Hello,

I am planing to use the 8-Channel-Buffallo-III-DAC as replacement for my current AV-Preamp.
As source a am always using my Home Theater PC (currently via HDMI-Output to my AV-Preamp) with JRiver Media Center. Now I want to remove AV-Preamp and replace it through a Buffallo III DAC together with the "Pink Faun i2s bridge (6 channel version)." for my 5.1 home cinema. I want to have 5 full balanced XLR outputs.

If you haven't heard anything about the "pink faun i2s bridge" here is a small review:
http://www.modelpromo.nl/PinkFaun_I2S_Bridge.htm
The card is also available in a 6 channel version. The card is a PCI-Express card which will give you 6 i2s-ouputs via hdmi connection.

So my plan will be the following:

HTPC (JRiver) --> Pink Faun I2s Bridge (6channel-Version) (Asio) --> Buffallo III-DAC (including digital Volume Control with motor potentiometer) --> 6x Power Amplifier --> Speakers.

I already got in contact with Pink faun and they told me that it should work with the following wiring:

left side => I2S bridge
right side => Bufallo III

(HDMI 1 of 3):
BCK/SCK+ (pin 4) --> DCK (pin 1) (Bit Clock)
WS/LRCK/FS+ (pin 7) --> D1 (pin 3) (World clock)
Data+ (pin 1) --> D2 (pin 5) (Channel 1 + 2)
All Gnd (pin 2,5,8) --> GND (pin 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18) (Ground)
(HDMI 2 of 3):
Data+ (pin 1) --> D3 (pin 7) (Channel 3 + 4)
All Gnd (pin 2,5,8) --> GND (pin 2,4,6,8,10,12,,14,16,18) (Ground)
(HDMI 3 of 3):
Data+ (pin 1) --> D3 (pin 9) (Channel 5 + 6)
All Gnd (pin 2,5,8) --> GND (pin 2,4,6,8,10,12,,14,16,18) (Ground)


I also want to use the volume control of the Buffallo III dac. As I read in the manual of the buffallo III dac it should be possible to use the digital volume control by installing a motor potentiometer right?

So I have several questions:
1. In general. Do you think my plan will work? Is the wiring correct? Also balanced (xlr)?
2. Does anyone of you have any experience with the buffallo III together with the pink faun card?
3. Will the volume control work with a motor potentiometer? Also for all 6/8 channels? What will be the default volume on power on (the state of the potentiometer?)? It´s important that the signal will never be passed in full volume to the speakers.
4. Can I also run the buffallo III without an output stage?
5. Is there a way to buy the Buffallo III dac in Europe or Germany?

regards

Steffen

I think no one is using the "pink faun i2s" together with the buffallo III because I didn´t get any answer. Are there any alternatives to get a multichannel i2s channel from computer? Did anyone of you maybe got the "MiniDSP USB streamer" running with the buffallo III dac?

ok thank you. Maybe you can answer the questions 3-5?

The USB Streamer will not work by default as its output is too jittery for the Buffalo to lock on to reliably.

You can read this post on some alternatives:

multichannel alternatives

"You can find i2S signal from almost any pc sound card processor"

Finding I2S is not so much the problem - its getting it to the DAC. Also, my own experience is that I2S out of a PC card is not necessarily unadulterated just because its digital. I2S out of a XONAR HDAV card (which was 'top of the line') sounds considerably worse than I2S from my XMOS AVB Dongle (ultimately fed from the same PC but AVB is bit perfect transmission and the dongle is not subject to the evils of a PC power supply)