GUIDE TO BUYING DACS + Denafrips Terminator Review 

What a lovely video. I learned more about DACS in these 15 minutes than in many many other videos. The presentation of the individual DAC models, of their characters and quirks and their pairing with amps felt almost like the couples psychology 101 :-) It provided an almost dramatic spectacle. This is the way to do it for laymen.

I use the Denafrips Pontus II (v. 3.5 firmware)/Denafrips Hermes Combo as my DAC. With my $4K stereo preamp and 1200AS-based monoblocks that err toward top to bottom neutrality, the Denafrips combo is extraordinarily detailed, with a wide and deep soundstage. Instrumental textures are remarkable for the $3000 combo price. Ultimately, it makes hours of listening pleasurable beyond measure. Adding Denafrips' own Hermes DDC with OCXO clock really takes the Pontus II to another level when played exclusively through its i²s input. As such, the Hermes functions as the Pontus II's digital input source selecter. That said, the advice given when using less resolving gear to stick with the built-in DACs is one of the best pieces of advice given by any online reviewer when the buyer intends to not pursue an audio addiction. In all, a refreshingly honest treatment of the subject. Thank you!

Excellent explanation Turin, very well done.

Tarun, this is the feature video I’ve been waiting for. There are lots of Denafrips dac reviews out there, however you have put the DACs in context for me, enabling me to choose the right dac for the system I’m considering purchasing in the new year. Many thanks

I’ve owned the Terminator-Plus for over 2yrs & can’t see my system without it. The level of control is astonishing. 0 sibilance & a wide open effortless sound.

Fantastic episode! I deliberately didn’t say review, because it was educational about DACs per se. And the section on when you don’t really need to add a DAC is a rare jewel. It keeps your channel one of the most honest and trustworthy.

You always deliver information so well. I always learn something from your content. Great job.

Thank you for an interesting and educative video. As always an honest review giving us a true perspective of how we should approach the next step in our audiophile journey. Valuable indeed!

Hi Tarun. Nice video. I've gone up the Denafrips food chain, from the Ares, to the Pontus II, and then up to the 12th aniversary Venus II. I actually wasn't planning on upgrading to the Venus II but the optical input (used for my TV viewing) broke on the Pontus when trying to update the firmware, and so I opted to upgrade to the Venus II. Agree with you on the firmware updates - the current one is quite nice and an improvement over the Summer 2023 version. Also agree with you on the weakness in coming up with a new model name for what amounts to a few gold plated screws. In any case, I'm quite happy with the Venus II that is fed by a Denafrips Iris D2D outputting I2S. Will be long time before I tinker with my digital front end again.

Tarun keep the education going you are onto something . Thanks

One of your recent best posts, excellent. Indeed I have found this a time has gone on, manufacturers have understood how internal docs should sound so well such that spending more on an external dac has now become of small gains and then personal budget. We are in economically trying times and for most in this luxury niche hobby, it's either saving for longer or buying with an integrated dac. At the Bristol hifi show I cite the Cyrus XR 9, which sounded excellent for the money.

Tarun, I am really glad you brought the topic of rapidly releasing new versions of a product. It happened to me too many times when I finally placed my order on a new product introduced to the market, only to see it replaced immediately to the next MK. It happened with the Buchardt S400, Hifiman headphones, Burson headphone amp, and now Denafrips. It is truly heart breaking. Not to mention the hit to your resale value. I was a Buchardt fan and planned to go for the their amp until I saw my new, just released speaker being replaced by a new version. Immediately that brand lost credibility to me. Where is the pride of ownership and loyalty to your clients, saving up to buy your products if you release a new version every few months? Now I'm trying to stay away from those "high profile startup", rapidly releasing companies.

Thanks for the insight on how good an internal DAC can actually be.

Well my process was fairly simple, watch reviews read comparisons and then make a leap of faith, though because I like my local retailer, opt for the Heed Abacus as an upgrade to my sim audio 340d3px internal dac. It does a fantastic job on my standard test of Kind of Blue, Return of the Grievous Angle and Timeless (a Hank Williams tribute with some of the most beautiful singing voices and range of instruments). It covered Jazz and American Traditional folk/country beautifully and seemed a fine match to the slightly analytical simplicity of audio profile. Love you reviews as always

A fine review and evaluation indeed. I think many will be grateful for the clarity and assessment we need to hear. Thank you.

