You might find this review interesting if you haven’t seen it before. “In the land of Denafrips, I²S is better, sounding, than the other digital inputs. It’s really that simple if you enjoy greater resolution, a more clearly defined sound image, and improved dynamics. Of course some listeners may not prefer these changes as compared to USB’s more loosey goosey sound. And that’s perfectly OK.”
+1 on Vinshine and Alvin. I had an issue with my Iris DDC and he replaced the fried USB module chip free of charge. Shipping was on my account though.
If the device watched the clock speed difference, it could estimate how much it should buffer, and try to minimize user waiting. That's what my Digital Lens does, and it also has a "Laserdisc" mode to address the problem you mention of too much delay for video setups.
Purchased PONTUS II. It was out of stock for a while, but it arrived. 12th anniversary notation has been added.
Looks great. I have a Pontus II but in OS mode is stays at 44.1 1x it. In nos it recognises different resolutions. Am I doing something wrong?
Thank you Compared to Schiit Yggdrasil (GS), it sounds like the lingering sound of bass instruments is extended. I think since it has just been installed, the sound will change.
I think it's because in China and Japan, the zodiac circles once every 12 years. The zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle. Each year has a symbolic animal.
Ares II Owners, I thought about adding a ferrite choke to my Ares II's (stock) power cable. Would that be of any benefit?
Anyone know why they changed the name of the Ares II to the “Enyo”. Not sure how I can see the point of doing this from a business point of view….
Ok, I swear my Denafrips Pontus II doesn't like I2S. I have two Raspberry Pi + Pi2AES streamers. One in the living room with the Denafrips, and one in my basement, running into a Topping D90. The basement system sounds just fine with i2S. The Denafrips tho, every few minutes or so, when connected via i2s, emits a "pop"... almost like a scratch on a vinyl record. Maddening, and it doesn't seem to matter what kind of cable I use or how I configure the DAC's i2S settings! AES/EBU, though... that sounds great. Weird.
yeah, i think i mentioned that in the post... doesn't matter which way i configure it some settings are nothing but static. The default pin config sounds the best, but still the occasional pop/click. For the record, it's an Audioquest Mocha HDMI/I2S cable.
I actually just swapped out my Pontus II and acquired a Schiit Yggy Less is More - the DAC market (especially the sub 2k market) is so competitive and has so much variety that why settle for something that isn’t as close to perfect as possible. I found the Pontus II sounded very organic in the way that it presented music, but not in the way that it presented individual notes and timbres. The Pontus II does present acoustic music with real beauty, but it really fleshes out every note and tone - to the extent that I felt it lacked the ‘snap’ and tension in these notes and whilst it always had real beauty, never quite sounded real. I think this was the reason that the Pontus always sounded so soft in my system and though I enjoyed it for a while, the lack of leading edge bothered me on a lot of recordings. I thought that it did texture really well too, but lacked body. The other major gripe in line with this was the way that it presented Piano. Again, it had the beauty, but kind of lacked the realism of finger on key, and that dynamic ‘snap’ that I was referencing earlier. The Pontus always seem to miss that tiny moment of impact where the hammer actually hits before the tone, but the yggy returned it. This was also top of mind because i have been listening to so much Víkingur Ólafsson lately. Onto the Yggy LiM, it solves the above gripes that I have and Piano sounds significantly more convincing now. Timbres and textures are excellent and has more body. Overall, it has less beauty, but sounds a little more vivid. The soundstage on both is around the same size, but there is something more spacious about the Pontus II. On the Pink Floyd Track ‘Fearless’ (on Meddle) it was really enveloping on the Pontus II, and it is still excellent on the Yggy, but doesnt have the ‘arms wrapped around you’ feeling that the Pontus II does. I’m very happy with the change as it seems to suit my listening and system a little better. I don’t know if I could say which is the better DAC overall, but hopefully these notes are useful for somebody looking at these two excellent DACs in the pricerange.
My exact representation of the Venus II. Soft Way too soft Timbre was ok. Meh Super good layering. But who cares if the band is half asleep lol Need more attack.
Great feedback... I had an yggdrasil in a different system a few years back, but sold it in a fit of upgrade-itis. Like I said, I do like the sound I'm getting from the AES/EBU connection. Just so weird I can't find joy with I2s, which everyone says is the superior way to fly. I have been toying with the idea of selling the Pontus and getting a streamer+DAC like the Lumin T3. (In this system, I really only need the DAC for my streaming setup.) Or do I go with the Lumin U2 Mini, which requires a DAC? (U2 has AES out, but no i2s.) But that's for another upgrade-itis thread, perhaps.
There are, of course, plenty of people who would roll their eyes at the above, claiming that there is no way to explain how such nuances could change from DAC to DAC. But I'm not trying to stir that particular pot, and, as a relative subjectivist who did own a Pontus II for some time, I suggest that a pattern may be emerging. First, we have the micro-skipping issue that plagued some Pontus owners (including myself), and which was never resolved by Denafrips. Then we have the interesting parsing of the sound quality above (and not the first time that I have read similar feedback), with an emphasis on softness, and/or a lack of dynamism. Finally, we have the fact that Denafrips produces three "DDC" components, which essentially serve as FIFO buffers and reclockers. Connecting those dots, it seems likely to me that the weak link in the lower/middle range Denafrips DACs (i.e. Pontus and Aries) may be the clocks, i.e. timing. That could account for both the micro-skip problem, and the type of weaknesses described by @heman__ above. After all, a truly high-quality DAC should not require a separate reclocker/buffer to perform optimally, and I certainly don't have the impression that many owners of such DACs are buying them. I know that I would never imagine that my Aqua La Scala would benefit in any meaningful way from such a device.
Thank you for your honest impression. I was eyeing the Pontus II as a replacement for my Chord Qutest but after reading this it would seem that the move would be sideways at best. The lack of urgency for me to replace/upgrade my Qutest is also something I've thought about, but to be satisfied is counter-intuitive to being an audiophile, lol. If you're missing the spacious wrap-around sound of the Pontus II, may I suggest that you check out the Denafrips Iris DDC. It doesn't change the sound signature of the DAC of your liking but it does enhance it. With my Qutest, the soundstage sounded wider and more spacious.
