I’ve been setting up a second system (primary = Full Vivaldi 2.0) with a lovely Debussy, and I would like to find a Network Bridge (help needed here! I can’t find one new or second hand).
I wonder what are people experience in the combination if anyone has done it.
It seems the best way is to connect the clock of the SDIF from the bridge to dac apparently.
Any views etc will be helpful!
Thanks
Firstly you will need to find a dealer with an NOS or ex-dem sample of Network Bridge as it is no longer made. Used ones are certainly not plentiful as it has not been replaced by a new model and therefore owners are hanging on to what they have got.
I am afraid that doesn’t make any sense. I think you mean that with other dCS DACs where an external system clock is not used the DAC should be set to master mode and its wordclock out then be connected to Network Bridge. Unfortunately Debussy has no wordclock out port so this cannot be done.
A well respected audio shop in the Netherlands has a demo on offer:
https://www.wilbert.nl/2dehansdemo/dcs-network-bridge-zilver-demo-
Nicely spotted Erno. However FBCello has not indicated where in the world he is. I am taking a chance on guessing from his MIT cables and Cello amplification that he may be in N. America. If so it may be worth reminding him that a Network Bridge from the Netherlands will not have the correct mains voltage set for his country and that this cannot be altered by the user at home. He may also find it difficult to have the 21% VAT removed or refunded ( unless he doesn’t mind paying it of course).
The network bridge can pass 44.1k to sdif-2 not spdif dedicated clock input of the debussy.
Sdif-2 is the sony proprietary digital connection that has always been with dCS since the elgar.
It requires 3 coax bnc terminated cable.
1 is clock
Sorry, I misread SDif as S/Pdif. Nevertheless Debussy does not have SDif-2 connections. here are 2 x S/Pdif inputs; one BNC ( SPDIF 1) and one RCA ( SPDIF 2) plus one BNC wordclock input. So even if trying a combination of the BNC and RCA inputs for SDif data the protocol would be incorrect. It seems to have been one facility that was omitted to keep the price down for an entry level product.
Exactly right and which Debussy does not have the ports to accept.
It is very easy to do, but of course this will be done, when necessary, by the dealer.
You are right but clock in cable can be coming from the clock out from the network bridge, right?
The problem i can see with this setup (which I don’t have) is the you are playing different files with different frequencies one after another.
Will the bridge push the correct one each time (44/48) and the debussy should automatically recognise the freq without much delay but syncro?
It feels this may work better practically speaking than an external clock linking both units (although nowhere near as good).
Anyway I can’t find a silver bridge anywhere NOS or not…
Thanks for the link I will inquire
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You are absolutely right somehow I was convinced it had them! I agree it was a way to keep the price down. As long as we have the ring dac, that’s what matters!
You actually may be on the right path here; I don’t know if the SDIF-2 clock interface on the Network Bridge is DC-coupled (like the Ch1/Ch2 are), but it may be able to serve as the Word clock input into the Debussy? 
The frequency of the NB clock out is set by the frequency of the data , However as the clock out is associated with SDIF and as, in this case, there would be no SDIF data connection the question is open. It isn’t covered by the user manual and I suspect that only a dCS engineer could advise on it for certain. The manual does say that Network Bridge downsamples rates over 96kHz/DSD64 for SDIF which implies that the clock out rate and SDIF data stream are linked.
Ideally I would set it up with dual aes to the debussy and the sdif clock out to the word clock in of the debussy.
I probably have to give them a call…
Thanks
Hello, sorry, I don’t know English (, I just have a combination debussy + nb (dual aes connection). But now I’m on a business trip. I can compare the sound with and without bnc synchronization next weekend …
Honestly, other than with Vivaldi I did not find Network Bridge any good with other DACs. My friend has Debussey. He asked to disconnect within few mins of listening. He has the best dCS clock and he is a big dCS fan.
That is your friend’s opinion after a brief period ( we don’t even know if it was burned in - it certainly will not have reached at correct operating temperature) . I am afraid that he seems to be alone in the world in his precipitate judgement.
NB: most network Bridges out there appear to be used with processors made by companies other than dCS let alone the legacy dCS processors for which it was specifically designed ( including Debussy). You will find many highly enthusiastic users of Network Bridge posting here who do not use one with Vivaldi.
May be true. We cannot generalize it is the God of all streamers. Forget about my friend I did not like it with several DACs I played it with for over 200hr min. I use it with Vivaldi, like it and next one I liked is with Theta digital DAC. I haven’t tried with legacy dCS products other than Debussey.
What I observed was NWB produces sound that DAC should be capable to interpret otherwise it will sound like everything is being played from behind a curtain.
The Network Bridge has taken the sound of my Benchmark DAC3 and ATC 100 active speakers to a whole new level of astounding musicality and enjoyment.
Trust me you will enjoy if you don’t switch between sources, I have Benchmark DAC 1 and 2. Coming from Logitech Transporter my first impression with NWB and Playback Designs Merlot was a WOW!! Over few days when I had to switch back found few sections not so clean with NWB as Logitech Transporter. When I switched to USB on computer using JCAT XE cards I turned off NWB and decided to put it on sale.
I believed it will do good with some device one day otherwise would not have got that accolades. In the process I started tying it with other DACs. I kept it only for Vivald, thankfully was able to acquire it finally and very well impressed. Now my computer is shutdown 
FBCello I am downsizing big time and have a flawless USA wired Silver Network Bridge that I am about to list. Not sure how to contact directly?