This is a fantastic topic for a video; it is very near and dear to me. I'm sure many of your viewers, like me, have had their love/hate relationship with our DACs over the years. I have learned to slow down on upgrading and, instead, to address the areas upstream in between. I wrote something similar in another group forum: "Items upstream that may not seem as important, but are probably just as significant as upgrading your DAC..." Items include your music server, streamer, switches, routers, their respective hard and soft wares, protocols and settings, cables, power supplies, etc... that's already good enough to keep me busy for years🤣🤣🤣

You are a fountain of insight and knowledge, sir. I sincerely thank you for bringing so much into my hifi hobby. Greetings from Istanbul..

This video feels like it was especially crafted for me as a response to my question on "which DAC would fit the Atoll IN300" - which you had already answered in the comments at the time. 🤗 Thanks for making it even clearer that no DAC upgrade is needed. That leaves me with a problem, though.... what to do next with my system? I love the Atoll 😶

Hi Tarun, you have made a very useful and interesting feature video about DACs with this one. It is good to see that there are cases where the manufacturer managed to find the synergy between their amplifier and the build in DAC. Hat off for pulling that off. Having said that, my only strategy is: Amplifiers are pure analog. The only digital circuits I would put up with are the control circuits for settings. The reason for this is that I see amplifiers as something you buy for life (or pas it on to somebody else on an audio journey) where as a DAC is still subject to untimely obsolescence. This is also the reason why I can not get excited by a DAC and still lean towards turntables.

Great video as always and, in my case, absolutely at the right time. I have been on the fence to buy a better DAC but.. i think i Will Stick to what i have. Too many upgrades down the line to really appreciate any substantial changes. Thanks

I bought a vintage Parasound HD-1100 DAC. It's a big old beast of a DAC and I love the thing. It's the most natural, analog, sounding DAC I've ever heard. Tried a Topping. Schiit, Denefrips, Eversolo - and they all sounded sort of weird, kind of artificial. So the old DAC goes back in and I'm in my happy place.

Good video. Another reason to use an external DAC is if you have a headphone rig. A good set of cans will reveal shortcomings in a setup.

Too many get caught up with this notion of FOMO (fear of missing out). While I too am not immune, I've at least concluded that sticking with mid-tier gear is the better way to go when considering the price to performance ratio. So many make the mistake of purchasing a piece that makes no sense in their current rig. ie. buying a Terminator DAC when the speakers and amp are not up to the task of revealing what the Terminator can do. So far I've settled with the Pontus II (and didn't upgrade the firmware). The rest of the system (Atoll IN300 and Eversolo DMP-A6) are at home with my choice of DAC and overall I find the sound signature quite pleasing. I'm retired now, and not likely to purchase any more expensive gear. I like what I ended up with and it will serve its purpose probably till I kick the bucket. At least I'll die with a smile on my face.

Great outlook on Dacs. I chose my dacs based on price, features and reviews.

I usually go by what IIWI reviews Sbroljub has too say about them. He is a very DAC oriented reviewer (sub 2000). I'll keep my DAC's a few years yet and focus on my Amplification and speakers and streamer before I start thinking about replacing a DAC again. Newer en better models seem to be stumbling over each other so in 3 or 4 years I'll probably be able to get a substantial upgrade that will be a match for my then improved amp and speakers.

What a knowledgeable and down to earth analysis. Thank you!

I first upgraded to great high end speakers. I then upgraded to great monoblock amps and a basic but very transparent preamp. I still have a dirt cheap Wiim streamer and a cheap Geshelli Labs DAC. They are the last thing I will upgrade when I have the money....I think my strategy is good because speakers, amps, and preamps evolve slowly, whereas streamers and DACS have improved very rapidly in the last few years.

Great video Tarun, interesting how some integrated amps have very competitive DACs. By the way, I finally got the Exposure 2510 based on mostly your recommendation. I've had it for 3 months now, it is incredible. I've updated its power cable but it wasn't until I purchased a power conditioner from Furman that I have music coming out of my walls. I'm still in awe of the sound quality. I was going to replace my current DAC the Schiit Modi Multibit with the Denafrips Ares II for playing CDs mostly but as I said I'm still amazed of this sound with the 6000CDT Audiolab transport. So I postponed the purchase. The R2R design is very appealing to approach the analog sound I'm used to for most of my listening. Too bad you haven't had the chance to review the Schiit Bifrost 2/64, that's another option I was considering. Cheers,

