LAIV Harmony

A Pontus with an Iris DDC is a killer combination. I'm still running a 3 year old Pontus II with I2S to an Iris DDC.....total cost just a tad over $2,100 invested. Not the last word in detail, but really really good in most areas. Enjoyable, fun, easy to listen too, great soundstage and imaging.....just no flaws.

I've been really surprised that I've upgraded most everything else (speakers, preamp, solid state amp, tube amp, cables), and I have not felt the need to rush out to replace the Pontus/Iris combo. I of course know that I will, but the Pontus has performed admirably even while moving up into the solid "Mid fi" category....and I still enjoy listening to it daily

Back to the Harmony, the LAiV scales a lot with a high quality source in my case an LHY UIP USB regenerator. By way of reference, a guy over at Headfi compared it to the Iris and found it outperformed it in his setup, preferred UIP USB direct to DAC to even UIP USB > IRIS > I2S > DAC. This corresponds to my experience vs the Gustard U18 and SU6 where I found the same. Lots of different paths to a great sound.

@kereru  I am new to UIP USB Regenerators.  Can you clarify what you are referring to when you say "the LAiV scales a lot..."?  Thanks.

@audiostick Scales a lot.. upwards in performance… = improves or benefits prorportionately from, is quite sensitive to… a high quality source - is all I meant. Experimentation with the quality of power and signal cables for and between the UIP and another USB isolator upstream of the UIP, along with vibrafion damping and better chassis grounding of the UIP, is all very audible in improvements to the Harmony’s sound. So it is far from being source agnostic/indifferent for USB at least, feed it the highest quality USB source you can and it’ll reward you. My use of I2S has been more limited as the DDCs I tried to date didn’t sound as good as USB from the UIP, but same seems to be true from what experimentation I’ve done there.

@kereru Thanks for clarifying "scales".  Also, good to know about UIP USB as I have only been targeting Streamers with I2S capabilities for future purchase.