@trivema COMPLETELY agree about adding DDC to Pontus! I had a rough go of it getting off the ground (having some static issues and a bit of a rough go getting the combo with I2S nailed down), but once everything got straightened out I was floored! Adding Hermes to Pontus was probably every bit as big a jump as adding Pontus to my system. Never expected that big a difference...And thank you for sharing your experience. My system is definitely revealing enough to warrant any tweaks.
Bottom line for me is I needed to add an ethernet switch anyway, so if there are switches/power supplies, etc that can also make a difference, why not explore that, right?