LAIV Harmony NET2

@mario69 Thanks for sharing update from Weng.

"It's still early" kind of sounds to me like it won't be released in 2026 either.

Hope they put a good clock and power supply in it, but keep it in the $3-4k range.

I just ordered the Harmony DAC, I think I will use my Mac mini with Audirvana meanwhile and connect it via usb… anybody using this configuration? An alternative could be the Volumio Rivo+ and connect it via i2s

@mario69 I have the Harmony DAC and use a MacBook Pro for streaming. Mostly TIDAL. Connecting the MacBook via USB to the Harmony DAC directly works flawlessly. After a while, out of audiophile curiosity, I also bought the LAIV uDDC ("microDDC") and put it between the MacBook and the Harmony DAC for galvanic isolation to remove any USB noise. This is optional. The uDDC gives multiple extra connection options, which is nice as well. I connected the uDDC via I2S to the Harmony DAC. 

Thanks @rjvissers , besides the additional facilities, did you hear any tangible improvements with the uDDC?

@mario69 The LAIV HARMONY µDDC is not required to get a great sound from your Mac via USB to the Harmony DAC, but you might experience some noticeable improvements, depending on your setup. If your USB source (e.g. Mac, PC, etc.) is "noisy", the DDC will definitely clean that up. If you do not have a highly resolving system, you may not notice. In my setup, it definitely helped with a lower noise floor, darker background, and more air. YMMV. There are also cheaper USB isolators available. I tried iFi and that didn't help. But SMSL PO100 ($74, converts USB to optical SPDIF) does work, although not as well as the LAIV HARMONY µDDC. There are others, like GUSTARD U18 (~$500). There are several reviews on YouTube on the LAIV HARMONY µDDC that I would recommend e.g. iiWi, Old Guy HiFi, Passion for Sound, Vinshine Audio, Reviews by Wave Theory, Nemo Propaganda. Hope that helps!