New denafrips DDC (Iris and Gaia)

[BlakeT]

In fact my current system is a transparency champion. The Benchmark DAC3B + HPA4 + AHB2 + Benchmark StarQuad XLR's + Benchmark speaker cable. I am looking to add a bit of flavor to this mix with a second DAC that sounds different.rs have to say about the GAIA and non-Denafrips DACs.

Gotcha, that makes sense and is helpful background info.

In your case where you are looking to add some flavor to your already very transparent system, IME, Gaia will not provide that. I have used my Gaia with my Chord Qutest and it really elevated the performance of the Qutest but the improvements were to transparency and holography. Gaia is a transparency and holography supercharger. It won't introduce things like warmth or more tonal emphasis.

Now, adding a Denafrips DAC will get you the best of both worlds- tone and detail (and playing around with NOS vs OS with a simple button push, or trying out DSD/PCM allows further easy tuning). That is why I am so happy with my purchase.

 

[yyzSB]

Gotcha, that makes sense and is helpful background info.

In your case where you are looking to add some flavor to your already very transparent system, IME, Gaia will not provide that. I have used my Gaia with my Chord Qutest and it really elevated the performance of the Qutest but the improvements were to transparency and holography. Gaia is a transparency and holography supercharger. It won't introduce things like warmth or more tonal emphasis.

Now, adding a Denafrips DAC will get you the best of both worlds- tone and detail (and playing around with NOS vs OS with a simple button push, or trying out DSD/PCM allows further easy tuning). That is why I am so happy with my purchase.

I am not looking to the GAIA for warmth or tonal emphasis. The Tubadour is a tube based DAC and that unit will provide the meat to the bones. Your comment on the GAIA being a transparency and holography supercharger is interesting since that would help both the DAC3B and Tubadour. Though I am not so sure about the DA3B since it is already very good at jitter rejection. The same improvements on the Qutest are what I am looking for on the 2 DACs I am considering. The GAIA would also be super convenient to get the bits from my ROON server (via the single microRendu) to the DACs by I2S and Coaxial.

 

[Articnoise]

I don’t believe it’s ever can be too transparent and holography. IME it’s always other sonic aspects that doesn't work in these systems, things that make revealing gear match badly together with some other gear.

 

[koso]

Gaia has arrived today!
Gaia has replaced my previous (pretty good for the money) Matrix Audio X-Spdif 2. Mainly use as USB to AES/EBU conversion from Aurender N100H to Simaudio Moon 380D DSD dac.
Just first impression (right out of the box, after just one hour of listening):
- impressive compared to X-Spfif 2
- sound is more airy, more analog like
- deeper, more holographic soundstage
- more realistic voices

Will update my findings after couple of days...

 

[bstanwick]

I have been reading about the GAIA with great interest. Can anyone who has it tell us how much they paid in US dollars, including any import fees or value added tax?

BTW: I emailed Alvin at VinshineAudio about the GAIA I2S output and found out that it is not comaptible with PS Audio DACs. The Termantor DAC has an I2S setup configuration to make it compatible with PS Audio gear, but so far no similar capability on the GAIA. Alvin said that he would put this feature on the request list.

 

[koso]

GAIA I2S pinout would by nice indeed, as well as dual AES/EBU support. Both are pure software related so could be programmed via FPGA I quess. Hope software update will add some of those in the future.

 

[Articnoise]

I have been reading about the GAIA with great interest. Can anyone who has it tell us how much they paid in US dollars, including any import fees or value added tax?

BTW: I emailed Alvin at VinshineAudio about the GAIA I2S output and found out that it is not comaptible with PS Audio DACs. The Termantor DAC has an I2S setup configuration to make it compatible with PS Audio gear, but so far no similar capability on the GAIA. Alvin said that he would put this feature on the request list.

I don’t know, but it sounds strange. Let’s look at the facts:

The Terminator has an I2S setup configuration that is compatible with PS Audio gear.

