[JerryLeeds]

Do you hear any noticeable change?

I will upgrade over the weekend

Do you use the phase button on the 12th to put the DAC into firmware update mode?
(Same as with the Ares 2)

 

[VintageAudio]

Do you hear any noticeable change?

I will upgrade over the weekend

Do you use the phase button on the 12th to put the DAC into firmware update mode?
(Same as with the Ares 2)

Jerry - take it for what it's worth because it's purely subjective. I think everything is relative. In my setup, it already sounded amazing before the upgrade. My 12th is part of my primary system. In my next room, I have a budget setup, but I was able to get it sound very good, but obviously still shy of my primary.

After upgrading the firm, I believe everything sounded better. I just sat down and enjoyed a super long playlist on both headphones and speakers how good everything sounded, great tone, engaging, even more instrument separation, layering and immersive holographic sound. Of course, I doubt my own judgement, so I go back to my secondary setup, which I used to enjoy as well, but not as much. Could not listen to it. Flat, unengaging, lacked refinement...just bleh...

So, yes I think I noticed an improvement, just a little better at everything - very happy at this price point and small footprint to get this kind of sound in a simple setup (Ares 12th, Bakoon Amp-13R and Buchardt S400Mk2, HiFiman Susvara). Doesn't leave me wanting more at all....just makes me despise my secondary setup which I use to enjoy.

 

[VintageAudio]

Jerry - take it for what it's worth because it's purely subjective. I think everything is relative. In my setup, it already sounded amazing before the upgrade. My 12th is part of my primary system. In my next room, I have a budget setup, but I was able to get it sound very good, but obviously still shy of my primary.

After upgrading the firm, I believe everything sounded better. I just sat down and enjoyed a super long playlist on both headphones and speakers how good everything sounded, great tone, engaging, even more instrument separation, layering and immersive holographic sound. Of course, I doubt my own judgement, so I go back to my secondary setup, which I used to enjoy as well, but not as much. Could not listen to it. Flat, unengaging, lacked refinement...just bleh...

So, yes I think I noticed an improvement, just a little better at everything - very happy at this price point and small footprint to get this kind of sound in a simple setup (Ares 12th, Bakoon Amp-13R and Buchardt S400Mk2, HiFiman Susvara). Doesn't leave me wanting more at all....just makes me despise my secondary setup which I use to enjoy.

Oh, I can say for sure I noticed the noise floor is lower. Background is very black, that's one reason why it sounds sooo good.

 

[JerryLeeds]

Does anyone know of a R2R DAC having very good or only RCA/single-ended output? My balanced setup has the Ares 12th. In the other single-ended setup I’m using a bifrost 2/64 … seems to not pair well … so I want to try something else .. even a delta sigma dac having good RCA output … soekris dac1421

 

[ku1185]

Does anyone know of a R2R DAC having very good or only RCA/single-ended output? My balanced setup has the Ares 12th. In the other single-ended setup I’m using a bifrost 2/64 … seems to not pair well … so I want to try something else .. even a delta sigma dac having good RCA output … soekris dac1421

Audio-GD's r2r-11 mk2 is a DAC/amp combo but has only RCA out (I think you can request custom order for additional sets of RCA outs).

 

[Haidar]

Will the Denafrips Gaia also get a firmware update?

 

[VintageAudio]

Oh, I can say for sure I noticed the noise floor is lower. Background is very black, that's one reason why it sounds sooo good.

It's hard to know for sure without being able to A/B, but I am loving this upgrade.

Seems to sound more organic and analog...the transients response in my setup is orgasmic.

Can some of you upgrade and let me know if I'm imagining things??? Hard to stop listening.

 

[JoEhifi]

It's hard to know for sure without being able to A/B, but I am loving this upgrade.

Seems to sound more organic and analog...the transients response in my setup is orgasmic.

Can some of you upgrade and let me know if I'm imagining things??? Hard to stop listening.

Nice, sounds like i could use that update right now! I’ll give it a try soon and let you know

 

[GiFi]

Me too

 

[Giani Varzace]

Can some of you upgrade and let me know if I'm imagining things??? Hard to stop listening.

Hard to tell without a proper A/B comparison, for starters, in my opinion it sounded pretty analog before the update too. It also depends a lot on what kind of music you are listening through it, I miss the crispiness of details that my ADI 2 DAC provides for electronic music, that's why I keep going back and forth between these DACs in my headphone setup.

 

[JoEhifi]

I did the update a couple of hours ago. Only had the chance to listen to some pop and a couple of acoustic numbers via usb (Deezer lossless). So far I feel that it sounds a bit more “full-bodied” if I may say so. Not the “full-bodied” that refers to adding bass, maybe just more in balance through the whole spectrum. Didn’t make it to the eargasm yet, unfortunately! Maybe after some wine and good jazz tonight, who knows. But again, maybe it’s all in the head, since I thought it already sounded great before, and it still does after the update. -Definitely feels (at least) S$100 more expensive -

 

[JerryLeeds]

I just installed the firmware update …

The DAC is now playing its 5th random song. I think I hear a tad bit more bass?
I would need to do some quick a/b testing to actually know for sure, since that isn’t possible, firmware version 1.8 has my blessing.

 

[VintageAudio]

Hard to tell without a proper A/B comparison, for starters, in my opinion it sounded pretty analog before the update too. It also depends a lot on what kind of music you are listening through it, I miss the crispiness of details that my ADI 2 DAC provides for electronic music, that's why I keep going back and forth between these DACs in my headphone setup.

Thanks Giani for your thoughts. Yes, without proper A/B (I guess we need one upgraded alongside one not), it's hard to tell. I agree, prior to upgrade it was pretty analog already as we would expect from an R2R DAC. I did find it analog but very neutral compared to Ares 2. That being said, when I listen after the upgrade, something is making it better...darker background and I think the transients just seem more pleasing. I think it is really matching well with my amp and speakers. I also tried flipping around inputs. I normally just use a Douk Audio I2S input into the Ares 12th which used to sound the best. After upgrade, straight USB into Ares 12th sounds better to my ears.

 

[wrucewayne]

are there major sonic differences between Ares II and Ares 12th?

 

[JoEhifi]

Wow, not even a month after getting my “new and improved” 12th this happens. And 100$ -for not complaining?- My newly acquired trust for this company is just gone

A few weeks after this post i must admit that my enjoyment of the 12th, especially after the fpga update, is still there. Big time. I have a hard time imagining that the 12th-I would bring much more sonic value for the money over the 12th, but of course I can’t know without trying it. Anyhow I think I can live with my 12th for a while still, it’s a great DAC