Congrats on your nice new DAC. I use this and it sounds so good I haven’t bothered to upgrade yet. At about 7 bucks it’s a way for you to assess i2S vs. SPDIF without risking a lot of $ (my cable is 6” long but now only available from 1 foot on up).
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24182
This one looks interesting to me and some people here have had positive comments I’d you’re up for spending $99.
https://wyred4sound.com/products/hdmi-pcocc-premium
This DH Labs cable also gets good comments and is a bit pricier.
https://silversonic.com/products/digital-cables/hdmi-2-1/
Just some potential options at a few price points to get started. If you’re looking for something more I’d look at Wireworld or Tubulus and think I read some good things about Wywires too. Regardless of the cable you want it as short as possible for i2S as it does not travel well and the signal degrades quickly over distance. Optimally you want 1 foot or less, but get the shortest length you can. Hope this helps, and best of luck.
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Another happy micro Dac user here. I tried two inexpensive HDMI cables, including the AudioQuest LGC directional HDMI, but was disappointed with the sound. Then I tested the DH Labs HDMI 2.1 cable and ended up liking/keeping it—especially after burn-in. It delivered a fuller, bassier sound than the AQ. According to Greg from DH Labs, their HDMI cables take about 40 hours to fully burn in. Also, be sure to get the 2.1 version rather than 2.0—it uses lower dielectric insulation, which reduces signal degradation and lowers capacitance for better overall performance.
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I tried a very short 6" long I2S (HDMI plug) cable- no name and bought the DH Labs 2.1- the extra length of the DH Labs certainly didn’t make it worse- 1/2 meter.
The question is will your DAC work (or is the I2S input user configurable) with whatever the digital source is (and same questions re compatibility/configurable). *(One spec I read said your DAC is 8X auto configurable so I assume this means you should not have an issue but you are no doubt aware that no one standard exists for how these devices are wired for I2s).
I bought a DDC to get around the problem since my I2s source component was not compatible with my DAC. The DDC was directly compatible with the DAC- same manufacturer-Gustard-though it does have the ability to reconfigure with some limited options and if I recall, a promise to add more options via field programmable chip.
I think this digital front end (which enabled me to eliminate the Mac mini and Audirvana), though very modest, sounds terrific using the I2S over a very good, well tuned system and I’m all about old LP pressings in top condition. In other words, I’m fairly critical. I understand why people would go deep into digital especially given the cost of entry into the LP these days, from turntable, arm and cartridge-(the latter being a consumable) to effective record cleaning facilities of some sort, to the cost of pressings, particularly OGs of desirable records in top playing condition. If I were to start today, I don’t know that I’d dive into vinyl- but I started so long ago, and have a considerable record collection, so use both for access to more music.
I’m using a simple device that can play from an SSD through a variety of outputs at high resolutions. Much depends on the source material-some redbook standard files sound terrific, others less so, but some of the higher res DSD and high rate PCM are great too. I’m good where I am on the digital front now that I have this set up w/ I2S and I’d say 85% of my listening is still the LP. Nonetheless a big improvement, less artificial sounding to my ears on my system.
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What input best depends on how well each interface optimized. The Harmony usb interface nothing special so its very possible I2S will provide superior sound quality. In my case I was using Sonore OpticalRendu with Audioquest Diamond usb with Harmony at first. Later went to OpticalRendu feeding Denafrips Gaia usb, Gaia to Harmony via .5m*Tubulus Ximius, Harmony sync'd to Gaia's superior I2S clock.
To really take advantage of I2S potential, one should have highest quality OXCO clock in streamer or DDC vs dac internal clock, so superior timing via syncing to the external clock. Also keep I2S cable short .5M or less, longer cables throw off timing defeating much of the advantage of the external clock.
While the Harmony was nice enough via usb, going this particular I2S route really upped the game, greater resolution, transparency along with more analog like presentation.
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@sns Congrats on your Ximius. I've read many acalades regarding the Concentus, but have not found much regarding the other Tubulus i2s cables. Other than being "top-of-the-line", what did you learn that led you to the Ximus?
Has anyone tried the entry level Tubulus Argentus?
