first you dislike the Laiv and now all reasonable connections sound the same !! ;). I'm devastated! in all honestly, great vids, so much to learn about digital audio. I enjoy your channel
Thank you for the upload. Very interesting. After much deliberation and internet searching, I kind of gave up and settled on using AES/ EBU for my set-up of Auralic Aries G2.2 streamer to the Holo Spring 3, L2 DAC. All good and I like the solid connectors. Use Audioquest Carbon, good quality at a reasonable price. Very happy and not tempted to go back to the USB option that I tried before. All the best.
I appreciate your technical explanations in tech-focused talks like this, and the balance of technical information you provide in your gear reviews. Consumer I2S implementations go back a fair time. I had Audio Alchemy and Camelot digital gear from the late-1990s/early 2000s that used I2S connections. One of the challenges here is that there is no "standard" implementation. For example, the pin-outs between the Audio Alchemy and Camelot gear were not the same; you could not run the same I2S cables between the brands. I see that today some equipment has provision for configuring I2S connections.
at the end you need a receiver which rebuilds the clock again. if this is carefully done, then there is no problem. you then sample every spdif-bit with 16 digital samples and then you can decode it without any problems. the receiver has to also shift that 16 sample-window in the right way that it overlaps the incoming non-ideal signal well. however, there is a certain problem that needs to be addressed. even when the clock of the sender and receiver is a good crystal clock, they at some point will drift apart and that needs to be handled. this is not trivial but could be done with two crystals connected to each other very loosely. dropping a word or doubling a word is theoretically also possible but not my choice.
It's just as easy as becoming a millionaire: save one dollar and put it on the bank and simply repeat this until you own a million...... If it only was that simple, we would all be millionaires.
Thanks again for teaching me something new. I'm using IIS between my Denafrips ISIS USB reclocker and my Ares 12th-1 DAC. The length of the HDMI cable is no longer than needed to connect the two devices but I am unsure of its specs. I will be replacing that cable with a high quality one.
Thank you very much Hans for the excellent video. I have a Pontus II that has all the possible inputs and in the future I would like to have a streamer with all the outputs to be able to test, but as Hans has said several times, the sound quality will always depend on how the inputs/outputs are implemented, then it will be very difficult to have 2 devices with all connections at the same level. Unfortunately, most good streamers only have AES/EBU (Auralic Aries, Volumio Rivo, etc.) and don't have I2S (except Mano Ultra), so it's not possible to make a direct comparison. The streamers that I know of and that allow an AES/EBU vs I2S comparison are Mano Ultra (already tested by Hans), the Holo Audio RED and ifi NEO Stream. The RED and the NEO would be a very interesting review because it has all possible outputs (AES/EBU, Optical, Coaxial and I2S).
SPDIF uses the same circuit as AES/EBU, adapted to single ended low voltage. That will rarely be better than AES/EBU. Optical uses the same circuit as SPDIF but is converted to light and back and sent through optical connectors that have very limited bandwidth and thus will be inferior to SPDIF. So having AES/EBU and I²S suffice. I use a Neutrik transformer converter fro AES/EBU if I do need SPDIF (if the DAC lacks an AES/EBU)
Thanks for the latest video and the knowledge. My brain hurts lol. I’m using the USB cable that came with the Cyan 2 to stream from my Blusound Node N130. The sound is excellent. I was considering using the Holo Audio Red as a streamer using the I2S connection but I like the Bluesound app for streaming Qobuz using my iPad. I’m good for now. Maybe down the road with a newer version of the Red. I love to tinkering with individual components. A streamer is probably my next tweak. Rock on!
Similar setup. I found a small upgrade to Limetree bridge II helped a lot from blue node. Then I got an LPs for the Limetree which is a tiny device so the LPS is almost the same size.. and the sound is almost like my main system in the living room which is significantly more expensiveAuralic.
@@morespinach9832 There always is an upgrade path. We need to enjoy our efforts and enjoy the music for awhile. You can probably benefit (in sound), from a Muon Pro in the ethernet connection, and a whole house power conditioning system. There would be two rather expensive upgrades, but would you enjoy it ?
