Nuprime Stream-9 Streamer

S.M.S.L is to wired the PS audio (the original) as do all Shenzhen products.

Hi Carlsbad, I'm just interested in trying out the i2s interface.  Have followed many discussions with some saying it improves on usb, while others saying usb is better if done correctly.   I'd like to hear for myself which one I would prefer.  Paul McGowan at PS Audio says i2s is much better than usb, but perhaps he is pushing i2s because his DS Dac has that input.  Do you have experience with i2s and if so what's your opinion on i2s vs usb?  Thanks.

On another Audiogon thread, a user said he contacted Tim Connor at Holo Audio and this was Tim's reply:  "Personally I’m all about i2s. It’s the best all around. With a good Hdmi i2s cable it’s definitely a step up. The aes/eBu is as good as spdif gets bit imo Spdif is a bit dated. We have overcome a lot , if not all usb shortcoming and i2s is just beyond that. I personally use i2s always".  

I’ve found a cheap I2S solution, that being an RPi with a Pi2aes HAT which has an I2s output.  I run it into my PS Audio Directstream DAC via Hdmi and the sound is is great!  I think it sounds better than Usb personally.  I’m using the MoOde operating system and use the Rpi as a Roon endpoint with Qobuz.  

@doni Hi, can you tell me the manufacturer name and brand of the RPi streamer?

Below are the response I received from Nuprime:

Stream-9 is able to work with Roon (we have Roon server in our lab), it is not Roon ready in that it won’t show up as a Roon end-point device, but performance wise these is no difference. Our firmware supplier is working on Roon ready integration but we can’t guarantee a release date.

2.  Is the HDMI i2s output on the Stream-9 compatible with the following DACs: Holo Audio May,  PS Audio Directstream and SMSL VMV D2?