The Best DAC Award - Denafrips Ares 2 R2R DAC review 

Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - nbtsmedia.com/about-us/

As usual, straight forward, simple and to the point! I enjoy your review! Excellent channel!

Last night I fell asleep before I could do a search on this dac, glad I did because this is what I wanted to hear 😂

my dream system: roon>minidsp shd studio>denafrips ares ii>hegel h90>magnepan lrs and two rel subs. thanks for the review. this dac looks to be a great value

When I ordered my Denfrips Ares there was a wait time to build and ship, when the wait was over I got one of the first series 2 Ares and I totally agree with your review sonically. Not having the time, money or patience to listen to all the current DAC's on the market and with my limited budget of $2,000.00 I wanted excellence but took a chance on this underdog......man am I glad I did. Sure I would have been pleased with any of the current offerings in that 2k range and possibly could have waited and ponied up $3,000.00 for the new PrimaLuna Evo 100. But back to what this Denafrips DAC does ......it makes you want to dance, tap your feet, air drum, air guitar .......listen for long periods. In the end, isn't that why we listen to music?

Thank you for the video it's nice to see a young face getting into it some of them are great but they are getting older now anyways thank you for the video it's great to see the younger generation doing this,

I'm convinced! Quality craftsmanship and a quality product, for anyone. Anytime. Period!

Got mine last month and I absolutely love this DAC. Best way I can explain it in one word is CRISP. Don't know quite how to explain it, but you can really hear drum hits end as abruptly as they start. I was thinking to try out R2R with this DAC before even looking at the Denafrips Terminator, but am very happy with this one. Definitely one of those gears that are "good enough."

'Grippy' ....you use just the right words my friend, top notch review.

About as real as a review can get ! Impressive comments, I really enjoy.

i was floored by this dac. i couldnt believe how great it is for the money i thought it sounded better than my bryston bcd 1 by a pretty wide margin and when i used the bryston as a transport i was blown away.

Never knew the difference a R2R DAC can make until I tried the Ares II. It transformed the sound from my system way beyond my expectations - simply incredible. Save your money on a new amp or speakers, check this out first. You might be as pleasantly surprised as I am.

awesome review

I concur with everything you said IT IS AN EXCELLENT DAC!!

Place the Ares on a separate A/C line circuit with no other equipment on the circuit. You will hear a big jump in resolution and definition. You can try this using a long outdoor extension cord to reach another outlet in your home on a different circuit breaker. Sounds best if both outlets are on the same phase.

I ordered my Denafrips Ares ii last week and it's shipping today. I'm looking forward to upgrading from the Schitt Modi Uber. Thanks for the video Jay! I really enjoy your channel!

Great review. I really wish you review the Terminator as well. I have the Metrum Pavane and keep wondering if I should try out the Denafrips Terminator but it would have to be a blind buy. The Pavane and especially the L1 is a great natural sounding DAC but then what to do about the itch.

Looking forward to the DenafripsTerminator review in due course.

Top review.

It’s nice to see such a raving review about the DAC that I bought recently :) Now this is important: It seems like your Ares wasn’t broken in properly. Listen to it again after at least 100 hours of break-in and you will take your words about “sloppy bass” back, guaranteed :)

Hi Jay, Have you tried the oversampling made with slow filter? I have heard that if you engage these that the bass is better and sound in general gets even better.

I bought the Ares 1 on the strength of one rave review in one of the many audio enthusiast websites. The claims seemed too good to be true, saying it bested this and that DAC. All from established and well-known players. You can imagine how the naysayers dumped on all these claims. But after many months of research I know R2R is the one to get. This is the technology that started digital. Manufacturers only shifted to delta-sigma chips in order to reduce costs. Before Denafrips and others started manufacturing R2R DAC's again your only choice was to take a chance with vintage units that used the old chips - from Sonic Frontiers, Theta, EAD, Muse. It was hard. These vintage units maintained their value and people were still paying top dollar for decades old units. That tells you something. I even kept an excel file of all these vintage DACs with each chip that was used. The holy grail being the UltraAnalog D20400A. But now it seems the audiophile world has come around and rediscovered the excellent audio qualities of the R2R architecture. It may not measure well but the ear knows. The Denafrips Ares was one of those times I took a chance in this hobby and was rewarded with the real deal - a giant killer. Now I know there are still a lot of naysayers but if the continuous train of ecstatic reviews should they teach you anything, it's that it at least deserves consideration and an audition, if not an outright purchase.

I wanted this dac so bad but it always sold out so i went with the Aune X8 hopefully its good should be getting it soon 😆 thanks Jay i tried !

👍. Great review Jay!. I just need to know a little more about the pool of snakes 🐍. cya on the flip side. ✌️

Looking forward to also hear the Best Steamer in 2019, lol ^^

Now THAT was a ringing endorsement if I've ever heard one. :)

Hi there. I recently purchased a pair of Tekton Double Impact speakers. I’m looking to upgrade my DAC and was wondering if you prefer the Onyx over the Ares II with those speakers. Thank you so much for your insight and informative videos. God Bless 🙂

I found it plays well together with my electrostatic headphones. The sound is, if possible, even more threedimensional than with other DACs I have tried. It also retains the driver’s speed while sounding calm and composed. In effect, the airiness of the treble is naturally accentuated. The DAC is, in a word, effortless in its presentation.

