Although it can depend on how your particular DAC’s inputs are designed. I’d second trying the i2S connection if you haven’t already. Just keep the cable as short as possible as the i2S signal degrades quickly with distance. But be aware that not all DDCs and DACs can communicate via i2S because there’s no one standard configuration so something to check into. That’s the case with HDMI but you have an RJ45 connection on your DAC so not sure how that works but still worth looking into. FWIW.
Connectivity for Gustard U18?
I have an Aqua La Voce DAC connected to my iMac via USB and recently purchased a Gustard U18 DDC. The device came with a mini-CD for a Windows set up and something to do with Roon, all poorly describe in the accompanying manual. Am I correct in assuming that the device is plug-n-play with my iMac? Are there any settings on the device that I need to be aware of? Thanks for any insight you can provide