I2S Recommendation

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. 

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. 

@audiostick Still really loving the Veritas Optimus 100.

Right now I'm using the Denafrips Gaia with their Terminator 2 DAC, a HeadAmp Blue Hawaii electrostatic amp, and some Stax SR-X9000 headphones (I guess Stax prefers the term earspeakers). It's an extremely resolving system that shows differences in every part of the chain, down to things like cables and power conditioning. 

I have actually tried to compare a few of my other I2S cables now that I am used to the Optimus. It's tough to go back though. It feels like the differences are more pronounced when stepping down than when upgrading. I still say the Voodoo, DH Labs, and AQ Vodka are quality cables, but they can't keep up with the Veritas. At least in my system. 

I now have a good amount of hours on my Veritas Optimus 100 I2S cable. Using it between a Denafrips Gaia and a Denafrips Terminator 2 in a headphone rig that I am still building, so rotating out amps and headphones to figure out what I like most.

I do think the Optimus beats my previous favorites which were the DH Labs and the Voodoo Cables Silverstream. It just sounds more open and alive than the DH Labs, and more fully fleshed out than the Voodoo. They are all great cables but in this system the Veritas is is clearly the best match, I can easily recommend it especially for the price.

Tried quite a few others from Audioquest, Kimber, Wireworld, Analysis Plus, Cardas, and some others I am forgetting. Lots of models were just ok, some were pretty bad (I'd rather just do USB instead), and a few were decent but too expensive. I would rank the Veritas as my top pick, followed by DH Labs and Voodoo in second and third place respectively. All great values in my book. 

@lanx0003 Sorry I don't recall seeing that info about the Optimus cables. You'd probably have to ask them and see if it's something they are willing to share.

Now that I think about it, I don't really notice any trend as far as which materials sound good to me. I like the AQ Vodka and Thunderbird (both silver plated copper) much more than the higher priced Firebird which is pure silver. I didn't care for the Wireworld Platinum Starlight which is pure silver, but I also didn't really like the Nordost and Kimber models I tried which use silver plated copper. 

Come to think of it, my three favorites from Veritas, DH Labs, and Voodoo, actually don't specify what they use. Voodoo uses the name "Silverstream" but never tells us what materials it is made from. And DH Labs uses the name "Silversonic" for all their products, even the pure copper designs. So who knows at this point?

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. 

@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.