I am in this journey of the audio hobby now over 30 years. Denafrips DACs are one of the greatest gems I have ever found in this hobby. I never owned Ares II before, but personally owned Pontus II, Venus II, and Terminator II. Everyone has their personal opinions from their own experiences. IMHO, I think Pontus II is hands down the best bang for the buck category on Denafrips DAC line. Starting this model, the size of the unit is pretty legit looking. The solid aluminum build is beautiful to look at. A mini tank-like. Pontus II to Venus II was a tiny jump in sound quality in my experience. But now Terminator II, is another huge jump in sound quality from Venus II. If you have the budget, T2 is amazing! The detail, and the super dark background brings the music out of the shadows. Truly amazing. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget for T Plus. But after researching its specs, I don't think it will be a huge jump from T2. Thus, I think T2 is the second bang for the buck category if you have the budget for it.
Hi Alvin. Thanks for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to show us these two DACs. I have the Pontus II and I love it. It originally had a problem with the USB module but you sent me a replacement (very quickly I might add) and it has worked flawlessly ever since. Thanks again. If anyone out there is wondering about customer service from Vinshine Audio… don’t, they’re Awesome! Alvin sands behind his sales.
This is great, I hope you can continue to compare more units to the next upgrade such as Pontus II vs Venus II and so on. This helps to decide which one is best for it's intended use. Thank you.
I upgraded from Ares 2 to Pontus and it’s better for sure. I feel its even better bass and transparency and while the ares was perhaps a bit rolled off in the top, this is not so much. Very happy with both.
Absolutely agree with you, Alvin. It really depends on how much you critically listen to the fidelity and how important subtle improvements are to you. I owned both and they are great DACs, each with their own flavor. Now I use the Venus II, with sights on Terminator II someday. Great stuff!
Thank again Alvin, hoping to afford to the Pontus ll one day. I do love my Ares ll, except for the confusing NOS and filter switches it’s been a great investment.
Hey Carlos, I can’t agreed more. Ares II is a great DAC despite being an entry level DAC in the DENAFRIPS DAC lineup. It doesn’t sound ‘entry’ in my opinion!
I have been thinking of upgrading from my Ares II to the Pontus II... Can't justify the cost right now for a minimal improvement. So, I bought a Schiit Lokius, their 6 band EQ. Boy, that just brought my system back! You hear the same system and after awhile it sounds different, mine was giving me a lifeless feeling, added the Schiit, and new system! Sounds fantastic again!
Great tip, thanks! I most likely will buy a Pontus soon, but having real control over the sound is an absolute must for me. I think this is the first thing I should look at; a relatively small investment. This could even prevent me from buying new speakers. Mine are very linear in sound and I need more emphasis on the mids and the very lowest bass The mid-bass can be tempered a bit since that gets muddy because of the speaker placement rather close to the wall. Objectively speaking the Ares would already be a great choice for me after buying this eq since I don't play any ultra high res files (flac files are the highest quality what I listen to), but how people describe the qualities of the Pontus; that's also really what I need.
@@MarcelNL I will throw this at you, have you looked at the CSS line of speakers? They are kit speakers and are sold as a pair for roughly $380, and are making waves out here. Their CSS Torii Kit (Pair) with the flat pack. I would give these guys a serious look if you do not mind building a pair of speakers. Speakers that play in the $600 to $1000 range if bought on-line or in a store. Just thought I would throw that out there.
@@michaelwright1602 Haha thanks for the tip! First off; I have floor standing speakers that were about 6 grand in 1996. I bought them pre-owned not too long ago after saying farewell to my HUGE 200 watt active JBL studio speakers. 🙂 If I would buy bookshelf speakers, I would have to combine them with subwoofers, but I do think that's the path I am going to take. I don't see the kit that you recommend for sale here in Europe though, and I am thinking about buying some Wharfedale 4.2 speakers with two SVS SB 1000 pro subs to replace my quasi-vintage high-end speakers.
@@MarcelNL Europe... Understood... Wharfedales would be nice... And I have a pair of the SVS SB-3000 subs. You will not go wrong with a pair of their SB-1000 Pro subs, the app that you get with them really allows you to tune them in. Sealed is the only way to go in my book, and they dig deep when you get them setup. Mine are a bit overkill, but fantastic on movie night! You WILL enjoy them. ;-)
I have them both and with my NODE, Rotel a14mk2, and Elac UBR62s/Focal Clears I notice a VERY small difference (It might be in my head), mainly just a little better low-end with the Pontus. If you're like me and have a midfi system of about 3k or so Id just keep the Ares, I dont think youd start seeing the benefits of the Pontus until you get better gear, probably at a cost of 7k or more.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! You’re absolutely right sir. The higher price tag DAC may not always necessarily mean ‘better’. The rest of the equipment and pairing are important. Oh yes, the room acoustic too!
hi Alvin always very interesting your videos I am the owner of the ares2 and I am very happy with the choice made in the jungle of many converters that are on the market. a comparison between two dacs (obvious Denafrips) should be done in your system and in your environment, but this is difficult to happen, I should have two Denafrips in my house ...😉
My clearly subjective opinion? I own an Ares II and had the opportunity to listen to a used Pontus II in my system. The differences were not that obvious. The bass feels a little more present. But overall I better wait for a opportunity to listen to the Venus to maybe decide an upgrade.
I have the Pre90 Preamp...I know it's not a match with Pontus II...which is my challenge. I need a high performance... affordable...super clean preamp that works with the Pontus II before I spend money on it... Any recommendations? Thanks
Hi, is it possible to wake up Pontus automatically when it receives a signal from some input from a streaming player? Alternatively, after disconnecting and turning on the power, can it run on the last input left on? Such convenience of use, I often run my HiFi system from my phone and I would like it to function like this without physically clicking on Pontus. I'm considering buying it right now😀
@@VinshineAudio thanks Alvin. I've recently upgraded from an Ares mk1 to a Pontus II, it's a very worthy upgrade for sure. I compared the Ares and the Pontus against a Holo Spring L2 in my system and I prefer both Denafrips DACs against the Holo.
