Impact of a DDC using SPDIF (not I2S)
I have been toying with the idea of trying a Digital to Digital Converter to convert the output from my Innuos Zenith MKIII from USB to SPDIF. The SPDIF would then connect via AES to a Merason Reuss DAC. A likely candidate is the Denafrips Hermes DDC.
My question, and I already know the obvious answer, 'Try it and see', is whether I would gain much converting to SPDIF. I know that this is highly component dependent. Switching away from USB into the DAC moves the clocking into the DDC vs using the DAC's clock. Many of the folks who have used DDC's successfully use the I2S input on their DAC, however the Merason Reuss does not support I2S input.
I realize that my mileage may vary, but I am hoping to hear from others that have used a DDC to help me decide if I want to try one out. It is not an inexpensive experiment, a bit of due diligence up front is warranted. Let me know your thoughts.
Denafrips actually recommends using DAC clock and Hermes can operate on Terminator (DAC) clock - this is my setup. I think DDC effect depends on quality of USB source. You may get biggest value if source is a PC which tend to be noisy. On the other hand, if the source is already good, reclocking again may or may not bring any benefits.
|
@fuzztone - Denafrips (or their former dealer) youtube videos actually clearly state that DDC effect depends on the source. If source is already good, there may be no effect - like there is no reason to chain 5 DDCs, right? |