Thank you again for a well balanced honest and educational review regarding DACs. Denafrips DACs are on my radar. As you rightly pointed out the two firmware updates and the 12th anniversary upgrades have certainly stopped me in my tracks. And, installation isn’t that straightforward - adding it all up …….well yes let’s wait and see 😎👍

I run a fairly traditional all analogue amplication system so for all digital sources a dac is needed either built in or given my upgrade to the Cambridge CXC v2 cd transport a SMSL SU-9 external dac via spdif coax which does give good spacial clues, timing and resolution. The sound signiature works well with a restored and recapped Rotel amplifer which from vinyl sources with a external Pro-ject DS 3 phono stage could be called worrying in a good way but I feel moving more towards spending over a grand on a dac would reveal the limitations of the amplifer rather more as comfortable a listen as it presently is. Synergy with me is a core aspect of any component in a system as the end product - music - needs to hold our attention rather more than any aspect of the electronics that brought it into our listening rooms.

Thanks 🙏 Tarun , great information

My main source of information for choosing a DAC is RU-vid reviews. That's why I have the Denfrips DAC Ares II along with the DDC Iris, one more reason to thank your videos. As a streamer I have the Hifi Rose rs250a, great sound, poor support for streaming apps, both music and podcasts. I also have the Bluesound node 2i, the complete opposite in support to the hifi rose. My cd player is an emotiva erc-3.

In order of significance: Chip used, then clock used, (then I/V stage used, if it is a current dac), then output amplifier and filter stage (discrete wins, real inductors win, plastic caps win over alternatives). Greatly increases appeal: - support of all known sampling rates, from 32kHz up to 96 or192kHz - support of professional formats and any unusual formats out there (mostly unnecessary but you never know plus it's strangely satisfying to know it can deal with all stuff out there) Additional considerations: - true balanced operation, i.e. 2 chips - i2s input - bnc sockets for the SPDIF input - lack of headphone output and volume control (I consider these to be unnecessary and adding to the cost)

Thank you as always, Tarun. I wish you and the family a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and I hope to catch up with you again in the New Year. Take care and all the best, Sir. p.s. My DAC choice process, is to listen to reviewers and look for sound fidelity over bells and whistles. Not very scientific, but so far I can't complain. 😂

Great video Tarun

I like the way you presented this video. I believe it will help some who may be unsure as to how to get the best for their systems. You may not like the Denafrips way of upgrading, but they’re trying to compete in a hard market and this is tricky particularly for DACs. The differences aren’t that huge when you get above the Venus range. It’s not that they aren’t noticeable, but they can be more subtle. This makes picking one harder for some as if they change one thing in their system, the character can be not what they expected and that can be problematic. If they follow your advice, they are not likely to go wrong. It’s best to get the main components out of the way first. The DAC can then be an easier choice. There are other opinions. I believe that the DAC should be last as it will change the character, but not hugely if they choose well. Thank you Tarun for clearing this up. It will be a big help in the choosing.

Very helpful, thank you Tarun!

Great review as always. I have been playing with the idea of using a DAC, but my thinking tells me I will need to upgrade my amplifiers first and then see what the improvement is before taking the plunge.

Excellent episode! Tarun. I'm running the digital coax out of my Planet CD player into the digital coax in of my Heaven 11 Billie integrated which has a much newer DAC. Plus I can switch between the DAC's to see which I like better by hooking up the analog out of the Planet into the analog in of the Billie and switch back and forth between inputs. I love Hi-Fi gear. Love your show, carry on! Ho-Ho-Ho. 😊

Hi I’ve been chasing the digital upgrade path for many years Aries G2 ,Chord TT ,Luxman amps,Focal kanta speakers , however I recently bought a 1981 Linn Lp 12 turntable ittok tonearm which is all in original well looked after condition. So £8000 worth of DAC, and transport , and the turntable sounds better very different I was very surprised and at the same time excited I found a sound digital have been trying to produce ,,,Analog,,,, vinyl is very impressive as long as it’s a decent timetable. so I’m lucky to have both now digital and analog. Everyone who loves music should try vinyl ,digital can sound brilliant and it’s very convenient streaming.

70,000 subscribers! Bravo! 👏🏼🥂

As always, valuable and much appreciated advice. My plan is to add an Eversolo DMP-A8 to feed my current Roksan Attessa integrated, to later on change the Attessa for the Exposure 2510.

Thanks Tarun. Funny how when the Pontus came out it got lots of raves, now all but ignored.

