[13candles]

Hello my fellow audiophiles,

I have had the pleasure of listening to the Pontus II 12th Anniversary in the last two weeks from the comforts of my own home through my Stax SR- X9000 powered by the SRM-700S amp in Balanced connection.
Also, the digital connection which i was using was via USB (a beautiful cable made by a friend called the Celestine Silver) coonected to my PC. I do not have other cables like AES or I2s and i will be "comparing" the Pontus against my EF400 by Hifiman.
I listen to mostly all genres of music except death metal, classical, country and folk and im mostly partial towards rock, pop and love ballads. Im currently using ROON with some ripped tunes from my CD collection and TIDAL as my only streaming music service

This isn't a review per se as i am not as eloquent as others with words and describing or conveying my thoughts. Just doing so because i love this hobby and i think it wont hurt to post my impressions.
I acquired the Pontus II 12th Anniversary by contacting Vinshine Audio about a home loaner of one of their Denafrips products which they promptly agreed to and suggested the Pontus II.

To be clear, the Pontus II i received as a loaner for the past two weeks isn't the latest rendition as that would be the Pontus II 12th-1 Anniversary ; which sports an Enhanced PSU and Conductors and a Gold Plated UP-OCC Copper AC Power Socket. I will post the link for further reading what these upgrades are at the end of my entry.

First and foremost, The Pontus II is bigger and heavier than i expected and the build quality is beyond reproach. This DAC is built like a tank and definitely feels more than it actually costs. I really really love the build of the Pontus.

As i was told by one of VinshineAudio's rep, this was a demo unit and fully run in so it just needs about an hour for it to sound good.

When i first powered it on and put on my X9000's ; i immediately went on to Netflix to check if the so-called latency issues were true when watching movies and im glad to report that from what i experienced ; there were none. Or atleast none that was too significant or obvious.

One more caveat is that there was no way for me to directly AB the Pontus and my EF400 as my amp; the srm-700s has only a pair of XLR inputs and the sound quality between that and the RCA inputs is really night and day.

However, im glad to report that the Pontus II 12th Anni did sound significantly different from my EF400 that even when i swapped either one, i could tell which was which even in a blind test.
Ofcourse some or most would expect that the Denafrips would be significantly better yes? Given that the EF400 costs only 1/3 of Pontus yes?
In terms of Technicalities; especially clarity wise , i would give the edge to the EF400. The Hifiman is generally on the brighter side of the spectrum. It highlights stuff which you know its there like for example; you can hear the drummer's faint laughter in the background of the song Africa by Toto in the first few seconds of the track.
I couldnt also tell the difference between NOS and OS when i was listening to the Pontus II. On my EF400, i could tell that OS had sharper edges to the images and there was a smidgen of sibilance on some tracks.
However with the Denafrips, it brought out more background details and tiny nuances which i heard for the first time and did so effortlessly which im assuming due to its blacker background than my hifiman.

Another thing which the Pontus did better was the overall soundscape/soundstage. It totally trumped my hifiman in that regard with it being deeper and wider resulting in a denser 3D landscape where each image was nicely placed and fleshed out. To me this is one of the two things i will miss about the Pontus II....

And this second thing which i'll miss is the gentle laid back presentation of music which it so effortlessly portrays. Some might say this to be slow or lack of punch but i think its just right. Nothing about this DAC from Denafrips seems too highlighted nor subdued. Everything seems balanced and nuanced compared to my EF400 where i personally find that it tip-toes on the side of neutral-bright and being a tad aggressive as well.

The Pontus II i feel straddles just on the neutral-warm side of things but is overall nicely balanced especially when i think it stages just nice without being too laid back nor forward sounding. If my EF400 was 3 rows (10th row being the last) from the front, then i would place the Pontus at the 5th or 6th. Not too far off and too out in the front .Vocals are where i like them to be with all the necessary instruments placed as it should be. Nothing is crammed not congested. Every image has ample space and air between them.

