Recent content by GSOphile

It doesn't change the data. The data will arrive in tact. The digital data is carried via an analog signal where noise and timing errors are introduced along the way as they hitch a ride to your DAC. The switches, filters, and clocks that we obsess over are designed to minimize these effects...

A recent outstanding review of its predecessor: https://pt.audio/2026/08/14/esoteric-n-01xd-se-network-player-dac-review/

I think this was announced yesterday on Esoteric's web site. Strong resemblance to the Grandioso N1. MSRP $28,000. Looks like a winner.

English

The banker son of a friend recently took his first trip to China. A few hours after landing in Beijing, he was walking, stopped at a street corner waiting for the light to change. He had stepped off the curb, anticipating the light change when he looked up at the pedestrian signal across the...

Nope. You're missing the point. It's your DAC choice and the flavor of I2S input that the DAC is expecting to see over whatever HDMI cable you select that will matter. If it's not an Eversolo DAC with an I2S input, I don't know what more I can say. I have no experience/opinion on various...

Correct. They do not use HDMI. Yes, they could have used either for a proprietary version of I2S. According to MSB, who supports several non-MSB versions of I2S via HDMI, there is no recognized I2S standard. MSB believes that the HDMI form factor has advantages over RJ45 for providing a...

And welcome, GoldTone! Please forgive me putting my reply to your question before my welcome. I should know better.

There shouldn't be a problem connecting pieces from the same manufacturer using their own proprietary I2S protocol. And I note that Bricasti describes their I2S as "proprietary," whereas a review of the M19 in Future Audiophile takes the liberty of describing the same Bricasti's I2S as "the...

I2S is an INTERNAL protocol - not a type of cable - often different from one manufacturer to another, used to communicate within a device. Some have used it for external communications, some of these to get around SACD legal restrictions which apply when one manufacturer's device sends DSD data...

You don't have to try (buy?) a whole loom to get a good idea. The Cable Company's lending program is your friend for many brands.

I tried a loaner SG Atmosphere interconnect a few years ago. Good sound but the grounding and 'tuning fork' attachments (i.e., a rudimentary tone control) are brand features I don't want to deal with in conjunction with my cables. I thought SG a tad pricey and was wary of committing to such a...

A fabulous impactful life and a credit to the human race - a life well lived! RIP.

The SACD classical music catalog is especially rich.

Welcome, Travis!