I think a major selling point of the Terminator over the lesser Denafrips models is the OCXO clock and the clock out connections, which saves needing a DDC in the chain especially if your transport has i2s output.

Your recommendations of Dac selection on basis of thecoverall gear balance makes a lot of sense. As owner of Hegel H190, I upgraded the Dac in 2 steps, first with Denafrips Ares II then with Pontus II. It was a costly approach vs your recommendation. I fully agree with your thoughts on Denafrips marketing strategy (of rapid releases of versions with minor changes) which sucks.

Thank you sir as was going back in forth between may Dac and Denafrips. terminator interesting discovery -I wondered why my system would change in sound - IE not endangering after storms power outage etc. like it collapse like a tent ..after a few days it would return ? now it short I suspect its the clocks and stability of the clocks . now i see the high-end dac,s stability the the dacs . I never turn off any digital players or dac Thank you for your in depth review's

I picked up a SMSL SU-1 for a TV to my Musical Fidelity amp. Works brilliantly, cost 80 quid. 👍

This is great info! Thank you

I have stopped looking at external DACs and have relied on the internal integrated DACs of the amps I’ve purchased. I like less boxes and chords more than the maybe marginal improvements (that my average capability can discern) from an external DAC. And, I seem to answer some questions from time to time and forget to say Thank You for your videos - they are excellent in both content and presentation IMHO.

Great review loved it

Hi Tarun Great review! I’m not going to make the obvious comment on my choice to invest in analog, because this week my tuntable(s) is out of action 😮 Nothing serious, just a cosmetic upgrade to my rack. It’s away being powder coated to match my white speakers. Anyway, this means for music I’m listening to my second system. Zen Stream in Tidal Connect mode into Musical Fidelity MX-DAC. I was surprised at just how pleasant it was through the vintage NAD amp and Quad speakers. I upgraded to this DAC from two others purely on the grounds of connectivity. I was able to connect both the streamer and tv though USB and optical ports respectively. Very convenient and also a significant step up for the TV. One day, I may move to install a great DAC in my primary system to replace the one internal to my CD player. However, there are several updates on other kit which need addressing first!

An excellent video Tarun. My response to your Q re DAC’s… I have no plans at all to buy a DAC or streamer, anytime soon. At the risk of sounding like an old man, I just don’t get excited about either pieces of equipment. I think it’s to do with the format, as streaming and apps just leaves me cold, and I just have a psychological and probably irrational dislike of the technology. I expect that I’ll get over myself in 10 yrs time and then realise what I’ve been missing 🤣🎵😎💿

Fantastic video. I've always looked at the terminator with loving eyes but I think for quite a long time it's going to be way outside of my price range (and way out class the rest of my equipment). my most recent pre-amp / power amp combo cost me in the region of £3k (though imported from china - so, potentially, in western money it's worth more than that for the sound I get out of it) - I then bought a muscian pegasus (musician maybe a curse word around here?) - and I dont think it is quite as revealing as the rest of my equipment. I am looking to upgrade to a Pontus II 12th next year for r2r dac. I don't have any desire to upgrade my delta-sigma dac, to my ears they all kind of sound the same - in mine it's modified as I built my own power supply for it, but I think the improvements I think I heard in it are mostly a placebo as I spent a while designing and building a power supply. but beyond that, they all have a similar sound to my ears. Even with all that said - I love playing with dacs, building or messing with them - and they're what I change the most in my system. I generally find a pre / power combo I enjoy and then have fun swapping out dacs and rolling opamps.

Once again, Tarun, a very interesting wrap-up. I have the Holo may KTA here for review at the moment. I've heard the current Terminator and wasn't that taken by it, if I'm honest. I guess that's why this hobby is subjective. My reference Dac is the playback designs MPD-8. I've been lucky enough to hear most of what is regarded as the best in the world, and I find the MPD-8 to be the most analogue and refined sounding DAC to date that I have heard. Keep up the great work Tarun love your videos.🎧👍🙂

Another clear and concise review. Having heard a number of budget Dacs, they are pretty identical. I would even go as far as saying the built-in Dac for a similar priced CD player is better. I only use a DacMagic to connect the TV to the amp, otherwise my system is pure analogue. In my opinion I would need to spend well over 1k on a Dac to better a good £600 CDP. But as I have no real need for Dac....

