Interesting video on cables

I have considered purchasing the Gaia DDC for the IS2 connection to see where that takes things.

Nice DAC! I think that’s a great thought but not sure you need to go all the way to the Gaia. You could pick up a used Iris for $400 (that’s what I did) just to dip your toe in the water and can just turn around and sell it if you don’t get a meaningful performance bump. That was my plan, but after hearing it my Iris ain’t going anywhere. @vthokie83 did the same thing and he also has a Pontus ll and maybe he’ll chime in here with his impressions that were basically identical to mine. There’s also a Hermes available for $750 if you wanna kick it up a notch and/or can use the SPDIF input in addition to USB. Anyway, here they are just fyi…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650042588-denafrips-iris-usb-digital-to-digital-converter/

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650042607-denafrips-hermes-digital-to-digital-converter/

Again, FWIW.

@soix I love the Pontus, it is a great DAC.Thanks for the links and advice.  I was thinking I needed to go middle of the lineup for the DDC since the Pontus is kind of in the middle but good to know the Iris might be worth checking out, especially at around $400.

Ha!  I just looked at the Denafrips DDC lineup and i meant to say Hermes not Gaia.  @soix your link sorted that mistake out thanks!

So many DDCs, so little time.  BTW, and if u don’t mind me asking, what’s the rest of the equipment, cables, etc. in ur system?

Jastralfu,

As Soix mentioned, I've been in a similar situation. I however am using a BlueSound Node 130, instead of a computer based streamer. You've already come to the conclusion that you need a better streamer, and there are plenty from the Innuous/Aurender/Lumin usual suspects...as well as others.

Adding a DDC will definitely (IMO) improve the quality of your streaming, but at what point does the computer based streaming become the limiting factor?

I bought the Iris DDC which upgrades the clock from the FEMTO clock in the Pontus II to a temperature controlled (TXCO) unit in the Iris (like the Venus DAC).....the Hermes and Gaia up the ante further to an oven controlled unit (OCXO) like that in the Terminator series.

It also allows the ability to use I2S as the primary connection, from the Iris/Gaia/Hernes to the Pontus. The reason why that is important, and worth reading up on, is that digital sources use I2S serial bus internally as their native way of communicating amongst themselves. Using an I2S connection from the Iris eliminates the conversion from I2S, to SPDIF/USB/??? and then back again to I2S in the Pontus. Electrical engineers please don't blast me here, I know it's a simplistic explanation.

Now that is getting somewhere! As Soix pointed out adding the Iris between the Node 130 and Pontus (and using a good high speed I2S cable between the two), was a complete game changer. Every single sound quality was improved, and not by a small amount....it was like I had installed a brand new high quality streamer, with much better specs. Now I am not sure which made the most difference, adding the DDC between the two or changing to I2S? I suspect both equally.....though I've done no testing on that theory as I made the changes simultaneously.

Here is my dilemma (and maybe yours I suspect), "when I upgrade my streamer, will I even need/use a DDC?" That is something I don't know the answer to, even though I have tested both an Aurender N10 and N200 in my system.....I did not have the Iris at the time.....to do a comparison. For me it would be much easier to buy and sell an Iris and lose a couple hundred dollars, versus the Hermes or Gaia where I could lose a bunch more....or buy used as Soix suggested.

I think it would be worth your time to send an email to Alvin Chee at Vinshine Audio (the distributor for Denafrips products), who I think would give you an honest recommendation and answer any questions you may have sales@vinshineaudio.com He has been very responsive to any and all questions I have had for him.