@vthokie83 ok trying get some clarity before I sell my Iris DDC. Read this review from a guy on the Denafrips site and he explains the connection differences between USB and i2s and how using the Iris i2s with the Terminator+ w/OCXO clocks (Venus 15th) is still better than connecting your source with USB. https://twitteringmachines.com/review-denafrips-terminator-ii/ |
Venus 15th owner here. Definitely upgrade the Wiim Streamer; I saw big improvement upgrading to Auralic Aries S1 over the Wiim Ultra. Also, using the lowest model DDC from Denafrips (Iris) or Musician (Pisces II) slaved to the Venus 15ths DAC and outputting I2S (HDMI or RJ45) will provide big improvement in sound at low cost (no need to get higher DDC models as their better clocks will not be used when slaving the DDC to the OCXO in the Venus 15th). Same thing applies if you got the cheapest Denafrips streamer (Arce); no need for the more expensive Arcas (nor a DDC if you get the Denafrips streamer); just slave the Arce to the Venus 15th clock (use the correct setting and i2s pinouts as described by others earlier and in Vinshine's video for other Denafrips DACs). |
@skasundr The Iris is only useful if you only have a need to a single USB input. If you have more sources you want connected than the Hermes is the way to go. I use USB, Coaxial and AES/EBU connections. Clock sync feature too. |
@fthompson251 True, that is definitely a reason to at least upgrade to the Hermes if you have that need (the Gaia does not offer anything more in that regard). My Auralic Aries S1 gives me those same extra inputs. If I had not gotten the Musician Pisces first, the Auralic Aries S1 would have been able to serve as a high quality streamer, galvanic isolator, and a reclocker for all those sources (albeit no I2S output). It is able to reclock, resample, and isolate allow of those sources just like a DDC. I think just pairing the Aries S1 to any Denafrips DAC is a great match for only $2000 (without the extra Auralic linear power supply which is $1000 extra). The I2S from my Pisces sounds great, but I tested Aries straight to Venus from its USB without the Pisces in the middle, and it also sounds just as good. Just another option for those who don’t want to buy both a new streamer and a new DDC at a higher cost. |
If additional inputs are needed and you don’t need a new streamer or you just want to have a DDC for the I2S output (and you don’t care to slave the DDC to the Venus), I would get the Laiv uDDC at a lower cost of $849 vs $1299 for the Hermes. The uDDC has a good clock (not as good as the Venus, but likely not a huge sonic penalty), and also offers an I2S input. It, however, only has I2S output. |