Your voice was so calming I fell asleep listening late at night. I have come back now twice to glean what I can. I like the AES/EBU interface, but I was not aware of its prehistory as a professional, balanced, connection. Does the balanced version use four (4) conductors? Does any of the equipment you review use a balanced AES/EBU interface? Learned a lot from the timing charts and explanations. Thank You.
Good morning Hans, how would it be possible to know if the I2S HDMI connection would bypass the DAC's internal clock, and keep the clock of the transport/source? thanks
I have a Pontus II 15TH and a Volumio Rivo with a Tubulus Concentus USB Cable between them. Next investment after watching your videos will be a Denafrips Gaia 12TH and another cable from Tubulus Concentus i2s V2 to put between Pontus and Gaia. I think that combination will be hard to beat, for what it costs? Have today played about 100 hours on my Denafrips Pontus II 15TH. Bought the Pontus dac a couple of weeks ago. Can really recommend it today. Many thanks for everything you put up here on the Tube.
I watch on occasion online reviews of digital components praising the sound quality some do not offer I2S which immediately attract’s comments said component does not have 12S inputs and outputs so it is inferior,…I believe Rockna were the first to introduce the I2S connection a marketing selling point of the Rockna line of dacs and music server . The host of this channel is correct in his analysis of digital connections, if a manufacturer does not offer I2S so what ,..
Hi Hans, great channel, appreciate your expertise in our hobby. Regarding Optical cables, what are the differences between a glass cable and the plastic cable? Is glass worth the higher cost? Im currently using a plastic cable from my tv to Ponyus 11. Would a glass cable be my next upgrade? Thanks, Derrick
Glass fiber is a better connector for light and thus has less losses. Unfortunately the light has to pass through the plastic TOSlink connectors twice.
Very helpful explanation Hans - thank you. On my Denafrips DAC I have the choice between RJ45 and HDMI cable. I went for an audiophile I2S cable using RJ45 - would there be a difference with HDMI? For me comparison was inconclusive.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel So Far So Good I will continue to test in my home lab the upper limit is about 150megabytes so far it's worked on a off the shelf DAC & a Multibit DAC board for Raspberry Pi.. But running on a x86 version of Volumio ... That configuration has lower ripple noise and no current noise like the Raspberry Pi but I will continue!!!!
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you , and head off to Grimm developing this custom solution, would you know what’s the connection from FPGA to the DAC ?
LVDS is hardly used in high end equipment. And it is known by those that understand it. I try to explain digital interfacing to the average buyer. I didn't mention all variants of SDIF either.
Really appreciate this video and learned a lot - but not sure why no context was given around USB as the hypothesis seemed to be around the best connection for a DAC? "Is it the best". A large number of DACs have USB and I appreciate there is a lot of discussion around the use of USB and its asynchronous nature so some of the discussion around the signal, clock, impact factors like power supplies and cables - would be different for USB relative to AES/EBU and I2S, but the talk track makes no mention of USB in the context of DAC connectivity and that is a bit confusing. Full disclosure I use a Network Acoustics USB IV between a HoloAudio Red and a Chord MScaler / DAVE combination and that sounds better to me than the other options out of the Red (where I2S is not an option into the MSCaler)
The reason is that I already made a video on USB for audio: th-cam.com/video/lLcLWBcIH0o/w-d-xo.html. In general the best designed output on the source combined with the best designed input on the DAC sound the best.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel - that makes a lot of sense and I liked your video on the USB as an connection type. With my comment above I was just trying to understand your overall guidance as for example my Holo Audio Red has both USB and I2S - while the MScaler has USB, so USB in this case was my only option here and sounds very good particularly with the Networks Acoustic USB IV cable linking the two units. In future though depending on future upgrades - I may look to use I2S connections as a criteria (among other factors for choosing a streamer / network bridge and a DAC. Thanks again for the highly informative videos
Thank you! The difference between I2S and SPDIF on my Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T and DACBox RS2, using cables of similiar quality, is dramatic. Mids, highs, resolution, imaging, dynamics are in a totally different league with I2S. I would not think of poor quality-parts there and both are fed by the same, high quality power supply. How can that be?