I’m so glad you share the experience that built in dacs sound unexpectedly good. It bothers me that my standalone dacs don’t completely wow me compared to the one inside my cxa80. There must be some advantage where the designers can really voice and tune the dac-amp as a whole. Or perhaps cables hurt the sound compared to a naked trace in a circuit board

Dacs made our life complicated 🤯 a few years ago only a small group talked about them...now there´s a new one each week 😅 A review of the Audial S5 would be appreciated 😊

Thanks Tarun, a great video. A great idea to give a DAC overview. I like to hear before I buy or have the option to return if it doesn’t suit me. so many of the eastern dacs. I ended up either the Naim Atom HE as I really liked what it could do and it sounded good. I’m sure I could do better but it was a safe buy for me.😊

Another good video ! I agree that System matching is very important when it comes to DACs . It’s vital the upstream and downstream components are of a comparable quality . Personally I like DACs with the least digital fatiguing sound and ones that are versatile to lower the box count ( eg decent volume control / pre amp and streaming capabilities) . I tend to gravitate towards uk and Swiss manufacturers because of heritage and quality control. Super high resolution is less important for me so I have preferred the meridian house sound over both ch precision and chord . Currently I have a dCS Rossini apex with the clock which gives the best all round performance

Thanks a lot, fully agree with your observations! I'd highly recommend to test Merason DAC1. I own upgraded Weiss 501, Abbas Audio 3.2SE, Ian Canada DiY highend Dac and I even still use my Vintage CD players International DAC...yes there are difference in higher resolving systems

Sequel to this one: How adding a DDC levels up the game. ;-) ... even more so with a specialized i2s HDMI cable.

Good to see another fantastic video from you Tarun. I’ve recently bought a Venus II. It was reduced because of the release of the 12th Anniversary edition in which I saw little additional value. I’d like some clarity on the differences between the firmware options fit the Venus II. I think I’ve seen yours and Vinny’s videos on the subject. Is there more comprehensive information available somewhere or do I need to download the firmware and listen for myself. Cheers.

My Terminator 2 and iris ddc is firmly staying in my system. The iris broke (my fault) but both together is my heaven for audio. Cannot ever go backwards. Amazing musicality

I believe the keyword to a good hifi system is synergy. Last summer I made the big leap for a Denafrips Pontus 12th-1st. And wauw, that was indeed a step up from my 2 year old and at its level, quite good sounding Topping D70S! Suddenly the music felt alive as opposed to technically good but also a bit artificial sounding. I am still exploring.

The mains plug shown in the opening advert doesn't appear to be BS1363 compliant Tarun. "The flexible cord always enters the plug from the bottom, discouraging removal by tugging on the cable, which can damage the cable."

MCRU best in the game David an absolute gent!

Makes sense what you are saying about internal dacs being tailored to the amplifier. That's why with my Musical Fidelity M3si that has an internal dac that sounds all right I use an external Musical Fidelity V90 dac. They play nice together. Most definetily it was voiced by Musical Fidelity for their range of amplifiers. I think M3si is a bargain for what you get.

Tarun - great video as always. One thing I think is worth adding here is that external DACs are only as good as the source you feed them. I found that when I added a Pontus 2 to a Hegel H190 it was a leap forward, using a Bluesound Node 2 (as a source). When I replaced that with a high quality source, I noticed a large jump again. It’s about balance as you say in this video, and the DAC can be limited by the amp but also by the source. In my experience the speakers are rarely the weakest link (I have been amazed at how much performance I can squeeze out of mine)- curious if you agree.

You are absolutely spot on. As past happy Pontus 2 owner I will never buy a Denafrips again because of their money grabbing move at the expense of existing owners.

Hi Tarun. I’m a wannabe audiophile from NZ and have been listening to multiple hifi reviewers but you sir, are the best. Your comment ‘the goal is to get your system about equal capability’ really resonated. So I’ve subscribed😊. I would be interested to know what streamer you would pair with the Hegel 190 I’m looking to purchase - as I understand it has a pretty good dac onboard already. All the best.

Gosh … choosing a dac has largely been seeking system synergy within a budget. The restricting factor is getting access to different dacs ( I.e. not being a reviewer and restricted by retailers not being up for loaning out dacs) so while I have listened to different dacs built into in my case a Burchardt I150 ( ESS) in the Naim Atom Headphone Edition ( Burr Brown?) my reference dac has been been a Chord Hugo TT2 with MScaler. Adding the MScaler to the Hugo made a very audible difference - to my ears- I have owned many chord dacs and still have them in different set ups, and I admit I would love to hear a r2r denefrips . By way of a request I would love to benefit from you reviewing a Hugo TT2 & Mscaler and comparing it to a Denefrips!

