i2s - Lovin' it!

falconcry72

So who here is currently running i2s to their DAC? I just made the jump a couple weeks ago and I'm really loving it. I've been enamored with Audio GD DACs for a few years now (have owned the NFB-7, NFB-8, and original DI), and recently upgraded to the Master 7. This is a seriously awesome DAC: 8 x PCM1704 (4 per channel), R2R, with USB input, SPDIF inputs, and (2) i2s inputs, (1) RJ45 and (1) HDMI.

I just got an Audio GD DI-2014 to use as my USB > i2s transport via HDMI. What's interesting is that the DI and Master 7 use the same USB input and driver, but using the DI to convert to i2s sounds markedly better than going USB straight into the DAC.

This is the best digital I've heard. Still tweaking the jumpers in the DAC to mess with stopband, oversampling, dither, PLL, etc, but I'm pretty close to perfect. Definitely set on no oversampling (NOS).

So who's using i2s? What does your setup look like?

Here's mine:

PC > foobar2000 via ASIO > USB out > AGD DI-2014 > i2s out via HDMI > AGD Master 7.

bikerboy

I've been using and preaching the benefits of i2s for years. Twisted pear audio has been using i2s as the main connectivity in their dacs for a long time. To me it is not as bright as spdif. I use a Amanero usb to I2S converter with a Salas ps. Best sound ever from the pc.

EndersShadow

@SCompRacer is using that from his Denon 3910 to his Twisted Pear DAC IIRC.....

falconcry72

EndersShadow wrote: »

@SCompRacer is using that from his Denon 3910 to his Twisted Pear DAC IIRC.....

Plus SComp has an epic pair of SoundScape 8's which doesn't hurt at all. Bet that system sounds sweet.

falconcry72

bikerboy wrote: »

I've been using and preaching the benefits of i2s for years. Twisted pear audio has been using i2s as the main connectivity in their dacs for a long time. To me it is not as bright as spdif. I use a Amanero usb to I2S converter with a Salas ps. Best sound ever from the pc.

Nice. What DAC chip is in the Pear you're using?

SCompRacer

EndersShadow wrote: »

@SCompRacer is using that from his Denon 3910 to his Twisted Pear DAC IIRC.....

And the SB Touch! Via Twisted Pear Teleporter, one to send one to receive in DAC. The Denon 3910 will also output DSD (SACD) through its Teleporter.

falconcry72 wrote: »

Plus SComp has an epic pair of SoundScape 8's which doesn't hurt at all. Bet that system sounds sweet.

Thanks! I kind of dig them...the newly acquired Ref 3 pre amp didn't hurt either.

IMO, once upon a time anyway, DAC chips determine how much bang you get from I2S versus SPDIF. The ESS Sabre32 Reference (ES9018) DAC chip decodes SPDIF differently than other DAC chips; it dos not rely entirely upon the embedded clock. Thus you may not get a huge difference. Of course much depends on implementation of either I2S or SPDIF. Lots of diy and retail goodies to reclock the I2S or SPDIF signal before handing it off to DAC chip!

I'm mostly PC > Touch I2S > diy Dual Mono Twisted Pear Buffalo III DAC (discrete balanced output).

I can be PC USB > DAC, and Denon 3910 (CD - I2S or SACD - DSD) > DAC. The DAC is remote control for input but there is a switch I must manually flip on the Denon when outputting DSD. It flips the R and L channels of SACD. They use some of the same circuits as I2S, but SACD ends up with reversed channels so I had to fix that.

falconcry72

SCompRacer wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

@SCompRacer is using that from his Denon 3910 to his Twisted Pear DAC IIRC.....

And the SB Touch! Via Twisted Pear Teleporter, one to send one to receive in DAC. The Denon 3910 will also output DSD (SACD) through its Teleporter.

falconcry72 wrote: »

Plus SComp has an epic pair of SoundScape 8's which doesn't hurt at all. Bet that system sounds sweet.

Thanks! I kind of dig them...the newly acquired Ref 3 pre amp didn't hurt either.

IMO, once upon a time anyway, DAC chips determine how much bang you get from I2S versus SPDIF. The ESS Sabre32 Reference (ES9018) DAC chip decodes SPDIF differently than other DAC chips; it dos not rely entirely upon the embedded clock. Thus you may not get a huge difference. Of course much depends on implementation of either I2S or SPDIF. Lots of diy and retail goodies to reclock the I2S or SPDIF signal before handing it off to DAC chip!

I'm mostly PC > Touch I2S > diy Dual Mono Twisted Pear Buffalo III DAC (discrete balanced output).

I can be PC USB > DAC, and Denon 3910 (CD - I2S or SACD - DSD) > DAC. The DAC is remote control for input but there is a switch I must manually flip on the Denon when outputting DSD. It flips the R and L channels of SACD. They use some of the same circuits as I2S, but SACD ends up with reversed channels so I had to fix that.

Good stuff. I've owned/evaluated (3) different ES9018-based DACs: Wyred4Sound DAC2, Audio GD NFB-7, and McIntosh D-100. They all sound different, which tells me how important the power supply and analog output stages are. The AGD NFB-7 blows the others away... even the Mac. My new AGD DAC (Master 7) uses the famous PCM-1704 chip (8 of them) in an R2R (not sigma delta) implementation. It sounds brilliant when fed i2s. Simply... real.

Hey nice pickup on the Ref-3, BTW! I recently acquired an LS-26, which was a BIG improvement over the LS-15 I was using previously. I believe both of our preamps use 6H30's for the gain/output stage, but mine is a hybrid with a JFET input and SS power supply whereas you are all tube.

Yea I love me some Salks. My dad has a pair of HT3's and I'm alsways amazed by them. That RAAL ribbon is special. And the bass! Good stuff.

Cheers.

SCompRacer

I’ve been impressed with Audio GD builds. This is yours correct?



I went wild with power supplies in my DAC. Four are hot running shunting supplies, that is adjusted 100mA over max power required. Two feed each DAC board, the other two two feed Right and Left channel output (15v + and -). Two linear supplies power input cards (5v) and the Arduino processor/LCD display (12v). Due to diy components, you end up with a larger chassis than a designer who can incorporate more stuff on a single board. Despite that, I've yet to hear a DAC that I want to replace it with.



With the Arduino processor, I have total control over inputs, 32 bit volume (if desired) and all DAC chip adjustments (Fir and Lir filter, DPLL, Quantizer and Notch). I can save best settings for each input (DSD, SPDIF, I2S) so I don't have to mess with them when switching. An Apple remote provides remote control.



The discrete balanced output board is a Twisted Pear Legato. It sports a high quality plug in op amp SE out and a real decent headphone out.



Congrats on that LS-26! Yes my pre has four 6H30 tubes. Such amazing sound from a relatively inexpensive tube set.

Ht3’s are a great speaker. Love the Raal, it begs for no roll off of the highs. Many SS8 owners are moving to the Exotica 3’s with Alnico magnet SEAS mid and tweeter, two 8” powered Rythmik servo woofers. I’m happy with the SS8’s.