DENAFRIPS FPGA Firmware Update (12TH Anniv.)

[Ufanco]

Just updated the Ares 2 to version 1.3 of firmware and first thing noticed was a increase to the bass early impression seem good and so far haven’t had any gliches at the start of songs when the is a resolution change. Going listen a few days but right now liking it a bit better than 1.2.

 

[nothing1]

Just updated the Ares 2 to version 1.3 of firmware and first thing noticed was a increase to the bass early impression seem good and so far haven’t had any gliches at the start of songs when the is a resolution change. Going listen a few days but right now liking it a bit better than 1.2.

as far as i am aware there is only 1.0 1.6 and 1.8 version firmwares for the Ares II.

 

[Majors]

Just updated the Ares 2 to version 1.3 of firmware and first thing noticed was a increase to the bass early impression seem good and so far haven’t had any gliches at the start of songs when the is a resolution change. Going listen a few days but right now liking it a bit better than 1.2.

The bass, acoustic spacial cues and warm mid-range for me is why I kept reverting to v1.0. The V1.6 or 12th firmware the improvements were imaging, timbre maybe but the bass was bumped up in the mid bass and sounded thumpy and not as nuanced as V1.0. Imaging was more focused but a little 2D also the mid-range seemed pushed forward a bit on v1.6 Now this Latest 1.8 firmware Has improved the bass immensely deep and articulate, the mid-range is just settling down after about 15hrs to be the perfect placement to the image and luscious to my ears. overall timbre has improved Xylophone, Piano never sounded so real. Quite an amazing feat for Denafrips. I would encourage everyone to give this latest firmware a try. Also no glitches but it is running quite a bit warmer on the latest.

 

[Majors]

as far as i am aware there is only 1.0 1.6 and 1.8 version firmwares for the Ares II.

Two different chips so the numbering will be different those with the EP4CE22F have 1.0, 1.6, 1.8.

 

[nothing1]

Two different chips so the numbering will be different those with the EP4CE22F have 1.0, 1.6, 1.8.

oh ok thanks

 

[Ufanco]

as far as i am aware there is only 1.0 1.6 and 1.8 version firmwares for the Ares II.

The options for my chip where 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3 so must be different version depending on Ares 2 chip

 

[Majors]

The options for my chip where 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3 so must be different version depending on Ares 2 chip

I believe your chip is EP4CE6F correct?

 

[cheznous]

Just updated my Ares 11 with latest firmware. Previous update I ended up reverting back to the original. Will be interesting to see how this latest iteration goes. Great excuse for enjoying Saturday listening to music rather than gardening.

 

[Chodi]

I am compulsive about updates so I updated my original Ares II to the version 1.8 firmware this morning. This is a completely different sound than the 1.6 firmware I had previously installed. It is so different that I was not prepared for this massive difference. It is so different that I will have to listen for hours to determine if I like it. My first impression is that 1.6 was better in many ways but I will give it time before deciding. There is nothing subtle about the change. My first impression is that it is brighter and more 3D but I will give it time to settle in and adjust. I was not prepared for this very different sound from 1.6. I actually liked 1.6 so this new 1.8 is going to have to prove itself or I will revert to 1.6. I did notice that the latency samples are much higher on this 1.8 version (you can look at the driver to verify this as you verify the firmware version).

At least Denafrips is giving us 3 completely different sounds to choose from. The difference is so stark that it is a bit overwhelming. I found 1.6 an obvious improvement over the original firmware. This new 1.8 not so sure yet.

 

[David A Silva]

With a good ribeye, some like Worcestershire sauce, some like barbecue sauce and some like salt n pepper. To each their own, its all good! Thank you Denafrips!

 

[PJGifford]

A little late the the party, but I just updated my Ares II a few days ago with the latest firmware and wanted to share what I’m hearing. Was a bit skeptical that this was all worth the effort, especially when firmware updates usually are for correcting compatibility and bugs, but I decided to give it a shot.

