Innuos Zenith ripper/streamer

[David A]

Why do you want to use the ethernet output to the Devialet ? I remember that Innuos recommends the USB connection.
[/quote]

I don't know about USB vs ethernet with the Innuos but I've got an Antipodes and Antipodes also recommend USB. I use ethernet. I think it sounds better. I'm not saying that I think USB from my Antipodes sounds bad, it sounds good but it doesn't sound as good to me as ethernet from the Antipodes does.

I have no idea why ethernet should sound better. I don't know whether it's something to do with USB vs ethernet output on my Antipodes or something to do with USB vs ethernet input on the Devialet or a bit of both. One possible reason is that using the Roon version of Devialet's AIR protocol works better for some reason than using the USB driver that the Antipodes uses and whatever data transfer protocol is involved with USB. Whatever the reason, there is a difference between the two and I prefer ethernet.

I'll add that by using ethernet I have to use a switch between the Antipodes and the Devialet and if at all possible I'd like to eliminate the switch as a potential noise source. I can eliminate the switch if I use the USB connection to the Devialet and I've done it several times, removed the switch each time, and after a record or two I end up going back to the switch and ethernet. I'd love to have one less power cord in the setup, especially one using a cheap wall wart power supply, but I seem to be stuck with it at the moment.

I'm waiting for Devialet to release the firmware update that makes the CI amps Roon Ready and lets us use RAAT instead of AIR to see if that changes anything. Roon say that RAAT allows Roon to communicate with USB DACs so perhaps I'll get better results with USB when we get that update, but I may also get better results with ethernet and still end up preferring it. I would like to prefer USB but so far every time I do the comparison ethernet keeps winning.