To DDC or not to DDC. That is the question.

Worth watching….
 

https://youtu.be/wiU_15NpUn4?si=gaKwY3JsXG0m15It

I owned the Merason Reuss and an Innuos Zenith Mk3 and used USB and also tried a Singxer SU6. The sound is different between the two, but probably a toss up. I don’t think that we can have this discussion without knowing what you are using as a server to feed the DAC, this can have a significant effect on the quality of sound you get from your digital chain.

I haven’t heard the MkI but I posed the following question to Google AI mode and cannot disagree with their answer characterizing the MkII, “What differences might I hear if I were to have my Merason DAC 1 MkI upgraded by Merason to the MkII?”

BTW, 100 percent agree with @zlone about the impact of the streamer being used.

Whether or not a DDC makes an audible improvement is dependent upon the specific source, the specific DAC, the specific DDC itself, the connection type, and other variables. None of these devices are created equal, and no one can predict the outcome with absolute certainty unless it is a specific combination that has been repeated times before with similar results.

Noteworthy here is the Amanero Combo384 USB transceiver card (64 EUR) allegedly used in @maprik’s DAC is also used in my Geshelli Labs J2S desktop DAC (300 USD). This Amanero card performs reasonably well, but uses inexpensive Shenzhen clocks and does not provide galvanic isolation from the source. Using an ASUS PC laptop, the USB performance in my Geshelli DAC was easily eclipsed by inserting a Jhoinrch Ti ISOUSB211 isolator (35 USD), followed by an SMSL PO100 Pro DDC (74 USD) using a coax connection into the DAC. This resulted in a noticeable enhancement in audible performance for a paltry 100 USD or so invested. This revelation prompted me to swap out the Combo384 for the better, directly interchangeable Amanero Combo768 USB card, which uses superior clocks and upgraded FPGA (but still no galvanic isolation), and provides elevated performance for <100 USD invested. 

The takeaway is there are are no sacred cows, no hallowed ground here.