It could indicate a poor cable quality or poor electronic design of either (or both) the output circuit of the source and/or the input circuit of the receiving device.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you very much to take the time to answer! Cables are very good Goldkabel for 280€, and both pro-ject devices are extremely well built. The sound out of the combi is exceptional over I2S, seriously surpassing my Rega P8 with Ania Pro and Trigon Vanguard III with volcano battery power supply. Over SPDIF it sound only like a good CD-Player. I am listening with ATC SCM 40 and an amplifier by Ensemble, Switzerland, and I am professional musician, knowing quite well, how instruments really sound. when I first listened to the I2S, I experienced a naturality in sound, I never had heard before on CD anywhere. Like it!
@@detlefgrooss5649 There are a few different results just in this video blog alone. I would say consider yourself a successful audiophile whenever you find a definite step up in sound quality.
That fully depends on the quality of the media converter and the SFP. It does give galvanic separation but for instance jitter and other pollution of the square wave signal is not solved and could even worsen.
Could you maybe measure/sample some digital signals with your equipment for illustration purposes? Anyway, your conclusion "you have to try" reflects my experience. With my stuff i2s sounds best, an affordable China-sourced cable for $$ besting a $$$ Audioquest HDMI cable. YMMV.
There is only one way to measure differences in digital signals. That way is enormous laborious and requires rather expensive gear. My colleague Jaap Veenstra of Alpha-audio.net is working on it. I am too old to invest so much money and time to measure something I can hear in a jiffy. But please visit his site and videos if you want to learn more: www.alpha-audio.net/videocast/alpha-labs-your-coaxial-cable-can-introduce-jitter/
My previous streamer was also from a company that said USB was best (just on bandwidth I think). Once I connected a DDC and an external clock, the sound improved. Then, I upgraded to another streamer that cost three times more, with a clock input and USB output. It sounded better but was still beaten by the DDC and the external clock, using either AES/EBU or I2S outputs of the DDC. So my very expensive streamer outputting USB sounds better with a good DDC that converts USB to AES/EBU or I2S. I don't miss the super resolution that USB can handle. Even 16/44 now sounds better in my system.
@@vmpty That's interesting. You must have a device like Mutec or Sonore makes. I've heard the results are almost alway positive, like 90 percent of the time.
There always is but you have to try to see which one is for your equipment. Start with I²S, then AES/EBU, then SPDIF, then USB and last TOSlink. The best sounding is the best connection.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannelThanks again for a great informative video. My conclusion is that good connections and protocols make the difference only when manage deficient signals. Just as in the analogue signals. Balanced are the answer with long distances or bad isolated cables or electronic noisily environment, and of course the same for power cables, speaker cables, etc. Reasonable quality with reasonable signal is good enough, if the problems could arise, better protected solution could make the difference but again: no better sound if the signal is OK
Your videos are excellent and with professional illustrations. But the SQ varies and is very low in this video. I can barely hear what you say, listening on my HP laptop with built in Bang&Olufsen speakers. Even with a separate DAC and headphones it is bad. Maybe your mic and placement can be changed.
In this case I had several problems at one time. The mic amp went broke, the amp needed more time to evaluate and so on. Next video I'll be ok sound wise. My apologies.
. We must stop defining function based on whatever plug is chosen. The plug is irrelevant (w/ min. req. conduits). To say some product "has HDMI" is near useless telling us almost nothing about it's function/feature/method etc. Digital interfaces may be described more comparatively by renaming them with a new acronym like a "3CWD via HDMI" with "3" being the number of conduits, "C" being clock & "W" being word & "D" being data. USB would become "4PDDG via USB B" which is 4 conduit, Power, Data, Data, Ground. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel . You see, THAT's the problem!. Labeling or saying a port is "USB", which is the standard, does not describe the work/process/function being done. The USB standard is not standard because the standard is forever changing & our terminology can't keep up. "Universal Serial Bus" can mean almost anything. It's the functions, not the standard plugs, that needs definition. HDMI, "High Definition Multi-media Interface" is the same problem. It does not specifically define what function is being served. Form follows function. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
Love Hans' videos. Not just product reviews but also education.
