Denafrips Hermes 12th Review: Are DDCs Just Snake Oil?

A serious DDC with OCXO clocking, FIFO reclocking, dual I²S outputs, and two BNC clock inputs - removes the veil between your source and DAC without coloring the sound.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 8.9/10. Price: $899.

What's good

Heavy, all-metal chassis with virtually no plastic

80VA O-Core shielded transformer + linear regulators

OCXO oven-controlled crystal oscillator for ultra-low jitter

FIFO buffer + reclocking isolates source jitter

Two I²S outputs (RJ45 and HDMI) with selectable pinouts

Two BNC clock inputs for external clock upgrades

Dual AES/EBU outputs for advanced configurations

Transparent - reveals your DAC's true character

Worth knowing

Wide footprint - tricky for desktop setups

I²S still requires pinout selection per DAC

Doesn't add a 'flavor' - won't fix a bad DAC

No display - input/output indicators only

External clock and proper cables push total cost up

Premium pricing for a category many call snake oil

Read the full Denafrips Hermes 12th Anniversary review on The Audio Stuff