And another product no self-proclaimed golden ear is ever able to identity in a blind test.
Each. Will. Fail. Badly. 
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Amen, brother! Which input do you useâUSB, i2s, or something else?
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USB is the best choice, since it gives the DAC 100% control over the clock. Iâm one of the eggheads BTW. I never trust purely subjective opinions.
But measurements and theory donât always translate into how things sound. Ultimately, even in a double blind situation, one choice may sound more ârightâ to you than the other. And if you are literally at 5050 in a double blind test, then you have to decide which one sounds better to you. Ultimately, itâs all subjective and so I just start with that as the realistic and best methodology â â using my ears.
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50/50, of course, means that you can not tell the difference when just listening. But some people do want to spend as much money as possible for the same result and will convince themselves that there is such a thing as I2S cable (there isnât) and that it sounds better than USB (it doesnât). But hey, if spending more money on something objectively useless makes one happy, how are we to argue?!
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Boris, you and I are on opposite ends of the âdiscerning audiophileâ spectrum. I do hear differences in i2s cablesânot âhit you over the headâ differences, but subtle differences that lead me to one choice over another. On my DAC (Audio-gd R7HE Mk ll), the i2s input is head and shoulders better than its USB input. And the USB input sounded very good until I tried the i2s input. And âobjectively uselessâ doesnât appeal to me in the least bit. Iâm happy for you that your theories shape and inform your choices, but donât judge those of us that travel to the beat of a different drummer. Thereâs room in this audiophile world for many choices and options.
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A blind test is designed to determine if there is a perceptible difference, i.e. if anyone can tell them apart. If you canât do that with a sufficient degree of certainty, then the question of which oneâs better is irrelevant.
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And btw, @ethelthefrog, I recommend you consider the Sonore SonicTransporter i5 as a choice for a server. And if you can afford it, consider one of their âplayersâ as well.
I started with the UltraRendu and then evolved over to the OpticalRendu. That may be too much for your budget, but I thought I would mention those options.
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No, but if two signals measure the same, then they should sound the same to the same ears, assuming the amount of ear wax is also the same. Instruments are much more sensitive than hearing, not biased and repeatable.
Iâm wondering how useful any of this is to the OP. The answers given here seem to split fairly evenly between those in favour of sticking with USB, those advocating something else ( a streamer, i2S) and those who say it doesnât make any difference. I think that if itâs possible to try alternatives without incurring a lot of cost, then why not? Otherwise, maybe better to leave well alone.
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The number of people who believe in something is not a measure of truth - if you care about truth at all.
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I initially used a direct USB connection between my Nucleus + and Chord Qutest. Nothing fancy; Supra USB cable.
Upon the recommendation of a good friend, I purchased a Denafrips GAIA DDC. USB into the GAIA and coaxial SPDIF into the Qutest. The width and height of the sound stage physically grew. I can point the delineation points out on my wall with a laser pointer. ABX tests are simply not required to discern A/B observable increases that are measured in feet. I remain pleased with the GAIA in situ.
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On the contrary, they are especially required in these ânight and dayâ situations. I would think you may not need them when you canât tell the difference in sighted comparisons, although bias can still creep in when you have an agenda. Again, if you care about objectivity at all.
Iâll bet theyâre subtle. PCM over one cable versus the same PCM over a different cable. If I heard a difference, Iâd know that either I needed a better DAC, or I needed a better mind.
Sorry, thatâs a bit terse. Let me explain. Itâs entirely possible that two different inputs to the same DAC may sound different, even with the same PCM. And itâs entirely possible that a difference heard by human ears and mind can be imaginary.
Different inputs: Many DAC designers, particularly for small-volume and/or âboutiqueâ devices, have limited familiarity with all of the various input types: I2S, USB, AES, S/PDIF. And the hardware to support the various inputs has varied over time as well. So itâs entirely possible that the S/PDIF input to a DAC, for instance, might be superior to the USB input, because the DAC designer either knows how to implement it better, or chooses a different chip, perhaps one thatâs familiar, to implement it with. Basically, the DAC is âbrokenâ on the inferior-sounding input, whichever that may be. You need a better DAC.
Luckily, these differences are typically not just sound differences. One input is not less âfullâ than another, or âmore fatiguing,â for instance. Due to the nature of digital data transmission, errors and deficiencies tend to manifest as clicks, pops, and drop-outs. So itâs pretty easy to tell.
Imagination: the human imagination is one of the glories of the universe, powerful and far-reaching. And hearing occurs mostly in our mind, which interprets frequence sensations from the ears and skin as speech or music or just plain noise. And human imagination is a big part of it. But there are many ways the mental process of hearing can be skewed by various things, including likes, dislikes, dreams, and blood chemistry. It takes an extremely disciplined mind to resist hearing auditory hallucinations, which are more frequent than most people realize. This is the reason I prefer to qualify my hi-fi equipment with instruments more reliable than my â most imaginative â hearing.
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If youâre willing to diy a little bit of electronics. You could pur together a streamer with a rtspberry Pi and IAN Canadaâs boards.
I use one to stream from my fanless NUC Roon core to my venus II via I2S.
Yuu could use the setup as proposed in IAN Canada FiFoPIQ7 documentation page 14. This would set you back approx. USD 700 and result in a very high end streamer.
I use the setup as described in IAN Canada PurePi power supply - #2 by Matt_Martin and am very happy.
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With respect you can install Roon Server on an old dedicated i5/i7 laptop or NUC for about 250 â and thatâs overkill; and spend the extra 450 on speakers (or music) where you would actually hear a real difference. One doesnât need to spend $700 on a streamer. Buy a WiiM mini for $89 if you want Spotify connect or Amazon.
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Only if itâs an audiophile grade laptop. Mind the noise!!
Per Wikipedia [ABX test - Wikipedia] :
âAn ABX test is a method of comparing two choices of sensory stimuli to identify detectable differences between them.â
I donât need to determine IF a difference is present. Itâs readily observable. I just need a tape measure to quantify it.
The original poster was asking about an optimal connection from his Nucleus to the denafrips Venus.
Your comment about installiung roon on an old laptop my work for you, but only shows that your way out of your league for the original question.
PS: Why do people not answer the questions but prefer to engage in futile arguments 
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