PCM is at heart of these two, and they do it very well. For those who have PCM as their main source of course, me included.
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Now yer talking.
PST would work as well.
A friend is getting the top DAC. I love the bottom server.
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And Hansâs review was on the prior generation Mano (not the MKII) and via SDIF.
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Exactly! I will judge with my ears. We listen to the sum total of the audio chain in our systems. There are strengths and weaknesses all along the path. I sense that the Ethernet > I2S path will be a very direct and pure pathway. After more listening tonight, I am even more certain that the Bridge II sounds better than ER > LAN > Roon Nuc+ > USB> Matrix/Farad > Dragon 48 (I2S) > DSD. I look forward to ER > LAN > Mano II > Dragon 48 > DSD.
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Hello @Somppsa
My Innuos is still in the chain in the same place it was in my prior usb path (EtherRegen A Side).
There are some Roon insiders who state you should separate the Roon Core device from the Audio output so I am not outputting from the Innuos (which is my Roon Core). Also you canât put the Innuos on the ER A side and output via it and still get the benefits of the ERâs moat. Must come out the B side.
This is my full Mano chain (items in Bold are the same as my usb chain). All Cat6 (Blue Jeans, Ghent or Sablon):
Unifi Dream Machine Router > Sonore OM > Fiber > ER/Farad Super3 > Innuos MKII SE (A Side) > Sablon 2020 Lan > Mano Ultra MKII > Harmonic Technology Magic HDMI I2S (to be replace soon by RAL) > Directstream Sr
I did ask the folks at MagnaHiFi if they had any plans to improve those specs and they indicated no.
Still was a fairly reasonable way to meet my goals which were 1) server on A side of ER 2) LAN > I2S conversion only (no usb). I wouldnât had sold off my usb chain if it didnât sound better (which surprised me)
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Thanks for your response. I thought your setup through and wonder why you did your original usb path the way you did. I am Innuos owner too and use different approach to get bits to dac.
My Innuos is simply on B side of ER and usb out to Matrix to dac. But I don´t use Roon,I´m Roon outsider 
I use Innuos Sense app because it works nice and sounds way better than Roon mode. But I have not tried it the way you do,who knows it might be better.
So many ways to mess with bits,fun !
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Hello - in general it is best to have the server (essentially a computer) on the A side of the ER to reduce system/network noise. Once you do that you cannot output out of that device or you will not have the benefit of the ERâs moat.
Of course for you to do that you would need a ER (B) > LAN > USB device (like the Sonore ultraRendu - my prior device). That would get the server on the A side of the ER.
Agree the Innuos sense app sounds great (you can still use that with the Sonore) but it is no Roon regarding music management (and specifically Roon Radio which is great). Although it has a ways to go in the sound quality dept IMHOâŚInnuos Sense sounds better
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Agree you there with separate server and streamer to A and B side,sure. I mainly just stream Qobuz with Innuos so no need for server. For now. But I find it always interesting how many ways we can improve and route digital to dac. Hence interest with your findings and had to give it a long thought to get why and how you sorted it out.
I am out of Mano purely and maybe naively because of it´s limited output. But I hear your enthusiasm,it must be good with pcm. Also Al´s Grimm is out for me because it´s Roon only 
On a side note as you like to tweak your setup quite a bitâŚget ocxo clock for your ER. For me at least it´s a huge upgrade over stock ER.
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Hi @Somppsa your Innuos is a server on your network even if streaming just Qobuz. I would suspect it is still involved electronically in that process. Maybe I am wrong though
Funny you say that about tweaking and the clock. Ordered a AfterDark Emperor Signature/Farad Super 3 12V last weekend. Looking forward to hearing what so many others have (including yourself)
Thank you
Heh what are the odds⌠congrats on that clock upgrade!
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Are you guys using a DirectStream DAC? If you are, the clock upgrades donât have any effect as the DirectStream uses its own clocksâŚ.
Yes DSD or the one in my Lindemann 820S. But I think this clocking has nothing to do with dac but instead ER. My ears tells me it works wonders 
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I have the Sr.
The clock is on the EtherRegen and should improve performance regardless of DAC (from what has been reported). Weâll see
How if the final digital device in the chain completely ignores the clocking before it and eliminates audible jitter?
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I don´t believe that is completely true regarding to dacs or DSD specifically. ER+ocxo lowers phase noise from ethernet stream and that is different aspect. But then again Matrix or Denafrips DDC Gaia or whatever usb reclocker improves sound also. Maybe Ted could give better explanation. I just try things out and listen to what I happen to like or not. I like ocxo with ER And ER has ocxo already built in. But it is not as good as outboard clock can be.
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Thatâs the claim. But, have the EtherRegen folks ever produced a single test case that shows this actually happens??? John Sweeney was supposed to be building a test device that would show the phase noise and thus be able to show the reduction in phase noise. I donât believe he ever came through with this device and it has been a couple of year now at least. Either his measuring device showed no change in phase noise or he canât make it work. I remember when they put the clock port on the switch and did so just because some people wanted it and they could easily do it. They made no claims that the external would actually improve anything.
I am dubiousâŚ
I am keen to hear your impressions, too! I bought the AfterDark heat sink for my ER - it drops the heat from fried egg to poached egg
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As am I. At least I would like some clarification w/r/t the potential benefits of reclocking before reclocking, as it were. (I know thatâs not quite what is going on, but you get my drift, hopefully.)
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Good discussion here:
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Yes, itâs somewhat of a conundrum that! 
If memory serves, Ted has commented, somewhere in the Matrix topic I think, that he uses (or used) the Matrix into his DSDAC and reported better SQ. I found it greatly improved the sound from my DSDAC too - especially after adding the Farad. So, yes, it would be good to hear some intelligible technical reason why that should be the case. 