Please explain
I mean there seems to be scores of these things out there now
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What an ordeal.
I received my AirLens two days ago and connected it to my system with the brand new I2S cable that it came with. I wasn’t able to get the AL to work and couldn’t figure out why my Mk 1 wasn’t seeing the signal from the AirLens.
Finally I gave PS Audio a call and Chris answered. He helped me re-check some thing in the event I had overlooked something. I then spoke with Taylor and he was also at a loss as to why I wasn’t getting any sound. He asked me if I had another I2S cable around I could try. I told him that I did have the old one I had been using all along with my Matrix.
I replaced the brand new PS audio I2S cable for my old I2S cable and BAM, I was back in business again!
I’ve been a PS Audio customer for years but this was the first time ever that I I’ve even had to call them with a problem I couldn’t solve on my own. Both Chris and Taylor were great to deal with and very patient in finding a solution for me.
Taylor emailed me a while ago to let me know that I had a replacement I2S cable on its way to me from Boulder. 
A word to the wise: make sure you get a functioning I2S cable with your AL. 
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how does a defective I2S cable get out the door?
my Wireworld Platinum 7 I2S comes loose easily from Airlens…never did on the DS1
Cables are voodoo, man.
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It makes sense on the one hand to deliver a HDMI cable with the unit to enable folks without such a cable to instantly run the Airlens.
On the other hand, if we get aware that we probably pay this for sure lower quality cable with a factor 6 or so compared to the industry purchase price like every other HW part of the unit, then I’d prefer no cable included and buy a decent one myself.
I think there’s also no simple RCA or AES/EBU cable included with a DAC or amp.
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To function test every cable before shipping would probably be more expensive than the cable 
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This will be the exciting bit, will the SoTM coaxial, which I use with the Lindemann, best the I2S.
The SoTM brings great timbre into the music and once the system has settled down, I will compare it against a Cardas Clear HDMI cable I picked up second hand.
First I’ll have to see if the Cardas works for I2S! Cardas was non-commital on that, but I expect it will… 
I understand Cardas only had a dozen or so of these cables made and while it exceeded expectations, they didn’t take it into a full production run. I have a mostly Cardas system so I have high hopes for this one!
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Do as you would with the supplied power cable, leave it in the box.
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That’s how I went about it. As originally mentioned, the RAL cable slipped out of the back and caused a small problem. You know, the small problem that happens when a cable isn’t connected. Ha! I imagine @NipperDog was more attentive and careful than I was, but it only lasted a few minutes before I double checked and KAPOW!
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My RAL did too. Remembered your post and sure enough I pulled the Airlens forward and it jiggled it. Thanks
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It just dawned on me what RAL stands for. That’s the very cable I’ve been using with my Matrix. I should have just used it with my AirLens at first too. 
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As someone here said there have been noticeably few reviews or comments on AL sound quality.
I know this sounds harsh but I have to say in my opinion the AirLens sounds horrible. I’m seriously considering returning it. I have had it playing for 3 days and it has not improved. My Bridge II, and later my laptop using USB to the DAC MKII was more musical, detailed, life like, tonally accurate, and had better soundstage. The bass is gone. I can listen to the AL for about 20 min before I want to turn it off. I know as an audiophile for 40 years equipment needs break-in, but I’m not feeling optimistic. Can anyone shed any light on whether they have noticed any significant improvements in sound over time.
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@Paul, can you tell the EU fuse value of the Airlens?
Well, I swapped out the DS 1/Bridge II for DS Mk2/Airlens. So I’ve not done a 1:1 Bridge vs. Airlens, but I will definitely say that the new combination is outperforming the prior combination of equipment. I’m getting better resolution AND more body which is a rare thing to get together. I’m also getting better bass. Not necessarily more, but it feels like it goes a little lower as if the prior combo was rolling off slightly. The DS1/Bridge II combo was excellent - I could see someone deciding to stay with that if money were tight. But there’s no doubt that the DS Mk2/AL combo outperforms it in all ways to my ears.
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I don’t understand why I would want to spend $2000 to replace a usb cable. I have a macmini as my Roon core and use a usb cable to connector to my Directstream dac and it sounds terrific. I was hoping the air lens would be a better core than the Mac mini but apparently it just replaces my usb cable. Am I understanding this correctly ?
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No offense but the ear can only remember how something sounds for a few milliseconds afterwards so saying the new DS MKII /air lens sounds so much better than the DS MKI/bridge is most likely not a huge difference but wishful thinking
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Yes, for your purposes and preferences, you understand correctly
I am not one to readily accept most audiophile reports of A being compared to B, but it is ridiculous to rule them all out of court. I don’t know where you get your idea that the “ear” (by which you mean a person with a brain attached to an ear or two) has practically no memory function. But it is clearly a tabloid headline, not a sober scientific conclusion. Science can describe replicated results under tightly controlled experimental conditions, but properly generalizing such results to a wider set of conditions is always very hard. Your generalization appears to entail that you can’t remember anybody’s voice or distinguish the sound of a helicopter from a canary.
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I tried to find something about fuse type and value in the technical information on the product page and in the manual, but didn’t even find something for the US version, not to speak of the EU one.