Very interesting review .

You need to listen a Rockna Wavelight Dac, it's about 6000 dolars, but sounds beyond this money...keep doing this good work 😎

nice review

@The Next Best Thing Studio Get that terminator and review it! Great video by the way - keep up the great work.

Great review Lighting round question Ares 2 vs Pontus... which one and why?

I have a ARES and love ..

The best thing is that he admits he is arrogant and "stupid stupid stupid." THAT is a fantastic lesson for a young person. I have this DAC it the hyperbole is not hyperbole. It is a great DAC period. I was unfamiliar with R2R DACS, now I am, so my mind is open. Nice job Jay.

Thanks for a great review! It resulted in me buying an Ares II 😊 How would you describe the difference between this and Soekris 1541? Thank you very much. And hoping for an answer.

Hi- I've heard a lot of positive reviews and i am waiting to pull the trigger. My music taste is very mixed- more in the rock/alternative/electronic/classical. The couple of things i like are excitement with good leading edges/ impact, sharp transients and dynamics. Would you suggest this DAC? Thanks a bunch!

Great review, have you heard the Ares 2 Have you heard about the Musical Paradise MP-D! Mk3 DAC? If so how what are your thoughts as to which sounds better?

Hello, nice review ! I always love your honesty in your reviews. I never had the chance to hear the R-7HE from the chinese compagny Audiogd. Do you know this brand ? Would it be possible for you to review their flagship R2R Dac ? Anyway, thanks again for your work.

I'm guessing you'll be reviewing the Pontus, Venus ...etc?

Any similar recommendation with preamp function (volume included)? Thanks for sharing, great video.

Hi Jay , love the channel , I am re building my HiFi set up , I started with some ProAc Response D18s (used Immaculate) I have settled on buying the Ares 2 , do you think it will be a good match for the Naim Supernait 3? or should I consider Hegel ? many thanks

Just go for the top from Denafrips, Terminator Dac.

Will you be reviewing Denafrips Terminator? Appreciate if u can review one

So a budget dac that can be used in a high end $$$$ system. Will mortals with less $$ system still get more with the Ares, versus something like Schiit Bifrost 2 at less $$ or Topping DX7 Pro at even less $$? Awesome review btw.

How would this DAC fair with the Hegel Rost? Recently started watching your video's, enjoy them immensely. Keep up the good work.

Do you think this would pair well with the the Hifiman Ananda's you convinced me to buy? I love the Ananda's, but I want better dynamics from them than my current Modi 3/THX 789 can provide.

Hey, thanks for a video. Could you please consider comparing to the Audio-gd R2R DACs they are very nice!

I'm highly considering this DAC but if I get it, it will be pulling double duty for my speakers and headphones. Will I have a similar experience with my headphones as you've described with speakers ?

I just got the ARES II. I just cannot believe how much difference this makes compared to SMSL SU-9 DAC. Mind blowing difference.

Since you’ve heard both, how would you compare this dac and the dac in the PS Audio Gain Cell Dac? You had mentioned the GCD as being forward in its presentation previously, but how about quality of detail compared to this?

My concern is all of those capacitors and a increased chance of failure of one of them. I assume they have a reason for using this many instead of a couple of large ones and it may be related to keeping the case small and perhaps costs.

I was R2R curious. After reading a couple reviews of the Denafrips Ares and then seeing Steve Guttenberg's review I decided to buy the Ares II. Your description of the DAC's performance is right-on. I love the "musicality" of the Ares. However, I wish you had addressed some of this DAC's failings when it comes to ergonomics. Such as the tiny hard to see LEDs and the lack of a auto-standby mode.

I ordered it last week (actually before seeing your video and "2019 award"). Looking forward to getting it, when Denafrips has caught up with demand...

Jay is Audio Excellence carrying this product? Can I get my hands on a demo to try out? Also have you heard the Pontus or Venus?

I wonder how much improvement I would get using this Denafrips dac, and bypassing the usb dac in my Parasound P6.

When are we going to find out what Thomas thought of it?

My integrated amp does not have balanced inputs, did you listen to the rca output? If so how did it sound?

I have a Metrum Onix. It sounds fabulous, even with 44khz files. Is it worth exchanging for an Ares II? Maybe to explore DSD files!

How does the AresII compare to the DAC in the Hegel H90? I am seriously considering the Hegel to pair with my Maggie’s.

Hi Jay, I am enjoying your channel and subscribed! I see by the comments below that everyone wants you to review something. Sounds annoying....so let me add to the annoyance... What about doing a comparison of the Ares II with the Pontus. It's the Pontus that has my attention(because of its re-clocking feature, and better base control) but the reviews of the Pontus are few and far between. Hopefully not adding too much to the cacophony.