🙏🙏
first you dislike the Laiv and now all reasonable connections sound the same !! ;).
I'm devastated!
in all honestly, great vids, so much to learn about digital audio. I enjoy your channel
I didn't say all reasonable connections sound the same. If only🤓
Thank you Hans for simplifying and clearly explaining what a lot of people (including me) seem to find a very difficult subject
My pleasure entirely
Excellent talk. So calming to listen to Hans and one always learns something.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the upload. Very interesting.
After much deliberation and internet searching, I kind of gave up and settled on using AES/ EBU for my set-up of Auralic Aries G2.2 streamer to the Holo Spring 3, L2 DAC.
All good and I like the solid connectors. Use Audioquest Carbon, good quality at a reasonable price.
Very happy and not tempted to go back to the USB option that I tried before.
All the best.
I am sure you made the right choice.
I appreciate your technical explanations in tech-focused talks like this, and the balance of technical information you provide in your gear reviews. Consumer I2S implementations go back a fair time. I had Audio Alchemy and Camelot digital gear from the late-1990s/early 2000s that used I2S connections. One of the challenges here is that there is no "standard" implementation. For example, the pin-outs between the Audio Alchemy and Camelot gear were not the same; you could not run the same I2S cables between the brands. I see that today some equipment has provision for configuring I2S connections.
And luckily more and more manufacturers adhere to the de facto PSU Audio standard.
Thank you Hans. Another no nonsense explanation and educational video 👍😎
🙏
This so helped, thank you Hans 🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏼🙏🏼
👍🏼
Thank you, sir. Once again, the answer is listen rather than just chasing the latest "buzz word". Outstanding information.
Thanks
at the end you need a receiver which rebuilds the clock again. if this is carefully done, then there is no problem. you then sample every spdif-bit with 16 digital samples and then you can decode it without any problems. the receiver has to also shift that 16 sample-window in the right way that it overlaps the incoming non-ideal signal well. however, there is a certain problem that needs to be addressed. even when the clock of the sender and receiver is a good crystal clock, they at some point will drift apart and that needs to be handled. this is not trivial but could be done with two crystals connected to each other very loosely. dropping a word or doubling a word is theoretically also possible but not my choice.
It's just as easy as becoming a millionaire: save one dollar and put it on the bank and simply repeat this until you own a million...... If it only was that simple, we would all be millionaires.
Thanks again for teaching me something new. I'm using IIS between my Denafrips ISIS USB reclocker and my Ares 12th-1 DAC. The length of the HDMI cable is no longer than needed to connect the two devices but I am unsure of its specs. I will be replacing that cable with a high quality one.
👍🏼
Thank you very much Hans for the excellent video.
I have a Pontus II that has all the possible inputs and in the future I would like to have a streamer with all the outputs to be able to test, but as Hans has said several times, the sound quality will always depend on how the inputs/outputs are implemented, then it will be very difficult to have 2 devices with all connections at the same level.
Unfortunately, most good streamers only have AES/EBU (Auralic Aries, Volumio Rivo, etc.) and don't have I2S (except Mano Ultra), so it's not possible to make a direct comparison.
The streamers that I know of and that allow an AES/EBU vs I2S comparison are Mano Ultra (already tested by Hans), the Holo Audio RED and ifi NEO Stream. The RED and the NEO would be a very interesting review because it has all possible outputs (AES/EBU, Optical, Coaxial and I2S).
