Thanks, Mark, but an HDMI cable is exactly how to connect the I2S output. And yes, Ethernet hard wired to network will always be best.
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Paul, I tried to buy the AirLens today, but the website was not cooperating. It said I had to go through a dealer. Really weird. I even called the 800 number but no answer. If I remove the Bridge II from my DS DAC can that be the trade-in allowance?
The website sometimes gets confused and thinks you are outside the US. Delete the two psaudio cookies in your cache and it should work. Happens occaisionally.
Has anyone given a review yet?
I called PS Audio today and spoke to Chris. He was able to take my order over the phone for the AL and he applied the $600 credit for a past trade-in balance I had on my account.
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Yes, that is correct and clearing the cookies gets it back on track. Thanks for that.
#Gimoneo what time did you call the 800 number? You should have at least gotten a way to leave a message if it was after hours.
Sorry for all that! Weâre here.
It was a glitch. I deleted the two cookies that were there and everything went back to normal.
I just purchased it Paul! Received a very generous trade it on my Bridge II.
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Sorry, I was confused. The stock HDMI cable is well built. Does anyone suggest that changing it to an AudioQuest HDMI cable is worthwhile. If so, which one.
The new DAC mk.2 and the AirLens are amazing. It is hard to believe it could get any better.
I was wondering if the hdmi pin configuration on the PSA gear allows me to take advantage of the cost savings using the Audioquest e-ARC cables since I am dedicated audio only?
This was discussed before and my understanding is no.
Thank you. Searching the forum for this information rarely answers my questions and I donât have the time to read hundreds of posts which frequently stray off-topic or exceed my understanding.
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Most manufacturerâs donât offer separate HDMI and eARC HDMI cables. Some that do, including AudioQuest, purportedly do not recommend their eARC cables for I2S applications. Schematically, there is no difference between the two versions but AQ uses less costly conductor material/coatings on most of the conductors in the eARC model hence the lower price point for a given cable line when compared to their standard HDMI model. Here is a table showing the material differences between AQ eARC and standard HDMI cables:
You can find some forum discussion on the topic here (start reading around post 16). Itâs worth noting that, notwithstanding the recommendation to not use for I2S applications, some users are using eARC cables for I2S without issue. I guess itâs the classic YMMV caveat.
Thank you ViperRGD. I will read that. My impression from researching the e-ARC HDMI cables is that the e-ARC audio signal pins are of the higher quality and that the video parts of the cable are of the lower quality materials. I believe I had read before that the PSA I2s pin assignment is not the industry standard, and if it differs with respect to the higher quality part of cable design, then there would be no benefit of getting the e-ARC cable. It is always safe to buy the more expensive cable (the 48 series), but I am less fortunate than some here and was looking for the best for the money for my purpose. I have been very happy with my older AQ Mocha with DBS between my DST and my DSD. My AirLens arrives tomorrow and I guess I will start by just swapping it between the transport and the AirLens as needed for now. I can read that the specs are better with the newer cables, but are we actually using anywhere near that bandwidth just for audio?
That is correct. PS Audio has chosen to use the physical HDMI cable for their I2S implementation as it is readily available and relatively affordable. Its use of the conductors in the HDMI cable for I2S purposes is completely different than how the cable would be used for a traditional A/V application.
I donât have the I2S pin assignments in front of me but itâs likely that some would be using the âlower qualityâ conductors of an eARC HDMI cable while others would be using the âhigher qualityâ conductors. Does it make a difference in the real world? Thatâs the debate. AQ doesnât recommend it but some users have successfully used it in this manner.
If you have an eARC cable already, it wouldnât hurt to try it. If you are looking to buy an âI2S cableâ my recommendation would be to avoid eARC (at least as implemented by AQ) and stick with standard HDMI. Good luck with your new AL!
Thanks! I donât have an e-ARC cable, just my older Mocha. It appears that its 10% silver plating and 72 volt DBS are not equaled or surpassed until Firebird level unless I am bandwidth limited for my audio needs. I donât have the inclination to get a degree in EE to understand this as I am a recently retired audiologist. I thought everything sounded very good with the Sunlight mod and my Bridge 2, so I am waiting to see if the AL is noticeably better. If so, an expensive cable might happen sooner 
I had my Bridge 2 in for a firmware update so it would recognize and unfold MQA again when the AL was released. My Bridge 2 is coming back with the AL so I can make some comparisons after a little burn-in on both.
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Hello everyone. Deciding to press the trigger on the Airlens but my DAC does not have an I2S input. Since I can only connect it to the digital coax output of the AL, I wonder how the coax output rank in terms of SQ against the I2S output. Best!
Are you really sure that you want to know?
Most opt for the AL for its I2S capability.
If you have a usb input and no I2S input, its not for you. Plain and simple. If all you have is Coax then sure it will work.
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why not kzk? otherwise I need to be looking somewhere else. Is there something you know and we should