Those of you that opened up your Ares II units… the your screws have some kind of white substance on them like locktite? I bought this unit second hand and I can’t get the lid off. Starting to wonder if the original owner might have used some kind of adhesive on it. I’m reluctant to pry off the lid and risk scratching it. I removed the 7 screws but the lid doesn’t seem to want to budge.
Question?. I understand firmware addressing the clock issues,(which fortunately I have not had), but exactly how can a firmware upgrade improve sound? Pardon my ignorance ahead of time
the FPGA is where all the magic happens (processing) ... seems like they've changed things a bit (no pun intended) so the 'NOS' setting is closer to actual NOS ??? Apparently it's currently not QUITE non-oversampling.
well, I don’t really know if all the magic happens in the FPGA but it’s a big part of it. I guess the R2R DAC is another big part! I d hope after the upgrade it doesn’t sound worse! Guess one would be SOL …
I received a prompt response from Alvin when I submitted my request for the Ares 12th that stated the 12th edition already has the updated firmware. Wanted to share that information with everyone here. Not certain that means all 12th editions do, but likely.
So has anyone tried the 12th Anni Venus DAC yet ? I wonder how this compares to my Pontus 2 and the Venus 2
So, I applied the firmware update to my Ares II last night. Very easy process, no more than 10 minutes start to finish. Did a little listening last night, and I liked what I heard. I've been running the Ares in NOS mode, as I preferred that to OS Slow. Just feels a little more analog on my system; OS was too much "in your face" for me. I know NOS has not been truly NOS on this device, but the firmware was supposed to adjust that. And from what I could tell last night, I think the change is positive. Less hazy, more clarity, but still an analog feel. Nothing too sharp or bright, but plenty of detail. Looking forward to more listening later.
Hello Alvin, Per the information above, if I bought my Ares II in October of 2019, is my DAC not upgradable? Thanks for your continued participation in this thread.
I would love to try the Pontus II, but the no return policy is a deal breaker. I’d need to know if my HP Omen laptop is compatible with it. (It doesn’t like my Chord Qutest, for instance, but it works fine with the DAC in my McIntosh amp. My MacBook Pro works with my Qutest, so go figure.)
Chord has one, too, but it doesn't work for resolutions above 24/96kHz. The problem with your reply is the should work idea!
I was looking into that firmware update when I came across the Windows driver info, you should investigate this yourself, my Pontus is an original Pontus so not going to be able to take advantage of this (although I think there is an older DSP card upgrade for it). From what I saw on their website, it seemed to me that this Windows driver is new so it should work.
I have an Ares II since February 2022. I've been enjoying the sound ever since! I have three sources into the Ares II, Bluesound NODE (using USB), Cambridge Audio CXC CD Transport for Redbook CD (using COAX), and Pioneer Elite UDP-LX500 for SACD (using HDMI/MHL Interface Audio I2S/DSD/Optical/Coaxial HDMI To I2S IIS for DOP Board, then to COAX). All three sound outstanding! To say the Least! I'm currently using OS with Slow Filter. I updated my Ares II firmware a few days ago. I don't have the proper words or terminology when I hear a difference. So instead, I just want to say, in my half a century of listening to music, I've never heard it so good! Tom
Did folks send an email w/ picture to support at denafrips dot com for firmware? The word is out and may be over one day turnaround time.
It may not be a good idea to jump on this update right away. I updated my Ares II a few days ago, and I'm not happy with it. Since I updated the firmware, I now get micro skips at exactly 5 seconds into a song when streaming CD quality music through my WiiM Pro from Amazon and Qobuz, and HIFI quality from Tidal. The WiiM Pro app has a time counter on the display, and I can see the counter hesitate, and then hear the micro skip. When I stream ULTRA HD music from Amazon or HI-RES music from Qobuz, the time counter hesitates at the 5 second mark, the jumps ahead (catches up) and the micro skip occurs at the 10 second mark. I never encountered this before the firmware update. The problem occurs whether I'm streaming to the Ares with coax or optical cable. The problem does not occur when I bypass the Ares II and stream using the WiiM Pro internal DAC. It definitely appears to me at least, that the problem is with the Ares II, since it never occurred before the FGPA firmware update. Yes, I've reported the problem to Alvin, and he suggested I try an OPT cable. In all fairness, I don't expect a fix right away, but if it doesn't get resolved soon I'm going to request a procedure to reinstall the old firmware.
@slater529 , thanks for the feedback. It's the first reported case of such issue surface after the firmware update. 1 out of 500(!) I will work with you on this. It would be very interesting to find out what happened. Email sent!
My Ares II was also difficult to take apart. Looks like some type of Loctite was on the threads. On one of the screws I stripped the threads and had to drill it out. There also seems to be some type of adhesive holding the case to the bottom chassis. Try prying the bottom edges where the screws are away from the chassis.
Having to remove a piece of equipment from a console, rack, stand, etc. brings on all sorts of calamities (could be costly or cosmetic, etc.) and should not be required. I have a credit card size that came with my Pontus II that included the Serial Number and some other information. Vinshine / Denafrips needs to come up with a date and/or serial number range to determine DAC eligibility, we should not be having to go through this. I definitely appreciate that they are providing this in-depth type of update. Based on @goldensound's recent review I really am looking forward to this update and it's potential.
Do you have a link to GoldenSound's review of The Aries firmware update? I checked GoldenSound's YouTube Channel and ran a few searches on his website and am coming up empty? Thanks. Edit: I just read this post from Alvin on another forum: "I have to stress that the FPGA Firmware Update Tool (FUT) is not the same. Each DAC/FPGA chip model has its own FUT. " I took the lid off my Pontus II and took the photos. Why mess around? It’s an Allen Wrench and just two screws to remove the lid. Personally, I am thrilled that they are making this effort to existing customers at no charge. It’s a lot of work for them. I could see a Venus 12th in my future. I have dealt with Vinshine regarding a number of other matters and they are great people to interact with. Immediate responses, helpful and professional, ALWAYS. They offer great, professional warranty service in The U.S.A. My experiences out there with other companies inform me that this is not always the case. Most other companies do not follow-up with free anything after a sale. I am so grateful for this opportunity to improve the sound of my existing DAC. It's all GOOD!
So what can I expect with a firmware update to my Ares II? I'm so happy with it as is, I kind of need some incentive. On the other hand, I don't want to miss an opportunity for even better sound. Is the update reversible? Is it possible to go back to what I had?
Yes, it's reversible. If you want to go back to the original firmware, just ask and they (Vinshine) will provide a link to download it.