SPDIF uses the same circuit as AES/EBU, adapted to single ended low voltage. That will rarely be better than AES/EBU. Optical uses the same circuit as SPDIF but is converted to light and back and sent through optical connectors that have very limited bandwidth and thus will be inferior to SPDIF. So having AES/EBU and I²S suffice. I use a Neutrik transformer converter fro AES/EBU if I do need SPDIF (if the DAC lacks an AES/EBU)
Thank you very much for the explanation, Hans, it was very useful.
I have the PS Audio SACD Transport, I2S thru HDMI is the only way to get information from the DSD layer.
And it’s a good way 😊
Thanks for the latest video and the knowledge. My brain hurts lol. I’m using the USB cable that came with the Cyan 2 to stream from my Blusound Node N130. The sound is excellent. I was considering using the Holo Audio Red as a streamer using the I2S connection but I like the Bluesound app for streaming Qobuz using my iPad. I’m good for now. Maybe down the road with a newer version of the Red. I love to tinkering with individual components. A streamer is probably my next tweak. Rock on!
Similar setup. I found a small upgrade to Limetree bridge II helped a lot from blue node. Then I got an LPs for the Limetree which is a tiny device so the LPS is almost the same size.. and the sound is almost like my main system in the living room which is significantly more expensiveAuralic.
Enjoy the music.
@@morespinach9832 There always is an upgrade path. We need to enjoy our efforts and enjoy the music for awhile. You can probably benefit (in sound), from a Muon Pro in the ethernet connection, and a whole house power conditioning system. There would be two rather expensive upgrades, but would you enjoy it ?
Glass it is thanks Hans.
I go for AES/EBU
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel I"m hooking the TV optical to the Pontus 2, to the Devialet amp for movies, you tube music.
Your voice was so calming I fell asleep listening late at night. I have come back now twice to glean what I can. I like the AES/EBU interface, but I was not aware of its prehistory as a professional, balanced, connection. Does the balanced version use four (4) conductors? Does any of the equipment you review use a balanced AES/EBU interface? Learned a lot from the timing charts and explanations. Thank You.
Balanced connections use two wires for the signal plus a third for ground. AESS/EBU is quite popular. See my equipment reviews.
Good morning Hans, how would it be possible to know if the I2S HDMI connection would bypass the DAC's internal clock, and keep the clock of the transport/source? thanks
Standard DACs use the source clock when used with I²S but some DAC's can be switched to the internal clock. If zo, it will be mentioned in the manual.
I have a Pontus II 15TH and a Volumio Rivo with a Tubulus Concentus USB Cable between them. Next investment after watching your videos will be a Denafrips Gaia 12TH and another cable from Tubulus Concentus i2s V2 to put between Pontus and Gaia. I think that combination will be hard to beat, for what it costs? Have today played about 100 hours on my Denafrips Pontus II 15TH. Bought the Pontus dac a couple of weeks ago. Can really recommend it today. Many thanks for everything you put up here on the Tube.
My pleasure
I watch on occasion online reviews of digital components praising the sound quality some do not offer I2S which immediately attract’s comments said component does not have 12S inputs and outputs so it is inferior,…I believe Rockna were the first to introduce the I2S connection a marketing selling point of the Rockna line of dacs and music server .
The host of this channel is correct in his analysis of digital connections, if a manufacturer does not offer I2S so what ,..
👍🏼
Hi Hans, great channel, appreciate your expertise in our hobby.
Regarding Optical cables, what are the differences between a glass cable and the plastic cable? Is glass worth the higher cost? Im currently using a plastic cable from my tv to Ponyus 11. Would a glass cable be my next upgrade? Thanks, Derrick
Glass fiber is a better connector for light and thus has less losses. Unfortunately the light has to pass through the plastic TOSlink connectors twice.
Very helpful explanation Hans - thank you. On my Denafrips DAC I have the choice between RJ45 and HDMI cable. I went for an audiophile I2S cable using RJ45 - would there be a difference with HDMI? For me comparison was inconclusive.
I have never tested this but I think I would put my money on HDMI, if there is a difference...
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannelthank you for your comment.
Thanks timely I am testing a new I2S isolation board @ this moment
Good luck!
