[GiFi]

they don't even imagine the extent of the damage they have caused to the owners of the Ares 12th

 

[Getafix]

Stop whining, just remove the mains filter and replace the IEC with a real Furutech FI-09 - that's practically it. The OCC wired transformer makes little difference.

 

[luishi5000]

Stop whining, just remove the mains filter and replace the IEC with a real Furutech FI-09 - that's practically it. The OCC wired transformer makes little difference.

That's fair, I suppose I can stencil on a "- 1" to the end of the "Ares 12th". Though might as well go for "- 2" to get ahead of things.

 

[richie60]

Glad I held off. Now I can consider a matching streamer and dac in silver…

 

[GiFi]

Stop whining, just remove the mains filter and replace the IEC with a real Furutech FI-09 - that's practically it. The OCC wired transformer makes little difference.

Not so simple, take a look at the board inside. I don't want to modify something that I paid $1200 for.
I also want to write -1 to the chassis.I sincerely hope that the proposed discount will be raised to $400. Only in this way would it be possible to regain consumer trust

 

[JerryLeeds]

I got my ares 12th when it first came out in November. I understand everyone’s pain. I had the same sort of issue with a Schiit DAC .. but that was a sneaky silent upgrade they do with their products… I received one of the last older versions they had in stock … sort of soured me on the company ..

But I think Alvin made it clear that the reason they rolled out the newer model so soon was due to the new streamer being released soon. The 12th-1 probably uses the same case as the streamer so it is more cost effective for them to have just one case for both units … maybe even for the Iris as well

Anyway … it is not like they will never come out with an Ares 3 in the future

 

[GiFi]

jerry, I respect your thoughts, but there is a huge difference between dating a model every 6 months versus dating every 3 years. our DACs suffer immediate devaluation for this and I also understand that they were put on the market with a price too high compared to the 12-1. I'm thrilled

 

[JerryLeeds]

Well from my point of view buying any products like laptops, cellphones, cameras, TVs and audio equipment is never really an investment.. each item will lose its value over time. There will always be a newer model on the horizon.

Just enjoy what you have at the moment. You will only ‘lose’ money if you are going to upgrade. So hold onto the initial 12th version for a few years before upgrading.

At the moment I have two listening setups (2.1 stereo) one is using the Iris & Ares 12th and the other is using the Bifrost 2/64.

And in my closet I have a whole bunch of other DACs I’ve tried over the years (10 of them as I count them on my fingers)

Also the ‘upgrade’ to the 12-1 is just the case and a tweak to the power supply… it isn’t really going to affect the everyday enjoyment of using the older 12th version. Plus Alvin mentioned that a newer firmware for the original 12th will becoming shortly

Anyway this is just my view … there isn’t really a right or wrong … we each have our own way of thinking about things

 

[GiFi]

In fact, I respect your thought even if I don't share it due to the fact that for some, $1200 can represent a high sacrifice. $100 off are very few. I have lost faith in the company

 

[Riccioli30]

In fact, I respect your thought even if I don't share it due to the fact that for some, $1200 can represent a high sacrifice. $100 off are very few. I have lost faith in the company

I remember when the "reference" series of Audio Research preamps was released. Reference 1 was sold as the top of the top. 10 months later there was Ref. 1 mk 2 and after about another 11 months, Ref. 2 and then, after few, the company changed the type of valves abandoning the 6922, for the 6H30 and then Ref 3,4,5 ……obviously all the best of the best only to find that, to my ears, the 6922s were the best. Among us enthusiasts there was the saying that "Audio Research" did "research" on our skin and at our expense. Company policy: one is as good as the other.
So I can understand the disappointment: too many Sw or product changes, can be annoying. Better to do things silently, or foreseeing an upgrade to be offered to the consumer. But is a company policy

 

[GiFi]

in fact, I'm waiting for them to come in with something more substantial than $100. I hope that guys who have been disappointed like me can make requests to the manufacturer

 

[VintageAudio]

in fact, I'm waiting for them to come in with something more substantial than $100. I hope that guys who have been disappointed like me can make requests to the manufacturer

This was short-lived, but normally when a company continues to release revisions/upgrades to a popular line of product, it's considered a good thing. I received mine Jan/Feb I think so have had it longer than you, so I can understand the sting of not getting the latest version.

That being said, in the video Alvin did not promise, but said they were entertaining the idea of offering an upgrade path which would involve sending your unit in and having the new chassis, IEC and power supply replaced. For someone who had received theirs within a small time window 1 or 2 months, I think it would be a nice gesture to do it for free. For others like me, who've owned the 12th for longer period, an upgrade by choice for a nominal fee seems fair.

I myself, just took the $100 coupon and wait for the firmware upgrade. If I get the itch, I can always sell the 12th to recoup some of the cost and use the $100 coupon for at 12-1 upgrade. Otherwise, I'll just save the $100 for a DDC or the streamer.

 

[GiFi]

The Power supply, i thonk must be the same 60kVA of Ares 12th.

 

[GiFi]

They changed a pari of caps and maybe one voltage regulator

 

[VintageAudio]

ARES 12th FW 1.8 UPDATE IS NOW OUT. Just upgraded mine step by step via the detailed instructions for MAC. Success!

Get it while it's hot . Watch Alvin's video on YouTube and check for the link in the description.