DENAFRIPS 'ARES' R2R discrete ladder DAC - close up view
Feb 21, 2017 at 8:57 AM Post #166 of 3,901
OT

Know this is a Denafrips thread. But since the subject of affordable modern R2R DACs came to about, Soekris" commercial DAC is now only 363eur.

http://soekris.eu/shop/dac_modules_consumer_line/dac1101_usb_powered_dac/headamp_discrete_r_2r_sign_magnitude_d_en.html

On the other note Denafrips have a line of HPAs. Hope to see more of those.
 
Feb 21, 2017 at 2:22 PM Post #167 of 3,901
   
DS chips also will evolve, and, some manufacturers actually DO invest in SQ instead of better specs only.
Just curious how a good implemented Dual AK4497 would compare to one of the Denafrips R2R's............


I can compare Denafrips Ares & DAC-8PRO2 (Tomahawk now) with ES9038PRO later (after my Oppo Sonica will come).
 
Feb 21, 2017 at 4:01 PM Post #168 of 3,901
 
   
DS chips also will evolve, and, some manufacturers actually DO invest in SQ instead of better specs only.
Just curious how a good implemented Dual AK4497 would compare to one of the Denafrips R2R's............


I can compare Denafrips Ares & DAC-8PRO2 (Tomahawk now) with ES9038PRO later (after my Oppo Sonica will come).

 
That would be great! To be honest, maybe ES9038Pro is a very good sounding dac-chip, but it is designed to have best specs available,
and also, has many, many build-in features which leaves audio designers not much room to implement their own designs.
That said, I really think it will sound not as good as AK4497 or any R2R.
 
My predictions: It will have a very dynamically sound, tons of details, lots of LF-output, probably a very good soundstage, but less musical
sounding than R2R or AKM chipsets, at least the AK4495 and AK4497.
 
Just my 2 cents.
 
Regards,
Alex
 
Feb 22, 2017 at 12:39 AM Post #170 of 3,901
Nice!
biggrin.gif
Whats the first impression? No night and day difference with Ares?
popcorn.gif

 
Feb 22, 2017 at 6:20 AM Post #171 of 3,901
I cannot comment much on the new ESS9038 however the ESS9018 is shades brighter compared to R2R Multibit and even more so when compared to R2R Ladder. Comparing my X-Sabre to the Metrum Pavane, Yggdrasil, and Holo Audio Spring was simply a night and day difference.
 
Hope the DAC 8PRO2 surprises you :)
 
Feb 22, 2017 at 7:33 AM Post #174 of 3,901
  Denafrips DAC-8PRO2 R2R discrete ladder - the first impression. Well balanced, crystal clear and high resolution, pleasure sound:
 
 

 
That's not the kind of "First Impression" I was hoping for.
This is kind of: You had dinner at a 5* Restaurant, how was it: Oh, it was very tasty, people were polite and entourage was very pleasant 
deadhorse.gif

 
 
biggrin.gif

 
Btw, all the impressions, the recordings you post, how would or could we even compare sound this way???? Do you think your recordings from your speakers do sound better than the original recordings????
Sorry, I appreciate you doing this, but, in my opinion it's completely useless.......
 
Just my 2 cents 
 
Feb 22, 2017 at 7:45 AM Post #177 of 3,901
Honestly I agree.
 
Seeing a recorded video that's been compressed and uploaded to Youtube doesn't really give much of an idea regarding sound comparisons as it's going through a camera microphone.

When comparing to your Holo Audio Spring you stated that you've owned the unit for awhile which the photos you provide deemed it to be true, however after owning the Ares and stating that the unit is superior to the Spring, you don't give much details on how or why. You just link readers to NOS measurements off of a Russian forum which can be misleading if you have any clue on how NOS works or precisely the Holo Audio Spring for that matter.
 
I don't own a Ares or 8PRO2 however given their limited information provided by the designer or manufacturer, I have doubts of wanting one. As of current, Spring, Yggdrasil, or any Metrum Acoustics brand is more trusty than Denafrips for R2R related products until of course there are more serious reviews that surface rather than uploaded videos. Just my 2 cents.
 
P.S. Is your speaker a full range speaker? Why do they have holes in them? Wouldn't that work against cone woofer rigidity and influence sound in a bad manner?
 
 
My recordings are much better then nothing or a useless text description of sound, imo.

 
I personally feel a text description on sound comparing two or more units is more appreciated than a video that sounds nothing like the actual sound produced.
 
Feb 22, 2017 at 7:47 AM Post #178 of 3,901
A useless text description indeed is useless, but it should be possible to compare two devices, and describe the differences between the two, that wouldn't be useless, spoken or in text message.
 
Maybe put the volume at zero when recording and tell us what you think of the difference between the Denafrips DAC-8PRO2 R2R and the Denafrips Ares 
wink_face.gif

 
 
I would appreciate that A LOT 
beerchug.gif

 
 
But, I can understand what you meant by "useless text description", something like: it has better bass, or better highs or that kind of phrases, that indeed is useless.
 
Feb 22, 2017 at 7:55 AM Post #180 of 3,901
Ok, I think I'll unsubscribe from this thread, this leads to nowhere.
This is elementary school talk.
 
Will search other fora or sites for proper reviews.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top