You need to try and get a review of the lyngdorf tdai 1120 and try the room correction as well.

I had the: Arise 2, Pontus 2 Venus 2. Decided to try a Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE....and that ended my Denafrips train ride. I still think they all sounded fantastic though.

Hello Tarun. Once again a n informative and objective presentation. what I have a need of is more information about streamers.I have an exposure 2510 pared with a denafripps ares ii . I thought it sounded good until a friend commented that the vocals was on the same plane as the instruments. All I could upgrade was the streamer. I went from a Wiim mini to a Primare nt5 which was on sale because of a new model on the market. Well an amazing improvement. The vocals are up front and the artist is n the room. The industry does not talk much about streamers! What I would like to see is denafripps market a streamer/DAC combination which is on the same quality level as the ares. All the best and keep well Tarun

I own a Bluesound Node. But also a CD transport with spdif out. To connect the CD and Node to my Sugden A21SE I need a DAC with two spdif inputs for both the Node and the CD transport. One sadback: remote volume control would be a thing in that configuration.

It would be an interesting contrast to take some high end cd players vs love end cd players hooked up to such a hi end dac.However I digress another polished professional and detailed job here Tarun.

You should review the Weiss DAC204, I think its overlooked

Another great overview and review. Exposure fans know their stuff. My one big question that seems to lack any consensus - If using an external DAC does the streamer (used only as a transport) make any difference? I have a cheap Wiim Mini matched to a quality Chord Qutest Dac. Is my streamer holding down my DAC? I hear difinitive yes and no to this question.

Thank you, Tarun for another insightful video. How did I select my current DAC? afford Watch/read every review I could find. Grail for me. Once I heard a system create that 3d image, that's what I wanted my system to do.

The external dacs i have tested all sound pretty good. The ting that ofren set them apart is the control of the signal to the pre/amp. Its most audible in the lower spectrum. I have found that ofren they sound better with a buffer of some kind between the dac and the preamp. Thats an issue that integrated dacs more often do not have.

Hello Tarun, Have you ever had the opportunity to listen to DACs that include a Valve stage ? I would be interested in your views. Thanks John. Ps I took the plunge 🏊‍♂️ and ordered some MCRU power cables over Christmas

When I heard the Ares II in my system, I knew I was done with ESS Sabre crap. Going up, I ended up with a (used otherwise not affordable) MSB DAC.

I have been buildng on my SACD collection and am curious to learn whether any or all of these DACs will decode and play them. Currently using an Oppo deck as the transport and DAC and would like to upgrade the DAC to something a bit more modern. Thanks, in advance, for any direction and advice! Really enjoy your channel and props may learn more here than just about any where!

Ive an original mk1 ares felt left out on the firmware upgrades. But enjoy my product.

New models every 6 months may help companies compete against their own products on used market. The Ares 2 is heavily traded on the used market.

Like and respect Denafrips, but in my current 2nd system, the R26 with a Singxer SU-6 DDC and LHY OCK-2 clock is better to my ears and tastes than was my Terminator II. Amp is $7K and streamer $7K so my source is a bargain relatively speaking. FYI I'm using the I2S input from the DDC as the R26 slaved to the MC clocks the data on the I2S input which is not the case with most DACs (in case you're interested).

I chose my DAC by how natural, and how three dimensional it sounds. I especially listen to how deep and wide it sounds that’s why I chose the Holo Audio May after auditioning multiple DACs.

Hi Tarun, again thank you for a interesting and entertaining video. I am still new in the hobby, and I am currently looking for dac to give my system a bit more wormth and natual tone. I am eyeing the Merason ferote or the Denafrips Pontus 12.1. I think it is hard to choose, when direct AB is not an option. I mostly listen to pop & rock, so I might be leaning towards the Merason for quicker dynamics. Which of the two do you consider to be the kindest on a wide range of music genres? I am already looking forward to your next video. Keep up the good work!

Dacs have to be evaluated in context of the signal being fed. Jitter is a huge problem. You should have tried the terminator fed by the arces by I2S and with clocks synced.

I am Still in AWE that hifi mainstream is told Dacs add to soundstage, yet engineers will say soundstage is part of the recording and speaker set up not a function of the DAC?

