[sajunky]

How would you activate it? Like say with jRiver?

All music players migrate from Direct Sound interface to the WASAPI as a default output Device. Latest builds of Windows 10 has a new programming interface for the apps store, it is a simplified access through the WASAPI. For legacy applications there are two steps:

1. Enable WASAPI exclusive mode in Windows Sound control panel for your device. It is neccessary for allowing applications to bypass Windows system mixer limitation and sound degradation, as Windows do a poor job. And it has a negative effect on USB transfers control. If it is not done, then USB transfer mode depends on the first application that opened a pipe to the device. It is not what you want.

Enable two options in the advanced section:
- allow application to use exclusive access
- give application a priority

2. Now all things depend on the music player. In Foobar install WASAPI plugin and select "WASAPI Event (your driver name)" output device. I don't use JRiver, but these links should be sufficient:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/WASAPI_Event_Style
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/WASAPI

On the second link do not enable a second option. If default is not working, then your device is older and do not support transfer speed synchronisation with a DAC clock.

 

[GoldenSound]

A user on head-fi recently loaned me a Denafrips Hermes to review, and I figured i'd post some thoughts here.
Initially, It was clear that it is most definitely a great DDC. And will definitely be a marked improvement from the internal DDCs of most DACs.
However, the more I listened and switched between both it and the much cheaper Pi2AES, the more I felt that actually....I preferred the pi2aes.

I then measured the jitter from both devices, and to my surprise, the pi2aes won. The $150 humble DDC was providing slightly better jitter performance than the $1000 OXCO, LPS etc etc DDC.

I've made a full video which you can see here, however my advice would be that while the Hermes is no doubt a great product, when something such as the pi2aes exists and outperforms it for an 8th of the price (albeit in a much more 'DIY' looking package), it simply doesn't make sense.

I would love to get ahold of a Di20HE or Gaia to review and test (if you have one you would be willing to lend me please do give me a shout!). But until then, the pi2aes is simply fantastic.

 

[johnzz4]

Quick update on a new i2s cable. Now running the new Wireworld Silver Sphere HDMI. It’s easily taken the place of the Tubulus Argentus. Perfect blend of detail, tonal balance, and dynamics.

 

[ahossam]

I have Venus II & Gaia with me for about a week now, and played it non stop ever since.

 

[koso]

Quick update on a new i2s cable. Now running the new Wireworld Silver Sphere HDMI. It’s easily taken the place of the Tubulus Argentus. Perfect blend of detail, tonal balance, and dynamics.

Can you please tell us more about difference between Tubulus Argentus and WW Silver Sphere?
I have Tubulus Argentus HDMI between Gaia and Venus II and want to know if it is worth updating...
I had Siltech classic anniversary HDMI before Tubulus, it is more detailed cable, but Tubulus has deeper bass. I wish I had both qualities in one cable ( ery detailed and deep bass at the same time).

 

[Louisiana]

Bought a Iris one week ago, can't notice any benefits to sound from RPi4 to Denafrips Iris to Bifrost 2.

 

[BIG POPPA]

So I am joining the club. Have an Iris coming to feed the Sonnet Morpheus. Read all 17 pages. Did learn a few things. Phasure audio and Tubulus are the cables to get. Anyt5hing else besides getting a Gaia please let me know.

 

[BlakeT]

So I am joining the club. Have an Iris coming to feed the Sonnet Morpheus. Read all 17 pages. Did learn a few things. Phasure audio and Tubulus are the cables to get. Anyt5hing else besides getting a Gaia please let me know.

Welcome to the club!

 

[Ratephi]

Any experience testing one of the Denafrips DDCs in combination with a Chord DAVE? I'd be curious to hear about it, if possible..

 

[Zurv]

@Roasty Should I assume the when you tested the Gaia with your wavedream that it should also work with the wavedream? (or maybe i just get a SU-6 )

I wonder which clock is "better" too. The wavedream custom magic or the standard by sexy OCXO clock in the Giaia? The wave can use the local clock or the steamed one.