I for one am not a bass-head so i won't comment much on the lower frequencies but its all very decent from the Pontus. Like i mentioned about how it does well with the little and different nuances; it does so throughout the entire spectrum

The Pontus II 12th Anniversary loaner was my very first experience of a product from Denafrips which i enjoyed thoroughly and which i will also miss. Nonetheless, one can also wager that i'll reach out to Vinshine Audio once again when i have the time to loan their Terminator (only if they are agreeable ofcourse!) . Having said that; i cannot begin to reiterate how important and beneficial if one can have the luxury of auditioning (especially DACs) what they are interested in or intend to purchase down the road. Even in a silent environment at a retailer for 2 hrs or so isnt adequate i believe as most wont be bringing their own gear (ie; headphones and amp).
Im a firm believer of trying gear out extensively before buying because we all hear differently and have differing preferences. So it's best to always try before you buy and not be swayed by reviews or people's personal bias.
Which brings to mind a couple months ago i had the privilege of having one of them fabled KGSSHV Carbon amps (which was built by a reputable DIY-er from Head-Case) also as a loaner and the impression was alot closer than i would've expected.... Anyways.....

So another shout out to Vinshine Audio for letting me do the home loaner! So if i forgot to let on the fact that im their fellow countryman which makes it easier!

Okay last but not least; pics or it didnt happen.... And the link to the Pontus II 12th-1

https://www.vinshine.audio/post/denafrips-pontus-ii-12th-1-anniversary-edition

Thanks for reading and i hope you folks enjoyed it as much i enjoyed penning my impressions.

 

[sygnus21]

As i was told by one of VinshineAudio's rep, this was a demo unit and fully run in so it just needs about an hour for it to sound good.

Thank you. One of the biggest issues I have is when someone decries an amp worthy or not, without relaying this important info.

When i first powered it on and put on my X9000's ; i immediately went on to Netflix to check if the so-called latency issues were true when watching movies and im glad to report that from what i experienced ; there were none. Or atleast none that was too significant or obvious.

On the gaming side, I've the same results - zero latency issues. However, my setup is follows - PC to Denafrips Iris DDC, Iris to Pontus via I2S (HDMI). Pontus to my Denafrips Artemis headphone amp via XLR cables. Zero latency issues. Currently playing Cyberpunk 2077.

I couldnt also tell the difference between NOS and OS when i was listening to the Pontus II. On my EF400, i could tell that OS had sharper edges to the images and there was a smidgen of sibilance on some tracks.
However with the Denafrips, it brought out more background details and tiny nuances which i heard for the first time and did so effortlessly which im assuming due to its blacker background than my hifiman.

Maybe it's me, but your statement here sounds contradictory as you write... "I couldnt also tell the difference between NOS and OS when i was listening to the Pontus II."; Yet you say here "However with the Denafrips, it brought out more background details and tiny nuances which i heard for the first time and did so effortlessly"

Another thing which the Pontus did better was the overall soundscape/soundstage. It totally trumped my hifiman in that regard with it being deeper and wider resulting in a denser 3D landscape where each image was nicely placed and fleshed out. To me this is one of the two things i will miss about the Pontus II....

I suspect, part of that 3D effect is also that the Pontus has excellent channel separation, along with a good soundstage. And it should, being it's built on a dual amp design.

And this second thing which i'll miss is the gentle laid back presentation of music which it so effortlessly portrays. Some might say this to be slow or lack of punch but i think its just right. Nothing about this DAC from Denafrips seems too highlighted nor subdued. Everything seems balanced and nuanced compared to my EF400 where i personally find that it tip-toes on the side of neutral-bright and being a tad aggressive as well.

I don't know about "laid back", but it certainly is engaging.

It pairs perfectly with the Artemis headphone amp and Sennheiser HD800S phones to provide the sound I was after - fun, warm and engaging. I want to feel the music, not analyze and deconstruct it so wasn't looking for something overly detailed and clinical. Simply enjoy what I hear.

