My Buffalo dac uses a JLSounds usb input card and it handles i2s though it is called i2soverusb usb input.
I am considering a streamer that does not have usb output, only spdif and i2s using a hdmi connector and was wondering is there a hdmi connector which I could replace the usb input connector in the JLSounds card.
Thanks,
I am considering a streamer that does not have usb output, only spdif and i2s using a hdmi connector and was wondering is there a hdmi connector which I could replace the usb input connector in the JLSounds card.
Thanks,
I2S, like SPDIF and HDMI, is a synchronous signal - a continuous stream of data. USB is not necessarily continuous - information is divided into packets that each contain specific types of information. One of the 4 packet types IS synchronization data, but the packets need not be connected into a steady stream.
The I2S over USB board processes the various USB data and sync packet info into I2S output using the correct master clock frequency. If your new source of I2S can also time-align its output using the original recording clock frequency, then it is equivalent to the I2S over USB function. If, on the other hand, it resamples the data to another frequency for any reason, its output quality will be inferior to some degree. You could try running the HDMI audio data into Buffalo’s SPDIF input and decide for yourself if it is satisfactory.
The I2S over USB board processes the various USB data and sync packet info into I2S output using the correct master clock frequency. If your new source of I2S can also time-align its output using the original recording clock frequency, then it is equivalent to the I2S over USB function. If, on the other hand, it resamples the data to another frequency for any reason, its output quality will be inferior to some degree. You could try running the HDMI audio data into Buffalo’s SPDIF input and decide for yourself if it is satisfactory.
I should have said: If your HDMI source resamples in a non-integral way, then the sound quality will be inferior. If the original base frequency is doubled, for example, it wouldn't matter at all. But if a 44.1 kHz signal (typical CD format) is bumped up to 48 kHz (typical of video soundtracks), that signal would be lower quality than what you get from I2SoverUSB.