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@audiostick What I've learned after more than 10 years streaming is silver cabling superior to copper, this with ethernet, usb and I2S cables, the higher the silver content the better. Using all Audioquest Vodka for ethernet, AQ Diamond for usb, and of course the Ximius for I2S. Haven't used the other Tubulus cables. Silver is a better conductor than copper, I hear greater resolution, transparency with high content silver.
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The only true I2S company is Tubulus Audio ,Tubulus strictly audio and no dielectric smearing the timing ,just read their philosophy .
AQ has a dragon audio I2S Tubulus Ximius is the Best I have encountered
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Wow, the water gets deeper each time I visit here. I’ve seen AGs recommend i2s / hdmi cables ranging from $8, $150, and $1,750, to now over $2,600 — and that $2,600 cable is being used with audio gear worth $4,000–$5,000.
Go silver or go home!
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I've been demoing many different I2S cables for an upcoming system I'm working on. Already posted this in another thread so I'll just copy/past it here since it feels relevant:
I've been trying out a whole bunch of HDMI cables lately for a dedicated headphone setup I am assembling. Using a Denafrips Gaia I2S out to a Denafrips Terminator 2. So far my results have been very mixed.
Tried several more affordable options from Pangea, Kimber, Analysis Plus, didn't care for them.
Tried what I call mid priced cables from Wireworld and Cardas, didn't like them either.
Tried some more expensive models from Wireworld and Audioquest, not really great or even a big improvement over the others.
I was starting to question whether the Gaia was worth using, and thinking maybe I should just go USB from transport to DAC. Then I hit on the DH Labs HDMI which is excellent. Eventually I found that I also really like the Voodoo Cable Silverstream, and both the Vodka and Thunderbird from Audioquest.
I'm still experimenting, so far my conclusion is that HDMI I2S cables really matter and some are much better than others, also that price isn't always the main factor.
Since that quote I've learned that Veritas Cables has an I2S model coming at some point, I'll wait for that and then decide. Right now my favorite is probably the DH Labs though. It isn't the best at any one thing but really good all around. The Voodoo is nice too, probably second place followed by the AQ Thunderbird in a close third place.
I'll repeat that it really doesn't seem to matter how much you spend in this case, it matters that you find a good match for your system. Maybe the most wildly variable cable comparison I've ever done, completely disconnected from pricing.
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@v-fi , Thank you for sharing your cable comparison. It appears that the DH Labs appeals to allot of people - especially for the money. I have not found much feedback on the Voodoo. Do you recall what your impressions were regarding the Voodoo vs the DH Labs?
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1) If the equipment manufacturer recommends an I2S cable, then you should probably follow their advice. PS Audio is another brand that recommends using an I2S cable for their DAC's. There is a lot of positive comments regarding this subject on the PS Audio forum.
2) Check with both the DAC and Cable manufacturer to be sure that the cable you are interested in has a compatible "pin configuration" before buying the cable in order to avoid buyer's remorse.
3) +1 on the DH Lab I2S able. I find them to be a company that usually offers a "good bang for the buck" product.
4) When in doubt, don't start with an "entry level" product; but, don't start with a "top of the line" product either. Find a middle ground product that suits your budget and then go from there.
Best of luck and happy hunting!
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I don't know there is a sound quality penalty paid for using HDMI cable vs I2S, but you're paying for unused runs of wire, in the case of pure silver this can really run up the bill.
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@audiostick I was similarly unable to find any info on the Voodoo Silverstream. Tried it on a blind buy since it was not very expensive, and was surprised at the sound quality being pretty great.
In my current headphone system (using Denafrips Gaia DDC, Denafrips Terminator 2 DAC, Holo Audio Bliss KTE headphone amp, and ZMF Caldera headphones, with some components being in flux as I figure out what I like) the Voodoo had the best detail of any other model I tried. Not overdone but could be a little bright at times, so you'd want to watch the system matching closely. With the right gear though it was pretty magical.
The DH Labs was slightly behind in detail and resolution but made up ground by having a more fleshed out midrange/low end, which made for a better balance overall. I would not call the Voodoo "thin" in isolation though, just after direct comparison. It's possible or likely that in some situations the Voodoo is a better choice.
