[sajunky]

Static electricity can even destroy your gear. You should discharge your body before touching Ares enclosure, cables, etc. It can be a grounded conducting surface placed on the stand. Antistatic matt is commonly used with PC's/laptops. It can be any metalic surface but to avoid unpleasant spark, use a resistor 10k-100k Ohms when connecting to ground.

 

[Ludique]

Just got my new ARES II from Denafrips and my unit plays wonderfully fine.

Though sometimes when I walk around a little on my woolen socks and then touch the ARES II, a tiny spark jumps from my finger to the unit or the other way around, and the the music immediately gets distorted with digital noise. Like 50% music and 50% static noise.

The unit is connected to an earthed mains and an earthed amplifier and my Lenovo notebook via USB.

Pressing stop and play again on my notebook, immediately fixes the issue.
Does anyone else has the same issue with static electricity distorting their DAC/ARES II upon touching it?

Is it forbidden to own ARES II AND woolen socks at the same time?

What material is your floor? Is the air in your room very dry (freezing temperatures outside)? Do you dry your clothes in a dryer?

No need to answer, just some remarks.

 

[daytrader]

Just got my new ARES II from Denafrips and my unit plays wonderfully fine.

Though sometimes when I walk around a little on my woolen socks and then touch the ARES II, a tiny spark jumps from my finger to the unit or the other way around, and the the music immediately gets distorted with digital noise. Like 50% music and 50% static noise.

The unit is connected to an earthed mains and an earthed amplifier and my Lenovo notebook via USB.

Pressing stop and play again on my notebook, immediately fixes the issue.
Does anyone else has the same issue with static electricity distorting their DAC/ARES II upon touching it?

Is it forbidden to own ARES II AND woolen socks at the same time?

Static, especially in winter time can be trying if this is what truly is going on? Otherwise stop drinking these energy drinks!

 

[daytrader]

What material is your floor? Is the air in your room very dry (freezing temperatures outside)? Do you dry your clothes in a dryer?

No need to answer, just some remarks.

All those will contribute to static as we know. If it doesn’t go away with your suggestions and the passing of dry months I’d suggest a room humidifier if the problem isn’t an easy fix.

 

[AudioEarthling]

What material is your floor?
Do you dry your clothes in a dryer?

Standard fakewood laminate floor, leather couch. The Ares II sits on a wooden bench. Humidy is between 30% ~ 40% in the winter here.
I do not use/dry my clothes in a dryer. I wear cotton trousers, 100% bamboo underwear and wear 100% woolen socks.
I cannot believe we are having this conversation on an forum about DACs
After the initial spark on the first day, from then on I now ALWAYS discharge myself first, before touching any audio component.
I will buy a 10K resistor to discharge myself first, before touching anything else.

 

[roderickvd]

Yesterday I got an email from Vinshine with a customer poll whether or not there is interest in USB volume control. Given enough interest, they might offer it as a feature in firmware.

I am going to vote against. I just want sources to output at line level and will attenuate it in some preamp, regardless if that’s a separate or integrated with the amp. That’ll yield the highest dynamic range.

It might have made sense if there was a headphone out on the DAC, and there isn’t.

 

[AudioEarthling]

Completely agree with @roderickvd
I also voted NO I don't like/need a volume control, because a Denafrips DAC is for sound quality purity and fidelity in the first place, and not comfort or convenience in the utmost first place. I understand and respect the reasons why the engineers made a flat out solid line level output without methods to allow for (accidental) attenuation variabilities.

 

[alvin1118]

The poll results as of today are interesting, it's 80/20 where

• 80% voted for NO

 

[GoldenSound]

The poll results as of today are interesting, it's 80/20 where

• 80% voted for NO

Definitely ideal to keep the stock firmware at least as a no volume version.
Linux has a bit of a quirk on many sources where it will set ALSA devices to 46% (can't remember the exact number but it's around there) by default.

This caused a bit of confusion with the new Holo May USB card for example as it had USB vol control enabled by default, so on most linux sources/streamers it'd be way quieter than the other inputs and depending on how you were streaming it could be a bit tricky to adjust it up. Easy if you're using roon, not so much if using something else.

They've switched to a fixed vol stock firmware now but have a second firmware available if someone wants the USB vol control

 

[roderickvd]

Alvin,

Any problem if I hook up the Ares to two separate amplifiers, one using XLR out and the other RCA out?

 

[dougms3]

Alvin,

Any problem if I hook up the Ares to two separate amplifiers, one using XLR out and the other RCA out?

Yes.

There will be a problem.

 

[AudioEarthling]

Yes. There will be a problem.

Q1: Which problem would or could then arise?

Q2. Why/what is the reason behind the problem that you describe in Q1?

Q3: What if 2 amplifiers were connected but only 1 amplifier is turned ON?

 

[sajunky]

Q1: Which problem would or could then arise?

Q2. Why/what is the reason behind the problem that you describe in Q1?

Q3: What if 2 amplifiers were connected but only 1 amplifier is turned ON?

It doesn't matter (#3), sound is degraded when two connections are made.

 

[JaquesGelee]

Definitely ideal to keep the stock firmware at least as a no.

I don't get it. Please explain.

Cheers

 

[roderickvd]

I wouldn’t mind if it was in the firmware, I just wouldn’t use it. But I also took the poll as a question of “should we spend our time on this or something else” — and then I’d prefer something else.