anything back from them. 
 
My dealings with MOTU (I've opened several tickets) is, if its a configuration or routing problem they are helpful but if its a technical/hardware issue forget it.