FEMTOVOX CLOCK SYSTEM​

The clock is the heart of a digital reproduction system. It’s accuracy and jitter levels are critical in regard of sound quality. Only a very good clock system can make the way to the analog sound on the output of your DAC. If the clock is flawed, digital harshness will occur and the analog feeling of the music will be severely altered. Apart from the performance of the clock itself, equally critical is the construction of the clock tree (the clock distribution architecture) inside the DAC. The jitter amount that really counts it’s not only the performance of the clock itself – but the clock which actually enters the dac and is used for conversion – let’s call it the conversion clock. The conversion clock that enters the dac section relies on the clock tree, which is usually not just routing, but in most cases conditioning, altering it’s quality. A poorly designed clock tree can degrade significantly the clock quality entering the d/a section, even if the source clock has great performance.

With these facts in mind, we designed for the Wavedream an advanced clock system called the femtovox. With femtovox in place, one is assured that only extremely small amounts of jitter are present at the dac conversion clock input. It’s unique architecture employs that conversion clock is directly synthesised at the dac input, without any conditioning, giving constant jitter performance at any sample rate. The conversion clock is controlled with 1 ppb precision, while exhibiting about 300 fS of jitter. The smallest jitter figure in the world? No. The smallest jitter figure where actually matters? Probably.

 

[Zurv]

Hey thanks man.
Just large pieces of matte black plastic corrugated boards which were cut out to size and to accommodate the shapes of the components. They're cheap too about USD8 for three boards of 50x75cm. Yea I don't like looking at the wires behind, especially as it's in direct sight from where I sit on the couch. Also doubles to reduce dust getting into the cabinet.

oh.. great idea. Ordered!

 

[Zurv]

Thanks for the picture! I've been using mine for the past week or so since I got it. It's been nice. I do feel like I need to get a dac that can receive i2s to get the most out of it. It's currently making a subtle difference for my Ygg A2. Nothing changes in tonality but the timing and naturalness of the music is slightly better.

What are you feeding the yggy? AES?

 

[Zurv]

You MUST get an audiophile PCIe USB card or you will never reach the full potential of your computer audio system. I have the Pink Faun USB Bridge without the upgraded clock or external linear power supply and it made a MASSIVE improvement to my high-end setup. I should have done this years ago before going down the rabbit hole of expensive gear and cables.

What about the Pink Fuan I2s bridge itself and skip the DDC?
(i'm fact this the where I am right now. I'll soon have a Rockna Wavedream and want to feed it i2s when i'm using my PC. (I plan to use the Pi2saes as the other source, which i hear is amazing.) I do have the Pink Faun i2s bridge card coming, but i worry about the noise it will pick up sitting between 2 nvidia 3090s - i also worry about it converting redbook to a higher clock. Thus, i'm thinking about the Gaia (or su-6 or DI-20HE) --- argh! i wish denafrips has a US office... which would likely be in NYC )

 

[S-S-MR]

What about the Pink Fuan I2s bridge itself and skip the DDC?
(i'm fact this the where I am right now. I'll soon have a Rockna Wavedream and want to feed it i2s when i'm using my PC. (I plan to use the Pi2saes as the other source, which i hear is amazing.) I do have the Pink Faun i2s bridge card coming, but i worry about the noise it will pick up sitting between 2 nvidia 3090s - i also worry about it converting redbook to a higher clock. Thus, i'm thinking about the Gaia (or su-6 or DI-20HE) --- argh! i wish denafrips has a US office... which would likely be in NYC )

I originally thought I might have made a mistake buying the USB bridge instead of the I2S bridge, but I learned from various websites that the I2S bridge is limited to 24-bit, 192 kHz and does NOT send DSD, has only one output available, and the usual I2S pin-out configuration problems if one wants to switch DACs.

The USB bridge on the other hand is limited to the USB audio specifications. I am even more satisfied with the USB bridge now that I have the Ultra OCXO clock and Uptone Audio JS-2 LPS. Error prevention beats error correction!

 

[Zurv]

hrmm.. good point.. but.. you are a crazy person (which i approve of) - went with the Pink Faun USB bridge and the ultra clock AND the gaia

To me it was an one or the other. I think only 1 of the clocks is going to be used too.

i also don't listen to DSD.
I wish i knew about the quality of the clock i the wavedream compared to the pink or gaia. But a USB from the PC with external power.. hrmm.. that seems like a good idea.
That said, when the prices start going up, i'd rather have a device (like gaia) vs a PCI-E card.