Which USB reclocker is as good as the Innuos Phoenix USB?

I have the reclocked, LPS fed Etherregen directly feeding my Innuos Zenith mk3. When I added the LHY Audio switch upstream of the Etherregen, there was a further significant improvement in dimensionality and impulse response. If you daisy chain 2 Etherregensnyou may get similar benefits. Pls note that you can’t though feed both with the same LPS since you’d effectively be breaking the moat.

@tjag 

Here is an interesting list of the I2S disadvantages. It was not designed for communication over cables. The limitations sound serious.

There are many theoretical reasons why not to use I2s but in practice I2s works just fine. You should keep the cable length to 40-50cm. I've successfully used longer cables but found super short cables, although advised by many, don't work as well. PS Audio recommend 50cm, check out their forum.

There are many USB or Coax to I2s converters to try and it's relatively easy to get custom I2s cables configured to your requirements.

@lordmelton Yes, there are many good reviews on using the I2s connection.

But I don’t think the I2s path is a PhoenixUSB killer.

This reviewer preferred the Phoenix to the Denafrips Gaia DDC

On 5/27/2022 at 8:08 PM, beautiful music said:

So are you end up letting Gaia go or am I missing thing?

Yes, that’s the plan. PhoenixUSB is doing magic in my setup.

By the way, GoldenSound wrote this about the Gaia

Overall, the Gaia is a great DDC with perhaps the most comprehensive feature set of any I’ve tested.
Those wanting the absolute best performance should still look to the Singxer SU6.

Magnahifi released their Mano ULTRA mkIII Music Super3 Streamer. It has a Farad super3 power supply. €1295.

The prices are getting higher, but with time there will be more reviews and comparison and things will get clearer.

When I had a W4S MS1 Music Server I used their USB decrapifier and it helped but not as much as the ISORegen.  I also found using 2 ISORegens back go back being even better.  Sold the MS and bought an Innuos Statement and sold the W4S and ISORegens and the LPS's that powered them.

My DAC is a Terminator Plus that prefers I2S so I tried a $600 Denafrips Iris DDC and clocked it with the Terminator Plus.  To my surprise the Iris completely transformed the USB.  Even without clocking it clearly improved the USB from the Statement.

If your DAC takes I2S and you have a Phoenix try a DDC.

@anzaanimalclinic
Thank you very much for your feedback. You have a great team doc they look like a wonderful group of people. All the best to you helping our little friends :).

Blake agrees with your findings.

Posted September 22, 2020

I was hoping Srajan at 6Moons would compare the Phoenix, Gaia and some other D/D converters.

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/denafrips6/4/

While the review is not yet finished, in his review of the Denafrips Avatar, Srajan notes that he did compare the Phoenix, Gaia and through extrapolation to another review, the Mutec MC-3+ USB. While the comparison was not perfect in that he compared Phoenix going to the Terminator Plus usb input, whereas the Gaia was going in to the Terminator Plus I2S input (there was no way around this since Gaia doesn’t have USB output, and the Phoenix only has USB output), the ranking of best sonic performance was:

1. Terminator Plus + Gaia with the Terminator Plus "clock out" feature engaged upstream to the Gaia.

2. Terminator Plus + Phoenix

3. Terminator Plus + Gaia without Terminator Plus "clock out" feature engaged.

4. Mutec MC-3+ USB

Dante Rivera compared his Terminator USB vs I2s in this YT video. The I2s is best. However, this seems specific to the Denafrips DACs. For different DACs I think it depends on which interface is implemented best.

Both Koso (whom I referred to earlier) and Chameleonracks have the Holo Audio Spring 3 DAC. They preferred the USB interface over the I2s. They use the USB interface in combination with the PhoenixUSB and Intona USB Isolator,  respectively.

I will contact my DAC (Musician Aquarius) manufacturer to know which interface they recommend.