I for one am not a bass-head so i won't comment much on the lower frequencies but its all very decent from the Pontus. Like i mentioned about how it does well with the little and different nuances; it does so throughout the entire spectrum

The Pontus has plenty of bass, and better than decent. It's just a matter of the output device whether power amp/speakers, or headphones.

Anyway, I run a pair of Sennheiser HD800S phones (yeah, not known for their bass), and you can still feel the bass coming through.

Of course these are my opinions, and not to dismiss yours

 

[13candles]

Maybe it's me, but your statement here sounds contradictory as you write... "I couldnt also tell the difference between NOS and OS when i was listening to the Pontus II."; Yet you say here "However with the Denafrips, it brought out more background details and tiny nuances which i heard for the first time and did so effortlessly"

Pardon if it did sound contradictory, but I will still hold true to what I said when I mentioned that I couldn't seem to hear any difference between NOS and OS mode on teh Pontus II 12th Anniversary. When I could discern the difference between NOS & OS on my EF400, the difference was very very subtle... It merely contributed a tinge of sharpness around the edge of notes and images and also a smidgen of sibilance (on some tracks). I could discern the difference on my EF400 because it sits on the bright side of neutral and clarity wise it edges out the Pontus II but the latter wins on overall resolution (which enabled me to pick out the background details and tiny nuances like the decay of cymbals, drums and other notes.)
To borrow an analogy from displays, the EF400 would provide me a sharper image like a 4k monitor/tv can whereas the Pontus II is only in 2k. However , the latter delivers a 16:9 ratio image with more things in the overall picture whereas the EF400 displays less in its 4:3 ratio.... Makes sense?

I don't know about "laid back", but it certainly is engaging.

When I meant laid back I. didnt mean that the Pontus sounded un-engaging or boring which is far from what I experienced. What I meant with laid back is that the Pontus II sounded relaxed and balanced yet musical.This to me was a very strong trait which I enjoyed a lot. Also, I could listen to it for hours on end as I find it rather natural sounding and non-fatiguing as opposed to my hifiman which can sound a tad aggressive at times.

Of course these are my opinions, and not to dismiss yours

Absolutely my fellow audiophile !
Thank you and I appreciate your comments which helps me get better with future impressions. So definitely it's all good and no hard feelings!

Cheers!
Kai

 

[sygnus21]

Pardon if it did sound contradictory, but I will still hold true to what I said when I mentioned that I couldn't seem to hear any difference between NOS and OS mode on teh Pontus II 12th Anniversary. When I could discern the difference between NOS & OS on my EF400, the difference was very very subtle... It merely contributed a tinge of sharpness around the edge of notes and images and also a smidgen of sibilance (on some tracks). I could discern the difference on my EF400 because it sits on the bright side of neutral and clarity wise it edges out the Pontus II but the latter wins on overall resolution (which enabled me to pick out the background details and tiny nuances like the decay of cymbals, drums and other notes.)
To borrow an analogy from displays, the EF400 would provide me a sharper image like a 4k monitor/tv can whereas the Pontus II is only in 2k. However, the latter delivers a 16:9 ratio image with more things in the overall picture whereas the EF400 displays less in its 4:3 ratio.... Makes sense?

I got you.

For me though, I can hear a difference, but it's very faint. It also depends on source material as to sounding better or worse. If you have a bright recording with lots of brass, having it on can sound harsh and sibilant. With warm recordings turning it on can bring out details and open the soundstage a bit.

But that's what I notice. I use headphones, when a/b testing as changes are more noticeable there for me.

When I meant laid back I. didnt mean that the Pontus sounded un-engaging or boring which is far from what I experienced. What I meant with laid back is that the Pontus II sounded relaxed and balanced yet musical.This to me was a very strong trait which I enjoyed a lot. Also, I could listen to it for hours on end as I find it rather natural sounding and non-fatiguing as opposed to my hifiman which can sound a tad aggressive at times.

I got you now. Agree.

Peace