Great review! I will have this DAC in few days. Could you, or Zero Fidelity or Thomas recommend a good hifi streamer that would be able to connect to this DAC? I was looking at Sony hap-z1es however it does not support outboard DAC connection I believe.

should i buy this or the Pontus? Venus? how does this compare to my NAD D1050? has digital really improved that much since 2013? timbral accuracy and timing can be had for less. from what the reviewers are saying i think the only improvement are being made in the area of soundstage. what is the best bang for buck in their line? the the law of diminishing returns. has digital reached its limits and surpassed analog?

Did you tried your Denafrips Ares II on the Stax D-50 ? Any improvement ?

Do you think Denafrips Ares 2 with PS Audio Stellar S300 Amp would be a good match?

Please do a Review of the new Teac Nt 505 🙏🙏🙏

I see you have Tekton speakers. Very interesting.

Do you have a reference system with static gear, or is it always in transition?

Hi jay, I am so proud of you. But how can you look at a DAC costing $10,000 USA

@NBTS Ares II vs. Soekris 1541. Which do you recommend?

I still use my Benchmark DAC1 and this thing is sounding excellent 😁

What would be a good (budget) preamp to go along with this?

Planning to pair this with a singxer sa-1 amp. But then I saw your review on the Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies 3rd Gen and it made me waver. I am now wondering how does the singxer sa-1 + ares II stack compared to the WA7 Fireflies 3rd gen. Which one sound better?

RU-vid , please don’t show me audiophile channels anymore

Any chance you've heard the RME adi-2 dac. It's not an r2r but many of the things you mention for the ares ii have been mentioned for the rme - clean sound, beats dacs twice the price and underrated

I believe this is still one of the best DACs, at this price point, money can buy. That is if you like the sound of an R2R DAC. I have been through several Delta Sigma DACS, from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. I was thinking it was my system, my gear, no, it was those DS DACs. The Ares II, at least for me, was the game changer. I can now sit for hours and actually enjoy listening to music. Gone is that clinical sound, that digital harshness which was quite honestly NOT enjoyable, even though everyone told me it is! Like I said, Denafrips and their Ares II took my back in time, to the 60's and 70's, that sound I grew up with, game changer. Pair it with a nice class A/B pre and amp, along with a good old fashioned, with a modern take, KLH Model 5 speakers, call it Heaven.

Hello I was wondering if you could recommend a DAC under 1600 dollar for gaming? I want to use it for competetive gaming so I can pinpoint excatly where enemy is by sound.

Let's try Audio Optimum NOS-DAC2!!!

Great review man, I'd be really interested in seeing you review the RME ADI-2 DAC

Hi, have you got a chance to compare the terminator with this one?

Did you play with the oversampling and filter options at all?? I know they exist on the DAC, but don't really know what they do..

Any owner of the Ares II has the problem of ‘USB device cannot start - error code 10’? I cannot use the USB input of this DAC as my music player cannot initialize the DAC as an output device. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Thesycon v4.67.0 driver but still can’t use the USB input. The coax input is alright though. Tried using other music players and other laptops, no success. Denafrips support has not replied to my email and it’s quite frustrating. Hopefully they’ll issue a driver update or I might just sell this DAC.

I'm looking into a preamp now that I got the Ares II 12th. I'm looking into either the Doge 8, the Kinki EX-P27, or the Denafrips Athena. Do you have a comparison for these?

Hello, when you say under a thousand, is this canadian dollars? And please tell me where you can get it at this price? Thank yoou for your excellent reviews!

Get some sleep R2R boy.

Try the Audio-gd R8 DAC. It costs about 1.5k, its an R2R DAC and FPGA programable. Another great chinese brand. Trust me, you wont regret it.

no money back guarantee, but should be easy to flip? but harder as you move up the line maybe?

Can the Denafrips Ares II connect to the KEF LS50 Wireless II? Can do a video to compare LS50 Wireless match with Ares II against internal own DAC?

How does it compare to the new Schiit Bifrost 2? They are about the same price.

have you heard the airist r2r dac? how does that compare to this?

and what about audio.gd's r2r dacs? how do they compare to these?

Any opinions on the Questyle CMA400i vs this Dac?

I know it’s been a while, but can you or anyone else make any comparisons between this and the dac in the PS Audio Gain Cell?

Would you recommend any specific amp for this? (if possible, under $500)

Have you compared balanced and unbalanced outputs?

There's something special about turoidal transformers.

Could it be a good combo with my smsl sp200?

Heard a 3 way blind test between the Ares 2, Gustard X26 and a Schiit Gungnir Multibit. All 4 of us in the room liked the Gustard X26 the best, we all thought it was the most musical and open. As a side note, there needs to be a lot less reviews like this and more reviews centred on AB blind comparison tests.

So I have the Ares II in my main system, I love it but I’ve got the itch to upgrade. What’s the next step up from this? I’m looking at the Mytek Brooklyn or Schiit Yggdrasil 2, anyone have a suggestion?

How does it compare to Mytek Liberty Dac please ?