Does Anyone Currently Make an Ethernet to I2S Renderer?

I am using 2 devices to accomplish this--a Sonore microRendu to a Matrix X-SPDIF-2. I already had the microRendu when I purchased the Matrix.  

I do not know if there is a single unit for this.

Thanks for the info.  But IIUC the  Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 USB Interface does exactly what my Amanero board in the DAC does converting the USB to I2S.  Apparently there were a couple of Sonore products, now discontinued that provided the function i am looking for.

I’m in the same market and the only ones I’ve managed to find are the Rockna Wavedream Net (audiobyte sister company as well) and the Musical Pristina 3 unit. Both up there in price. I’m strictly a roon user however so not sure about other functionality on these.

The new Signature Sonore has also caught my eye but then I need to get a fibre switch, and usb->i2s converter which means more power cords etc. Would rather just simplify with the one box solution. The Musical Pristina seems like the best option for me but I wish there was more coverage of the unit. There’s one poster on here with their older model and he loves it.

Thank you for the responses. It's been eye opening.  Of these the least expensive by far is the Empirical at $3000. That’s more than I care to spend now.

There are so few DACs with I2S inputs, I suppose, so that the market is very small for this variety of renderer. They must all be hand made and consequently expensive. That will, I think, change in a few years and, who knows, manufacturers may even agree on a convention for cables.

Magna Mano is another. I like my ultra. Unlike many, it comes with a beautifully built linear power supply...

https://www.magnahifi.com/en/webshop/mh-he-pi2s

Metrum used to make an Ethernet to i2s bridge at one time.
It was their recommended route to connect to an accompanying Metrum DAC with i2s input.

No idea what protocol or cable end they used but might be worth looking into.


https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649629340-metrum-acoustics-ambre-roon-endpoint-streamer-with-i2s...

Sold but gives you an idea for research possibly.

Melm I wouldn’t get too hung up about not being able to use i2s though very good I’ve used these inputs and outputs over the past four years with PS Audio , Denafrips , Rockna and just recently with AudioByte .

A very recent purchase completely changed my mind about many things about digital playback especially the level of sound quality that I’m experiencing now.

With the number of converters , re-clockers and separate power supplies on the market today there are a couple one box solutions that stand out head and shoulders above the rest the Innuos Phoenix and Ideon Audio’s Master Time either model would really step up the performance of your lap top Nas and Oppo with a SPDIF converter to USB or Ideons Absolute Time with SPDIF and USB inputs and outputs.

I just hopped into the thread to note that I've also moved on from I2S and am just using an SPDIF connection to better effect. I was encouraged to try the switch after getting the following email in response to an inquiry into whether I2S could be offered as an input into Mojo Audio's dacs:

"Yes, and no.

Why?

Because it is the stupidest thing you can imagine.

The specification on I2S is “no more than 4” from DAC chip.”

What is I2S?

The clocking and data are divided into three separate signals: bit clock, word clock, and data.

In every other form of digital transmission (USB, Ethernet, Thunderbolt, etc) the clocking is embedded into the data stream and then it is asynchronously buffered and reclocked.

Think about it: if one clocking stream has the potential to get distorted, why would making three clocking streams that have to be synchronized be better?!?!?!?!?

Anyone who claims I2S is better for music data transmission between two chassis is an IDIOT.

And any company who is marketing such a idiotic concept is preying on the ignorance of the average consumer.

I could convert any one of our DACs to I2S…it would be easy…we use I2S internally so all I would need to do is not put in all the digital input circuitry and solder three wires from the PCB to a connector.

I just have too much respect for my customers and my products to do such an idiotic thing :^P


Benjamin Zwickel
Owner, Mojo Audio"

Wow, interesting comments there from Mojo. And that was a private email to you, cal?

Makes sense I2S was never intended to be used between boxes just short runs between chips. 

RE: Cal3713 ,..That is quite the response you got from Benjamin Zwickel ,

Sure what would the average consumer know however if i2s is so unworthy used as a chassis to chassis connection why would these component designers use it and promote i2s if it has such a negative result on a their component’s overall performance ?  that I don’t get.
Reading Mr. Zwickel response to your question Cal3713 really set him off to call his competition names like that .

I no longer use i2s not because I felt there was something wrong about it , the change over to using USB came only after a dealer then a home demonstration of a new digital front end and if I were to change my current dac MOJO would be one of the few I would consider..

 

@jriggy Yes, it was in a private email. Hopefully it is ok that I shared the thoughts.  Can't say I liked the tone, but it's also a very valid and relevant opinion. I'd love to hear one of his dacs. The chips, ancillary parts, and power supplies are clearly very well thought out. I suspect they sound wonderful.

And he was right in my application. Eliminating i2s and going to spdif (with an old inferior monster cable) improved the sound. 

And @djones51 I did read somewhere (maybe on ps audio's forums?), that you just need to increase the voltage of the i2s signal to push it further than the recommended 4" in the standard. No idea if this is true or not.

Yes it can be done and is being done. The advantage was it could do higher PCM and DSD rates but USB has caught up except for the highest DSD but that’s getting closer. I think that's why very few are jumping on the I2S bandwagon. 
https://www.thesycon.de/eng/u-hear.shtml

From the sounds of all of this I think I am glad i stuck with regular USB on my Metrum Onyx DAC instead of pursuing i2s which had been my first intention.