iPod to a Benchmark Media DAC-1 D/A

Dbk wrote:
"Why is direct I2S connection better than s/pdif?"

Because the S/PDIF encoding and decoding adds more jitter. Using I2S, you can avoid encoding the clock and data into a single signal.

The optimum solution is to locate the master clock at the D/A chip and then send this clock back to the source, which will be a "slave". This achieves the lowest jitter. I have this solution for Squeezebox, and soon Sonos and Olive.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve, would you I2S solution to Squeezebox be applicable to their Transporter

by the way, how is the benchmark as a headphone amp? how good? for those who have experience how would it compare vs one of headroom's USB Dac/headphone amps?