@mitchagain Regarding your point number 2. My recent I2S HDMI adventures have shown me that almost all of them use the same HDMI standard (which is official, sort of like USB), and it is up to the DAC and transport or DDC designers to determine what pin configuration they use. But the cables themselves are almost universally standardized.
I did come across some custom builders who would special-make an HDMI I2S cable to enable going from say a Pink Faun streamer to a Denafrips DAC (they use slightly different pin configurations from one another) but this was pretty rare. That means mostly you can just shop for any HDMI cable and you only have to worry about the standards used by your DAC and transport. It also really helps that some brands let you choose multiple configurations either via hardware switch or in software.
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I will add Revelation Audio Labs HDMI I2s cable to the list of suggestions. I have one that replaced my Tubulus Argentus, the solid core silver is much smoother midrange with all the details, better soundstage width and depth.
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I tried the DH Labs and RAL i2s cables. At first I thought the RAL sounded better, but went back months later and did some extended listening switching back and forth between the two, which is easy and can be done quickly since my server and DAC both have 2 i2s connections. I couldn't tell any difference between the two. I chalked up my initial impressions to confirmation bias. I'd get the DH Labs cable.
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Tubulus Concentus V.2
My wife does not listen so closely but heard the difference. And the owner is really patient and nice to deal with. A little less expensive than other top-end I2S cables and right up there with them. I would not want to be without my Tubulus Concentus.
Also, While shorter is better as stated above, the owner assured me that with their design adding no more than 1' is not hearable. This matters if you are using a rack because good I2S cables are a bit stiff coming out of the connectors, needing more turning circle.
-Jeffrey in Philadelphia
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Audioquest Vodka 48 8k/10k work exceedingly well for i2S (though are expensive), I found mine on sale for around $350.....but I needed a little longer cable, so spent the extra cash. Supra Cables .5 meter are excellent at around $65, if you can use that short of a cable
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And the (interim) winner is: DH Labs 2.1, .75 length. Will burn it in a for a few weeks and see if it beats my LessLoss RCA digicable. If the I2S is a big winner, I may move up the ladder. (Does it ever stop?) Neal
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Congrats. Be interested to hear what you find.
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@nglazer May I ask what Streamer you are using with your Harmony?
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Audiostick,
My streamer is a Holo Audio Red streamer. Sounds grand to me, far better than my Bridge II streamer in former PS Audio DSD DAC. And at the time, around $800, and has much more capability than I can use. Cheers. Neal
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@nglazer Thank you for the tip on the Red. I am developing a list of Streamers that can output i2s to my Harmony DAC. I was looing forward to LAIV's Net2 Streamer but began loosing hope when it was not making appearances at recent shows. Now LAIV just just changed release date from Q3 2025 to "TBA". I am not encouraged.
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Auriostick,
The Holo Red Streamer outputs I2S and the LAIV Dac accepts I2S. If I remember correctly from when I read the DAC manual. it automatically adopts the right pins, which is too complicated for me looking at all those pin charts. Gives me a headache. Neal
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OP, Does Holo Red have native app for Qobuz or it needs to run thru upnp? I did not see it was supported by Qobuz Connect. Is the app running smoothly in Red?
Volumio Rivo + is another streamer that has I2s output and Volumio is reported running smoothly. Pricier though
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I just ordered the new Optimus 100 I2S model from Veritas Cables. It is priced just a little higher than the DH Labs and Voodoo models that I enjoy, still way lower than the Audioquest and Wireworld options I have here. I'll update here once I figure out my final ranking, so far DH Labs and Voodoo are in the lead.
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FWIW There are 2 RAL HDMI I2s cables for sale on USAM. 2 different lengths.
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Does anyone have any thoughts on Audiolund?
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In addition to the I2S cable made by Ricable from Italy, Veritas Cable (located in California) now makes an I2S cable. They are both excellent.
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I also got the Veritas Cables I2S today, so far it seems excellent. I'll update more once I've done comparisons to my other favorites which right now are the DH Labs and the Voodoo cable. But I can already tell I like the Veritas Optimus 100 more than any of the Audioquest and Wireworld models I have here. Even if the price is less than half, it just outperforms those.
@2bgeorge I was interested in those Audiolund cables, couldn't figure out where to get them in North America though. Unless maybe they sell direct. I didn't try to order straight from the website.
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