[S-S-MR]

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.

This was not obvious to me, but the clocking from USB ports and the PCM/DSD clocking from DAC/DDCs are two separate things, so there's only reclocking between the DDC and DAC, so it's not a waste of money; if you can afford it, go for it! This is very expensive, so I hope you get the same jaw-dropping improvement that I have.

I have an air-cooled gaming PC, next to a Wi-Fi router, with power and signal cables close to or touching each other, in a house built in the 1970s.

I started with the base card, then added the LPS, and finally, the clock, and I couldn't be happier.

 

[Zurv]

Did you add the clock to the pink while already owning the Gaia?
It would be interesting to pop the clock off. (No i'm not suggesting you do that. Pain in the butt to open a PC and pull are card out.)
for me i2s or usb bridge - hrmm.. i should look at a good external power option.

but everything has to fit here: (which is under 6") (The Rockna (which is on order now) has kinda large feet.. so i might be able to fit that and the gaia....)

 

[S-S-MR]

Did you add the clock to the pink while already owning the Gaia?

Yes. I had the Gaia first, then added the USB bridge, then the LPS, and finally, the clock. I also had the Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 USB Gen 5 fed by a Singxer SU-6 DDC via AES/EBU.

 

[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.

A little off-topic.. but Roasty is a sexy man.. that is a fact. The matte black plastic idea has saved me from wire nightmare mess under my desk! @Roasty
thanks sir!

 

[ShangriLa]

Glad I found this thread. I can't think of a better place to ask this question than in a Denafrips DDC thread under computer audio subforum. I will go through the entire thread, but would like to get some general opinion. I mostly play from a thrid-party app in MAC, or Tidal via Audirvana in MAC. Would Iris/Gaia improve sound quality noticeably?

My desktop setup consists of Denafrpis Ares II, Akitika GT102 amp, and Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2-EX. While I'm very happy with the overall sound, I'm still thinking if there are ways to improve. I heard so much about computer being a bad source and USB being a less optimal interface, and am very tempted to try an Iris. If that works, I will probably get a Gaia in my main listening setup. I used to have the impression that USB audio was the best interface (compared to optical/coaxial) and some DAC (Benchmark DAC3 for example) have internal reclockers. The 2 make a good setup for ditigal listening. But these days I'm reading USB being inferior and USB -> DDC -> I2S -> DAC being the optimal setup. Supposedly the worse the source (ie computer), the more difference a DDC makes. So I'm very curious whether DDC really make difference when playing from a computer? Thanks!

 

[Roasty]

A little off-topic.. but Roasty is a sexy man.. that is a fact. The matte black plastic idea has saved me from wire nightmare mess under my desk! @Roasty
thanks sir!

That looks great, man! U did a better job than me. Very clean. Glad u liked the idea!

 

[BlakeT]

But these days I'm reading USB being inferior and USB -> DDC -> I2S -> DAC being the optimal setup. Supposedly the worse the source (ie computer), the more difference a DDC makes. So I'm very curious whether DDC really make difference when playing from a computer? Thanks!

From my personal experience, absolutely. For your Denafrips DAC, I2S is the optimal input (although USB is good as well), and the DDC will definitely improve sonics when playing from a computer.

 

[sajunky]

I used to have the impression that USB audio was the best interface (compared to optical/coaxial) and some DAC (Benchmark DAC3 for example) have internal reclockers. The 2 make a good setup for ditigal listening. But these days I'm reading USB being inferior and USB -> DDC -> I2S -> DAC being the optimal setup. Supposedly the worse the source (ie computer), the more difference a DDC makes. So I'm very curious whether DDC really make difference when playing from a computer? Thanks!

USB is the best interface, as it can deliver data frames asynchronously (feed-back - on the request of a DAC), so a DAC is clocked by a high precision internal fixed frequency oscilator, no reclocking is required. It is how my R2R-11 is operating, it is the best case scenario. In the same way Ares could operate, but it does reclocking, which by a principle of operation is unneccesary in this case, but read on.

