Do I really Need a Digital to Digital Converter?

Soix used a DDC with the same DAC as mine and such first hand experience makes his opinion valuable to me. However, I don’t know what streamer he was using and how much of a factor your streamer plays into what benefit you get from a DDC. Do some streamer incorporate circuitry such that the benefits of a DDC are less than with others?

I’m using an iFi Zen Stream with their iPowerX power supply — not top line stuff fer sure but reputed to punch above its weight and to compete with more expensive streamers (their customer service is basically non existent however, which really sucks). Since I’m of the opinion everything matters there may be some streamers with design features that may make a DDC less impactful — I honestly don’t know but wouldn’t surprise me — but I’d think the more important factor is the DAC and how its inputs, clock, etc. are designed. That said, the favored input on the Pegasus is i2S and I certainly concur with that, but not many streamers to date offer an i2S output so that points in the direction of using a DDC. Hope this helps.

@j_andrews I don’t think I would sell the BP though, hope that helps.

Yes, Thanks, it does help. Reconfirms what I hear too, and a bit more - maybe. Also, totally related on a thread titled "Do I really Need a Digital to Digital Converter?"

In both of our cases, seems so, yes, we need and like having one, won’t give it up.

Btw, I get plenty of detail out of my Border Patrol SE-I dac, using a Cardas Clear S/PDIF digital coax cable, which feeds a capable 6SN7 dual triode preamplifier out to mono tube amps, all Cardas cable. One thing about the BP, gotta let it break-in though, weeks, not days. Some people really miss this part, and jump to conclusions comparing to sizzling dacs. They pass them on to others get good deals and pick them up and enjoy!

Mine sounds natural, no etch or grain, none, not unnecessarily detailed in any way, just there, full body. As you noted, pure music. Enjoying mine quite a bit now. 

As a result of the design, I can hear a little bit more upper midrange presence than my other R2R dacs in a more natural way. i.e. I can hear the reeds and fine grain tones on a saxophone that I don’t hear on some tracks, with my other dacs, for example. It’s pretty cool, mine is a keeper here too.

I think it takes a revealing system to truly appreciate what it can do. Works well in the right setup.

@soix 

From: ifi Zen stream > Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2 > Wyred4Sound DAC-2v2SE

To: Hifi Rose 150b

I have an Audio GD DI20HE as my DDC. When I first heard it, there was so much more in my music.

Love it when I hear new details in a recording.

alvinnir2,

You do not "need" a DDC, but if your DAC will accept I2S (which yours does) it can greatly improve your sound quality. Just make sure to use a nice HDMI cable (I use an Audioquest Vodka 48 8/10k $400 or an inexpensive Supra cables 2.1 HDMI cable $79)

The Iris will optically and galvanically clean the signal from your streamer, and then reclock it with a higher quality clock. You then use I2S HDMI to output to your DAC. I have a Bluesound Node 130 into a Denafrips Iris DDC then I2S into a Denafrips Pontus II DAC....adding the Iris DDC and I2S was not a subtle upgrade, it was a very noticeable upgrade in SQ.