What Digital to Digital Converter Do You Use? Why?

Other than the Holo DAC I’ve never heard anyone say they preferred another connection to i2S.  Some extra connections are worth making it seems. 

I’ve got the Zen Stream too and am planning on getting the Singxer SU-6 as per reviews it offers a lot of performance/$. If you’re willing to spend more there are other great options from Denafrips, Musician, Matrix, etc. I’d suggest reading reviews of the SU-6 and the new Musician Phoenix at soundnews.net to get more good info on those units.

Just a couple tips in case you’re just starting to look at a DDC — whatever model you choose make sure it’s compatible with the HDMI pin configuration of your DAC or it might not work. Frustratingly there currently is no standard pin configuration for I2S applications so potential incompatibility is an issue. And with HDMI for i2S if at all possible the HDMI cable should be no longer than 1 foot or less as the signal does not travel well. I was able to find one that short at Monoprice just to get started, but several people report the cable seems to have a relatively minor effect on the sound so I may stick with it for a while before upgrading to something from DH Labs, Phasure, etc. Hope this helps, and best of luck.

I’m rethinking the SU-6 now after reading more about the Denafrips Iris that is only $542 and seems to share a lot of the same design aspects with the SU-6, and in this review it seems to generate similar results as well. Not sure it’ll work with my Pegasus and have some more research to do, but the Iris looks promising so far and I could put the extra $200 toward a better HDMI cable. Never ends.

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/review-denafrips-iris-ddc-digital-to-digital-converter/

While it obviously can happen in certain cases, I think it’s fair to say people who prefer other connections to i2S are in the minority so for most it would be worth exploring if their DAC has an i2S conncection. 

Well, I just took the plunge and bought a Denafrips Iris DDC.  My Pegasus DAC shares some of its DNA with the Pontus ll, and the review of the Iris on The Audio Beatnik makes me pretty confident I’ll realize some significant benefits.  I was eyeing the new Musician Pisces DDC as it would obviously pair well with my DAC, but on further review the Iris and Pisces look like clones in specs and on the inside (maybe not all that surprising as like the Pontus and Pegasus they come from the same factory), and I was able to get the Iris used for $399 so that pretty much sealed the deal.  I’ll report back with comparisons to USB in my HeadFi rig, but I’m due to get my DNA 0.5 back from SMcAudio soon with full upgrades and I think hearing it in my 2-channel system will be even more telling and will share those impressions too if anyone is interested.