Tarin, curious…how would a DAC influence bass? Frequency response? Psychoacoustics?

I have a contrarian view about one of the main ideas in this video and I'd like to share -- but *not* to disagree, as much as to see if the reaction is more of a to-each-his-own proposition, or overt incredulity. So here goes: Some pieces in an audio chain can be acquired without as much concern for being price-appropriate, but then those pieces can be kept much longer, thus reducing both the frequency and scope of future re-investment. As an example, it would be at least a little bit crazy sounding, and maybe a lot more than a little bit, to say that I plan to connect a $500 gently used Denafrips Iris re-clocker and a $500 gently used Rel T5x to a system built around a $250 SMSL AO300 and a gently used $350 pair of Dali Spektor 2's. And beyond crazy-sounding, it would also contradict the tenant at the heart of the first half of this video -- that improvements should only be sought if they complement the performance capabilities of the rest of the system. That's true as far as it goes (for goodness' sake, there's effectively *zero* chance that I'll be able to hear much difference with the Iris in the chain, in particular) but these particular components will also scale really, really, really well. I've seen YT videos of enthusiasts who have Rel T5x's in $8000 systems, and they express no plans to upgrade in that area anytime soon. The counter-argument to acquiring the Rel and the Iris now, for the above-described system, would be that bigger present-day sonic improvements could be had by purchasing better amplification and/or speakers. $1000 is a lot to spend on things that will be connected to a $250 amp. But the immediate improvement would also come with the trade-off of being much more expensive to try to scale, later. In other words, a $1650 system built this way probably won't sound quite as good as a $1650 system built with more immediate intent -- but when the next $1000 comes along, the upgrade will require less sequential obsolescence, and will therefore permit the spending of the $1000 in a way that doesn't re-invite the same problem another twelve months down the road. And with the price-inappropriate components int he bag right up front like this, the overall outlay is also sure to be smaller -- perhaps a good deal smaller.

Great review as always, Tarun. I'm an owner of the Holo May DAC and would very much enjoy comparing it to the Terminator. To fund the May purchase, I had to go a bit leaner with the streamer, which I landed on the Eversolo A6 for the time being. How much further up the chain do you think I'd have to go to tell an audible difference in streamer alone... my guess is something like the Auralic Aries G1.1?

DAC’s did confuse me in the sense of is my IOTA VX pre and power amps DAC good enough or would one of the Denafrips DAC’s give me a more open sound with good separation. I have recently bought the Audiolab 9000 CDT. My Speakers are the ELAC Velar 403 Bookshelves. Your opinion is much sought after as I like your straight forward and honest expert knowledge.

How I have, in the past, evaluated DACs was price, reputation, and connections. I’m rather dissatisfied at present that my DAC lacks an HDMI input, and there is no way I know of to get an I2S signal into it short of an additional adapter. I’ve learned that the chip doesn’t make as much of a difference as its implementation, hence the ‘reputation’ criterion. I should add that I’m forced to use external DACs (outside the home theater) due to my own preference for all-analog amplification. That configuration may change as I prepare to move more into streaming, but we’ll see.

excellent review Tarun. It sounds like the r26 may be the be the best buy. Can you comment on the Qutest vs the r26 @ around the same $$$? I am currently using the internal dac in my Audiolab CD player. I find it a bit harsh but not bad for the price. Always enjoy and learn from your presentations. Interested in your opinion on the entry ML electrostatic speakers. if available to you?

Interesting that you rate the 190 over the 2510. For me it was a clear reverse. But I guess preference, listening levels and speaker pairings will feed massively into that 👍

The Gustard A26 should sound a bit more natural compared to the R26.

OK…I have a Pontus II DAC WHICH I LOVE!…I went thru the considerable hassle to load the 1st firmware update and was horrified to find that my wonderful R2R DAC had turned into one of the cold, thin, overly analytical DACs that i had been trying to avoid by buying my beloved Pontus II in the first place. 😱 After a wait…Denefrips released the original firmware so that THANKFULLY I could reload it! AHHH back to musical bliss….I did not even consider the latest firmware release…it’s an annoying, time-consuming process and…for what? Why mess with a good thing …I am keeping mine original THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Great discussion, really surprised that the internal dacs of the integrated sound better that the better external dacs, interesting. Hifi is a team sport, synergy over individual qualities! I don't mean to be mean but may be Tarun's system is not quite up to the level where the Terminator makes a difference...