Wyred4Sound DACs and their Music server use I2s over HDMI. Sold my W4S DAC-2 a few months ago which was so equipped. Purchased it back in 2011. Link below is their newer rendition of the DAC-2.
1 Like
With respect to PS Audio, their Perfect Wave (CD) Transport and newer Directstream transport uses I2s. They even made special HDMI cables for a time as well.
https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/ps-audio-hdmi-12-i2s-cable
http://www.psaudio.com/product-category/disc-player/
1 Like
Yep I2S output but no ethernet input though
1 Like
If you like to use i2s, the unit need a extremely good clock as it would bypass the DAC clock. Correct ?
I suggest you test SoTM products or the MicroRendu. UltraRendu has been announced.
Remember to use LPS-1 PS.
Adding the new ISO REGEN will also help.
He does NOT want any USB in the chain at all.
microRendu + Singxer SU-1 was suggested earlier a couple of times
1 Like
Hi,
You can also check the Dutch manufacturer Pink Faun. I have their streamer running with I2S straigth into the Lyngdorf TDA-2170 dac/amplifier. Pink Faun offers a headless solid state streamer solution at very high quality.
This is also a Roon Core, right? A bit overkill for my need, I only need a Roon endpoint.
But I saw this and it looks fantastic: http://pinkfaun.com/index.php/products/streaming-audio/pink-faun-av-streamer-d-a-converter.html
1 Like
Iām going to go with the Bridge II.
The Bridge II will support MQA up to 24/192 soon-ish so itās the most elegant solution but most importantly I got a good deal on one lol
Please would you post a link @dabassgoesboomboom?
No worries Joel, but a link of?
The Bridge II ? http://www.psaudio.com/perfectwave-bridge/
Unfortunately itās specific to only one DAC and pricey (but I got a great deal!)
But for my DAC itās easily the most elegant solution for a Roon Ready endpoint for this DAC
It ticks all the boxes of my OP and has MQA decoding up to 24/192 coming soon-ish as a free firmware update
1 Like
I was actually looking for an alternative to the Bridge II, which is why my thread title says āI2S (HDMI connector) outputā
Obviously the Bridge II has an I2S output that isnāt an HDMI connector.
But after considering all the things discussed above (quality of clocking etc) this Bridge II is easily the most elegant solution plus has the bonus of a free MQA decoding firmware upgrade coming (up to 24/192).
I was thinking about the cheaper ARM board DIY option with the module I linked earlier but I went for the better clocking of the Bridge II
Thereās also no need to fret about what HDMI cable to use also lol
Iām just going to use a cheap but really well built Blue Jeans Cable Cat 6a (with itās floating shield design) and be done with it (for nowā¦ until somebody comes out with an ethernet PHY signal integrity regeneration device)
1 Like
PS Audio makes great stuff. Canāt go wrong with BJC stuff either. Have a whole stack of Cat 6 cables of varying lengths I had made last year. They work great.
1 Like
They do and I picked up my DirectStream DAC on the used market for cheap too ! And thereās still over a year warranty for me because their warranties are transferable.
Long story short - I had a DirectStream last year, sold it, tried a few different DACs and really missed it all this time - and luckily found a used one with warranty left on it which meant I didnāt really lose anything after having parted with my first one.
Itās always nice to be reunited with a long lost love lol
Once I get this Bridge II, I will have gone full circle from 12 months ago (luckily with no financial damage at all) and I can stop tweaking (which was fun and a great learning experience) and just get back to enjoying the music through Roon again.
Not so easy to get the I2S signal out of a FriendlyARM board. A RaspberryPi with an Allo Kali reclocker is also a good solution as drivers are more readily available.
1 Like
It can be done with this module: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/diy/I2Skits/I2SEN.htm
As per the attached. But drivers may be the issue, as you hinted, maybe.
Unless RoonBridge doesnāt have any issues with this. I may test this myself later, just out of interest only.
Would be nice if someone made a HAT with nice clocking but I donāt think the I2S HDMI type DAC input is popular with DACs in comparison with USB and SPDIF DAC inputs (could be wrong though)
Wait till RMAF when a plethora of Ethernet input DACās are launched. I wouldnāt invest in an external box to serve the role at this point in time. I2S is best over very short CMOS PCB traces of only a few CMās. The internal boards built into these DACās allow this. Youāll never beat it with I2S over LVDS/HDMI. That was a system developed in the 90ās by MSB. In the 2000ās PS Audio adopted as well. The reason they did this is because they needed a way to send the I2S from the CD transport to the DAC. Itās a much lower jitter method than SPDIF, so it was great back in that period of time. But in 2017, we have progressed beyond the CD transport. So it no longer makes any sense.
1 Like
On the other hand, those who already own DACs with I2S inputs are simply considering options to optimize the AQ, rather than buying a new DAC.
1 Like
If an USB-I2S/LVDS bridge improves upon the internal USB implementation in the DAC, thatās only a testament to how poorly engineered the DACās USB interface is, rather than how good the bridge is. Because the internal interface has the massive advantage to being connected to the PCB CMOS direct over short distances. All they would need to do is spend another $5-10 on the BOM to outperform something like the SU-1. But if they did that their buddies would lose out on SU-1 sales 
And DAC-internal USB receivers, however fancy, have the massive disadvantage of being complex digital circuits generating switching noise that is very hard to keep from the delicate analog part of the DAC.
1 Like
Not an issue with a proper board layout, separate supplies and regulation.