The way to think about it is a Bridge II for the DS DAC that provides galvanic isolation between input and output stages. That’s all it is.
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Yep, a cleaner-upper…
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I heard someone on Youtube call it that. At first I thought he was talking about a CD player.
And that’s all I’ll be using it for. And to get all my digital stuff through the DS DAC
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Yes it’s just that this “something else” in my understanding is a (SW) server which serves this content, the bridge streams to the DAC.
Not sure if there’s a common understanding at all about this and if someone can explain for sure.
I have heard that there is some sinister, and silent function that feeds you the feeling that these current cables you are using, they aren’t all that. For that reason alone I’m not getting one.
Hi, I agree, for me the intel nuc will keep on sending out the music but instead of going to the Bridge II, it will go to the AirLens.
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Happy cake day!
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Yes there is, see the following:
Actually, that’s a good way to look at it. A Bridge in a box with the added advantage of the galvanic isolation which no internal Bridge ever had.
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Thanks @paul. That’s that I was thinking too.
The DS2 is hopefully out at the end of September and the AirLens right behind it.
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Is this valid internationally or US first?
Thanks. I somehow still have difficulties differentiating a bridge from a streamer and a server.
Is the Airlens no streamer because it just streams network files, but no internet services?
As a server (e.g. Jriver on a PC) serves and a bridge bridges, what is the streamer then in case of an Airlens use?
And another question:
Is your statement that the Airlens only supports up to PCM192 still correct? Doesn’t it also support PCM352 if it supports DSD256?
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Good question. I don’t know to be honest. I’ll let someone else who knows more to chime in and I can correct my post.
Don’t get caught-up in the terminology. This is still an area of playback which isn’t clearly defined unless you’re talking about 1 specific technology / protocol and then only if that technology has it defined.
The only exception might be using the word “server”. A “server”, in the client / server sense, is serving something. In the case of AirLens it has no way to serve anything because local files are not a thing. Therefore, AirLens shouldn’t be called a server.
But, depending on how you use it and that protocol you’re using it could be called an endpoint, a streamer, a digital transport, a renderer, a bridge, etc. It really doesn’t matter. What does matter…
Since it’s not a server it’s also not a source. Decide on your source (Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, Apple, jRiver, Audirvana, some NAS, Roon, etc.) then make sure the AirLens is compatible. That’s really all that is important.
Edit: Personally, and over the years, I’ve warmed to the term “digital transport”. This is different than a DDC. A digital transport accepts media, in this case from the network, and converts it to something the DAC understands. A CD transport user fixed media. A digital transport can support many different kinds of “media” or streaming protocols. But, as I said above, the only protocol that matters is the one which matches your source / server. In this case, you could consider Tidal the media, Tidal Connect the input, and I2S the output. The “digital transport” would need to support Tidal Connect. Or, your media could be files on a NAS, UPnP as the transport, and coax as the output. The “digital transport” needs to support UPnP in that case. There are tons of combinations. I think what the AirLens is going to support has been captured so just make sure it matches your “media” / “server”.
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Well stated…
Cheers.
Thanks, it really just was about terminology. I have no problem seeing it as either of the several terms, depending on the point of view, it just doesn’t fit for me when some insist it’s only one of them and this again for different optional terms.
It’s simply an endpoint. It’s not a source. You need a source to point at the AirLens (endpoint).
Source compatibility is going to depend on what the AirLens will support (what protocol) it will accept.
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AirLens aside, what I really want to know is the ballpark price of the MKII.
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