On the other side, USB is the worst interface in respect of spreading ground loops, as it use DC signal levels for signalisation. Ground loops and EMI enter inside a DAC and mess up with conversion. My inexpensive R2R-11 do not have protection against. Ares engineers decided to do reclocking, maybe they found it helps fighting ground loops, I don't know. Traditional methods of isolating USB galvanically did not bring good results, but it is easy to add a galvanic isolation after converting to I2S (which is internal DAC format). It leaves USB receiver on a dirty side, a bad things, it is losing a biggest advantage of USB - such clock cannot be used directly for a DAC as isolators add a significant amount of jitter, reclocking is required in such case. In such way Terminator Plus is operating. Now you see, only the most expensive Denafrips DAC has a galvanic isolator on USB.

In such situation an idea of DDC came out. It adds an additional level of isolation from ground loops that Ares is missing and it improve a sound, no question about. In your case I2S interface between DDC cannot be used which is the best use of DDC, but I am sure that a good DDC will still bring improvements.

 

[BIG POPPA]

Just got a custom ordered RJ45 I2S cable from Cardas and waiting for one from Phasure for the Iris to feed the Sonett Mopheus. Iris should be shipping out in a couple weeks or so. Exited to hear the Iris now with everything I have waiting for it.

 

[ShangriLa]

I reached out to exasound with a few questions regarding their DAC. One question is whether their DAC will benefit from a DDC like Denafrips'. And I specifically mentioned I use a MAC laptop. The answer is their DAC has internal reclocker, there will be no benefit from an external one. Interesting answer. Do Denafrips DAC have internal reclocker, I think some do? But it seems they still benefit from a DDC. This is confusing..

 

[ShangriLa]

From my personal experience, absolutely. For your Denafrips DAC, I2S is the optimal input (although USB is good as well), and the DDC will definitely improve sonics when playing from a computer.

I feel a DDC should help too. And if it does, I should hear an improvement with 'just' the Iris on the desktop setup.

USB is the best interface, as it can deliver data frames asynchronously (feed-back - on the request of a DAC), so a DAC is clocked by a high precision internal fixed frequency oscilator, no reclocking is required. It is how my R2R-11 is operating, it is the best case scenario. In the same way Ares could operate, but it does reclocking, which by a principle of operation is unneccesary in this case, but read on.

On the other side, USB is the worst interface in respect of spreading ground loops, as it use DC signal levels for signalisation. Ground loops and EMI enter inside a DAC and mess up with conversion. My inexpensive R2R-11 do not have protection against. Ares engineers decided to do reclocking, maybe they found it helps fighting ground loops, I don't know. Traditional methods of isolating USB galvanically did not bring good results, but it is easy to add a galvanic isolation after converting to I2S (which is internal DAC format). It leaves USB receiver on a dirty side, a bad things, it is losing a biggest advantage of USB - such clock cannot be used directly for a DAC as isolators add a significant amount of jitter, reclocking is required in such case. In such way Terminator Plus is operating. Now you see, only the most expensive Denafrips DAC has a galvanic isolator on USB.

In such situation an idea of DDC came out. It adds an additional level of isolation from ground loops that Ares is missing and it improve a sound, no question about. In your case I2S interface between DDC cannot be used which is the best use of DDC, but I am sure that a good DDC will still bring improvements.

Yeah I just noticed my area ii doenst have I2S input. Thank you for the detailed explanation. Need to digest it a bit. But appreciate the reply.

 

[alvin1118]

Typical usage of the DDC / Reclocker

 

[BIG POPPA]

@alvin1118 your the best!! Now only if mine will ship...... lol. No worries, got more RJ45 I2S cables coming.
Gil

 

[raykkho]

Enjoying mine

 

[nekky]

Enjoying mine

Wow.. that is some nice "stack"... I am scared to listen to an Element X because I feel like out of everything in the market, it is the only device so far that I'm sure could replace my desktop setup. Which cans are plugged in?

And could you comment on the difference that the Gaia made? I run a Gustard X26pro into a Singxer SA-1 and do use Tidal for MQA but am becoming tired of it: the app is clunky, it doesn't play nice with Carplay when I do use it in the car, and we all now know MQA is BS. Meaning that I don't really care if I lose MQA capability, I still love this DAC.