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel So Far So Good I will continue to test in my home lab the upper limit is about 150megabytes so far it's worked on a off the shelf DAC & a Multibit DAC board for Raspberry Pi.. But running on a x86 version of Volumio ... That configuration has lower ripple noise and no current noise like the Raspberry Pi but I will continue!!!!
👍💣💣💣💣💣 THATS IT!
☺️
What does MU2 use internally ? From up sampler to Major DAC , I know it’s proprietary but is it I2s or something else ?
The main connection between the computer and the FPGA board is PCIe.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you , and head off to Grimm developing this custom solution, would you know what’s the connection from FPGA to the DAC ?
A little strange that there is no mention of that LVDS is the ‘long distance’ version of I2S…..
LVDS is hardly used in high end equipment. And it is known by those that understand it. I try to explain digital interfacing to the average buyer. I didn't mention all variants of SDIF either.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel But the moment you bring I2s out of a device and into another device (e.g. over a HDMI cable) you are using LVDS, no?
Really appreciate this video and learned a lot - but not sure why no context was given around USB as the hypothesis seemed to be around the best connection for a DAC? "Is it the best". A large number of DACs have USB and I appreciate there is a lot of discussion around the use of USB and its asynchronous nature so some of the discussion around the signal, clock, impact factors like power supplies and cables - would be different for USB relative to AES/EBU and I2S, but the talk track makes no mention of USB in the context of DAC connectivity and that is a bit confusing. Full disclosure I use a Network Acoustics USB IV between a HoloAudio Red and a Chord MScaler / DAVE combination and that sounds better to me than the other options out of the Red (where I2S is not an option into the MSCaler)
The reason is that I already made a video on USB for audio: th-cam.com/video/lLcLWBcIH0o/w-d-xo.html. In general the best designed output on the source combined with the best designed input on the DAC sound the best.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel - that makes a lot of sense and I liked your video on the USB as an connection type. With my comment above I was just trying to understand your overall guidance as for example my Holo Audio Red has both USB and I2S - while the MScaler has USB, so USB in this case was my only option here and sounds very good particularly with the Networks Acoustic USB IV cable linking the two units. In future though depending on future upgrades - I may look to use I2S connections as a criteria (among other factors for choosing a streamer / network bridge and a DAC. Thanks again for the highly informative videos
👍👍👍
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you! The difference between I2S and SPDIF on my Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T and DACBox RS2, using cables of similiar quality, is dramatic. Mids, highs, resolution, imaging, dynamics are in a totally different league with I2S. I would not think of poor quality-parts there and both are fed by the same, high quality power supply. How can that be?
It could indicate a poor cable quality or poor electronic design of either (or both) the output circuit of the source and/or the input circuit of the receiving device.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thank you very much to take the time to answer! Cables are very good Goldkabel for 280€, and both pro-ject devices are extremely well built. The sound out of the combi is exceptional over I2S, seriously surpassing my Rega P8 with Ania Pro and Trigon Vanguard III with volcano battery power supply.
Over SPDIF it sound only like a good CD-Player.
I am listening with ATC SCM 40 and an amplifier by Ensemble, Switzerland, and I am professional musician, knowing quite well, how instruments really sound.
when I first listened to the I2S, I experienced a naturality in sound, I never had heard before on CD anywhere. Like it!
@@detlefgrooss5649 There are a few different results just in this video blog alone. I would say consider yourself a successful audiophile whenever you find a definite step up in sound quality.
What about ST fiber glass optical output ?
That fully depends on the quality of the media converter and the SFP. It does give galvanic separation but for instance jitter and other pollution of the square wave signal is not solved and could even worsen.
I thought all up-to-date DACs ignore all incoming clocks then re-clock everything in their own cache? eg; asynchronous
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
That’s what the people who regurgitate stuff say or a product that just wants you to buy.
@@labalo5 . So it's a waste of money choosing a CDT with a temperature controlled Femto clock? Or are you 100% f.o.s?
