Using I2S With the Denafrips Terminator and Metrum Ambre?


Hello All,

I recently got the Metrum Ambre to connect via I2S to my Denafrips Terminator Dac. I tried both ethernet type I2S inputs, even trying the mode button with no luck. Has anyone out there have the same situation and gotten the two to play nice together? Maybe the cable has to be modified.  I tried reaching out to Metrum and no response after 4 days.
ron1264
@alvin1118   Would a PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport be compatible, or could be made to be compatible, with I2S into a PONTUS?? Unless I’m wrong, I *think* the Perfect Wave is (HDMI) I2S-A (??). I know it does not have USB out, but I’m still curious.

Thanks!

John
Hi John,

DENAFRIPS Pontus/Venus/Terminator HDMI i2s interface is compatible with PSAudio PWT. We have customers using this combo.

Here's a customer from Pennsylvania who use PSAudio player with the Terminator, connected via HDMI i2s interface. 

https://www.denafrips.com/single-post/2018/06/03/DENAFRIPS-TERMINATOR-Pennsylvania 

Hope it helps!

Best,
Alvin @ Vinshine Audio
@ron1264

My experience mimics yours. I have a Metrum Pavane II and would probably pull the trigger on the Jay's CD2 if it was possible find a way to get the optional user installable Metrum RJ45 based I2S module to talk to the Jay's LVDS based system. I've emailed Metrum twice now asking for a potential solution and have had no response. I did get a response from Vinshine saying the two were incompatible but no potential "fix" was suggested (assuming there is one).
@acresverde 

I was able to get it to work with the following pin swaps. check the pin swaps on both devices and if you know how to terminate an ethernet cable you can make your own like i did. Here is what it had to do to make it work. 

Ambre to terminator
Pin 1 to 3   (gnd Pin 2 to 4)
Pin 3 to 7   (gnd Pin 4 to 8)
Pin 7 to 1   (gnd Pin 8 to 2)

Pin 5 stays the same. I would also recommend crossing the paired grounds in () as well. That's what i did and works great. The i2s connection is more transparent, bigger soundstage and more detail. The only negative and it's really not a negative is the level is lower, so I have to put the volume higher to achieve the same level as i did with spdif.
I would also recommend using a ethernet breakout board 1st to test. Much easier to work with then terminating cables. That's what i did. Amazon sells many different ones, I got this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BAHLWZ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1