Gaia is compatible with Terminator through I2S.

Gaia I2S should consequently be compatible with PS Audio DACs.

 

[bstanwick]

I watched a video on the Denafrips website that shows how to go to a setup mode on the Terminator DAC and change the pinout for the I2S input. It uses three of the LEDs (1X, 2X, 4X) to set a combination that goes from all Off (000 default) to All on (111). To be compatible with a PS Audio disc transposrt it needs to be set to 100 instead of the 000 default. What they are doing is changing the polarity on three pairs of wires on the I2S connector. There is a chart in the Terminator manual that shows the polarity that will be set on the three pair of wires based on which of the three LEDs are On/Off.

This is a great idea, as there is no industry standard for how the standard HDMI cable wires are used to carry the signals. With what they are doing on the Terminator DAC is allowing the user to configure the I2S pinout to match whatever gear they want to connect to it.

 

[Roasty]

The Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy CryoSilver Reference HDMI showed up today. Let the burn-in begin. I was planning to burn it in on my television for a couple of weeks, then install it in my audio system but it won't work. Apparently it is audio only. Just like my Tubulus Argentus HDMI.

Just following up on this as I'm really curious.. How is the RAL? Any revelations..?

 

[BlakeT]

Just following up on this as I'm really curious.. How is the RAL? Any revelations..?

Having an issue with my Gaia so the experiment is on hold until it is fixed. Alvin is helping me get it sorted out though.

 

[Articnoise]

Having an issue with my Gaia so the experiment is on hold until it is fixed. Alvin is helping me get it sorted out though.

What kind of problem?

 

[BlakeT]

What kind of problem?

The Gaia isn't powering on. Alvin saw my post in the forum and reached out to me before I even contacted him about the problem (now that is great customer service). I am shipping it back to him for inspection, all covered under warranty.

In the meantime, I just received notice that my Iris for my other system has now shipped. Look forward to it.

 

[Articnoise]

The Gaia isn't powering on. Alvin saw my post in the forum and reached out to me before I even contacted him about the problem (now that is great customer service). I am shipping it back to him for inspection, all covered under warranty.

In the meantime, I just received notice that my Iris for my other system has now shipped. Look forward to it.

So it works for over a month and then suddenly dies completely. That sounds worrying.

I hope things work out!

 

[BlakeT]

So it works for over a month and then suddenly dies completely. That sounds worrying.

I hope things work out!

Alvin is already shipping me a replacement Gaia so things worked out perfectly.

I have experienced problems with some other gear I have owned over the years as well (Revel, Aesthetix, Uptone, LH Labs). This can happen to any brand from any country- no manufacturer is immune. This is just part of our hobby and fluke things will happen from time to time. The important part is, if something goes wrong, will the manufacturer stand behind their product and provide support? That is where the rubber meets the road.

Fortunately for me, Denafrips, Revel, Aesthetix and Uptone all stood behind their product and provided great support and the problems were quickly resolved.

One brand did not- LH Labs, but that is a story for a different day.

 

[koso]

GAIA REVIEW UPDATE:

I’ve promised that I will report my findings after Gaia settles a little bit in my system.
I am only at one third of burn in time period (roughly 300 hours is recommended by Denafrips), but I just can’t resist to share that sound quality of GAIA is still improving. As I wrote before, initial impression was very good, but just after a week of continual using I am really impressed.

It is almost unbelievable how big improvement can this DDC bring to already decent digital setup (Aurender N100H streamer + Simaudio Moon 380D dsd DAC). What I wrote before is still truth, but somehow multiplied and even more refined. Sound is even more relaxed, soundstage and space around instruments has even more natural feel. The effect of “disappearance” of speakers is even closer to ideal (...to achieve this in my listening space, smaller square shape room, is very challenging). EVERYTHING is more realistic! Voices and acoustic instruments are just THERE.
Great job Denafrips!!