That only goes for USB Audio Class 2. AES/EBU, SPDIF, TOSlink and I²S use the clock from the sending device since they are isochronous.
Well, most USB sources pollute the signal far more than AES3 signals. Therefore I prefer I²S or AES/EBU.
You forgot one important difference that most I2s is balanced, less noise and more exact data transmission. Most I2s over HDMI are balanced to day.
True
Could you maybe measure/sample some digital signals with your equipment for illustration purposes?
Anyway, your conclusion "you have to try" reflects my experience.
With my stuff i2s sounds best, an affordable China-sourced cable for $$ besting a $$$ Audioquest HDMI cable. YMMV.
There is only one way to measure differences in digital signals. That way is enormous laborious and requires rather expensive gear. My colleague Jaap Veenstra of Alpha-audio.net is working on it. I am too old to invest so much money and time to measure something I can hear in a jiffy. But please visit his site and videos if you want to learn more: www.alpha-audio.net/videocast/alpha-labs-your-coaxial-cable-can-introduce-jitter/
❤
🙏🏻
My DAC takes it, but my streamer company says USB is better and doesn’t have it on any of their products.🙁
That would be the reason they say USB is better.
My previous streamer was also from a company that said USB was best (just on bandwidth I think). Once I connected a DDC and an external clock, the sound improved. Then, I upgraded to another streamer that cost three times more, with a clock input and USB output. It sounded better but was still beaten by the DDC and the external clock, using either AES/EBU or I2S outputs of the DDC. So my very expensive streamer outputting USB sounds better with a good DDC that converts USB to AES/EBU or I2S. I don't miss the super resolution that USB can handle. Even 16/44 now sounds better in my system.
@@vmpty That's interesting. You must have a device like Mutec or Sonore makes. I've heard the results are almost alway positive, like 90 percent of the time.
@@tarquineous Mutec!
So the best way could posibly be streamer and dac in one box?
There always is but you have to try to see which one is for your equipment. Start with I²S, then AES/EBU, then SPDIF, then USB and last TOSlink. The best sounding is the best connection.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannelThanks again for a great informative video. My conclusion is that good connections and protocols make the difference only when manage deficient signals. Just as in the analogue signals. Balanced are the answer with long distances or bad isolated cables or electronic noisily environment, and of course the same for power cables, speaker cables, etc.
Reasonable quality with reasonable signal is good enough, if the problems could arise, better protected solution could make the difference but again: no better sound if the signal is OK
Your videos are excellent and with professional illustrations. But the SQ varies and is very low in this video. I can barely hear what you say, listening on my HP laptop with built in Bang&Olufsen speakers. Even with a separate DAC and headphones it is bad.
Maybe your mic and placement can be changed.
In this case I had several problems at one time. The mic amp went broke, the amp needed more time to evaluate and so on. Next video I'll be ok sound wise. My apologies.
Could I2S transport DSD?
Yes
I2s transports DSD from my PS Audio SACD to the PS Audio DAC. I seems to do the job well.
. We must stop defining function based on whatever plug is chosen. The plug is irrelevant (w/ min. req. conduits). To say some product "has HDMI" is near useless telling us almost nothing about it's function/feature/method etc.
Digital interfaces may be described more comparatively by renaming them with a new acronym like a "3CWD via HDMI" with "3" being the number of conduits, "C" being clock & "W" being word & "D" being data.
USB would become "4PDDG via USB B" which is 4 conduit, Power, Data, Data, Ground.
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
The naming I use is conform the standards. I don't see the need for renaming according your ideas.
@@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel .
You see, THAT's the problem!. Labeling or saying a port is "USB", which is the standard, does not describe the work/process/function being done.
The USB standard is not standard because the standard is forever changing & our terminology can't keep up. "Universal Serial Bus" can mean almost anything. It's the functions, not the standard plugs, that needs definition.
HDMI, "High Definition Multi-media Interface" is the same problem. It does not specifically define what function is being served. Form follows function.
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
I say we can be fine without any of such verbiage. All it does is confuse most people, or annoy them, and takes up space.