@lordmelton My source is an iFi Zen Stream that I quite like for the price. So, from what you’re saying, my Musician Pegasus DAC clock is still working with the i2S connection? That’s really what I’m trying to nail down here, and after doing a pretty thorough search I couldn’t find a straight answer to this fairly simple question. Argh.
i2S clock question
So, I’ve recently added a Denafrips Iris DDC to be able to feed my Musician Pegasus R2R DAC via its i2S input via its HDMI i2S input, and compared to feeding it directly from an SPDIF or USB input the positive results are significant and very apparent. While I’m aware of the separate internal paths of the i2S connection versus other connections and despite many searches, I can’t find a definitive answer as to how the clocking works in the end. I know the Iris re-clocks the data and sends it via a separate line within the HDMI connection to my DAC, but I can’t find a clear answer as to how the re-clocking of the DDC works in conjunction with my DAC. Does the re-clocking of the DDC override the re-clocking of my DAC with an i2S connection, or does it just feed my DAC a cleaner signal that allows my DAC to work better and more efficiently given its own re-clocking abilities? Am I subject to the re-clocking of my DDC alone or is it a combo of my DAC and the DDC working together with an i2S connection? Thanks for any thoughts and experience!
Showing 5 responses by soix
@designsfx To be honest, I haven’t yet tried the SPDIF out from the Iris because I went right to the i2S connection. I recently significantly upgraded my SPDIF digital cable so I’ll have to do a comparison and I’ll get back with my results. My guess is that even using a $4, 6” Monoprice HDMI cable over i2S is gonna be a high hurdle for SPDIF to surpass even with a $660 SPDIF digital cable, but it’ll be interesting to see/hear. |
@curiousjim Yes, but it’s not just the reclocking but also the ability to take advantage of your DAC’s superior i2S input with an HDMI cable, so it’s really like two benefits in one. On my Musician Pegasus DAC, which has a strong resemblance to the Pontus ll as they come from the same factory, the improvement with the Iris was not small. |
@curiousjim So,I think the Musician Pisces and Leo provide greater value than the Denafrips Iris or Hermes. I bought a used Iris for what would be the same price for a new Pisces. Also, I’m not convinced paying up for an HDMI cable is worth it for i2S. Length may be as important as quality, and I’m using this cheap Monoprice 6” HDMI cable and am getting excellent results. At some point I might upgrade to a DH Labs HDMI cable, but I’m in no rush given what I’m hearing, and I’ve heard several others state they don’t get big improvements by upgrading their HDMI cable for i2S. Just my $0.02 FWIW. I’m currently using the stock power cord with the Iris, but when I upgrade I’ll use the Cullen Crossover PC. Hope this helps. |
@curiousjim Look at Musician as more affordable Denafrips. They come from the same factory and share more than a few internal components and design parameters. Denafrips likely wins on resale value if that’s important. Cullen was recently bought by Wyred 4 Sound, but as far as I know he’s still involved with producing his high-value cables. Other good and high-value cable companies to check out are Audio Envy and Zavfino. I now buy cables used whenever I can because they’re easy/cheap to ship and the discount is usually 50%+ versus buying new. I recently bought an awesome used Acoustic Zen MC2 SPDIF digital cable for $200 that would cost $660 new. What??? Best of luck. |