Provided the DDC has a better clock than the DAC you should hear a bigger soundstage and better defined bass, not huge but it’s there. But I would just wait and see how your i2S interface works for you first.n By all means get a good I2s cable, I like Tubulous.
EverSolo DMP-A8 with Denafrips Pontus 15th, both have i2S
For the past couple of years I’ve been using a Bluesound NODE (N130) with a Denafrips ARES II DAC (USB). I liked it very much!
Well, I got the itch to not leave well enough alone, if you know what I mean!
I purchased an EverSolo DMP-A8, thinking this all-in-one could replace what I had. It sounds pretty good, but, started missing my Denafrips DAC (which I sold). A couple days ago I ordered from audioman58 (Thank you!), a Pontus 15th Edition, can’t wait to get it!
This brings me to my question please. The DMP-A8 has i2S Output, which I plan on using to input i2S on the Pontus 15th (I hope for compatibility?). Is there still a reason to get a Denafrips DDC? Or, am I most of the way there with i2S on both my streamer and DAC?
Thanks,
Tom
- ...
- 26 posts total
I believe the I2s interface will use the streamer clock when connecting to your dac. If your dac has a better clock than your streamer you might be able to configure it to use the dac clock. Otherwise, you are losing performance. If you use a ddc, the denafrips ddcs at least do not have an I2s input, you will need to connect the streamer to ddc via some other connection. The clock in the Hermes ddc is better than the clock in the Pontus dac so you should get improvement as @fthompson251 suggests. Is any of this worth the money and time, only you, your ears, and wallet can answer. I have a Hermes ddc connected to my Pontus II and it was worth it to me. I noticed improvements in soundstage, imaging, transients, and bass response. All good things. |
Thanks for the replies. So, If the Pontus i2S input is used, the Pontus clock is completely bypassed? Interesting, much more to think about now. In further research about the DMP-A8 i2S output, they claim it is a good DDC with Dual High Precision Clocks, quoting, 2 ultra-low phase noise femtosecond high-precision clocks for audio decoding circuit (45.1584MHz and 49.152MHz) etc.... Probably not as good as a Denafrips DDC, but maybe worth a try. |
As has been pointed out; if the clock in the DMP-A8 isn't as good as that in the Pontus, or indeed a Denafrips DDC, by using I2S out of the streamer in to the Pontus could mean you maybe actually losing performance not gaining any. Whether the clock in the DMP-A8 is better that those in the Denafrips DDCs, or the Pontus 15th I suppose is the question |
- 26 posts total