Model: Ares II
Original Purchase: August 2019
Version: V3.12|A22E1.6
Filter: Slow / OS
Listening Position: Nearfield
Speakers: Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52

Right away I noticed an increase in percussion separation, specifically in cymbals and hi-hats, almost to the point of distraction. Bass appears slightly more controlled, and mids marginally recessed. It seems overall timbre and resolution has increased, giving the sound signature a bias away from warmth, and more toward a neutral tone. I eventually had to turn my treble down a smidge and toe-out the speakers to help compensate. I can sympathize with those who say it’s fatiguing; the highs are indeed way more extrusive. However, as a result of the added detail perhaps, soundstage depth and height has also increased. Everything presents bigger than before. There’s less of a “wall of sound” and more dimension, excluding some bad recordings.

After listening to a few different types of genres for a few hours, I found studio albums sound more engaging, and live albums offer more of an experiential sensation. I think I’m finally understanding why folks use the term “holographic” when describing the feeling of a good HiFI system.

Overall, I like it. I appreciate the increased timbre and soundstage. It did lose some of that smooth and sweet sound signature, and if I were to change one thing, it would be some additional warmth to the highs. Maybe in the future we could have a roster of firmware and filters to choose from to cater to everyone’s preferences.

And to those who say all DACs sound the same: Ah, nope

Just finished updating my Ares II to v1.8 and have to say, this sounds much like the og v1.0 release. It's warmer than the v1.6 update, with less treble energy and more emphasis on the lower frequencies. Detail retrieval and soundstage have slightly diminished, but it's gained a more relaxed presentation with less "delta-sigma" resemblance.
Because I'm using a class D amp, I think the warmer sounds compliments it better than the v1.6. Anyone willing to do a v1.0 and v1.8 AB comparison?

 

[Chodi]

Just finished updating my Ares II to v1.8 and have to say, this sounds much like the og v1.0 release. It's warmer than the v1.6 update, with less treble energy and more emphasis on the lower frequencies. Detail retrieval and soundstage have slightly diminished, but it's gained a more relaxed presentation with less "delta-sigma" resemblance.
Because I'm using a class D amp, I think the warmer sounds compliments it better than the v1.6. Anyone willing to do a v1.0 and v1.8 AB comparison?

This is what makes our individual experience so interesting. We each have different equipment. I find the 1.8 brighter than 1.6. I also find it more 3D (possibly because it is brighter). On my system I would not call 1.8 as warm as the original 1.0. I will give it time I just flashed a few hours ago. I am not a big believer in fpga burn in so we shall see. It is interesting how our different headphones and amps blend with these changes. I have several headphones and both solid state and tube amps so it will take me a while to decide between 1.6 and 1.8. My former comment about latency was wrong. I discovered it can be set to low latency again and works. Sorry I missed that.

 

[nothing1]

i updated to the v1.6 when it was released, immediately i was not sure if i liked it, and it lasted for a week before i went back to v1.0 it was way to bright on my system. Just updated to v1.8 last night and find it pretty much perfect on my system which is
PC
Corsair 550 watt 80 plus gold
Gigabyte G1 Sniper b6(DAC UP USB)
i7 4790K @4.0GHz
16Gb ram @1600MHz
Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD
Noctua NH-U9S 92mm CPU Cooler(silent mode)
3 x Noctua 140mm NF-P14S Redux Edition(silent mode)
8TB HDD for music

OS

Windows 10
basic optimizations and privacy changes made

SYSTEM
HQPlayer >
Audioquest carbon USB cable >
DENAFRIPS ARES II >
Robertson Audio Cables Balanced interconnects, Diamond range >
Rotel RC-1572 MKII >
Robertson Audio Cables RCA interconnects, Sapphire range >
Rotel RB-1582 >
Kimber Kable 12TC speaker cables 2 sets for Bi Wire >
Wharfedale Jade 7 speakers

Compared to v1.0 v1.8 has more bass, more detail and a better soundstage but still has a warm/neutral tone with no hint of glare or harshness, my first impression was "this is nice" and the more i listen the more i like it unlike v1.6, i will listen to it for a week then i might go back to v1.0 just to make sure what one i prefer.

 

[nothing1]

The more I listen to v1.8 the more I’m loving it, this is head and shoulders above v1.0, and I really liked v1.0 and would not have bothered changing firmware if it hadn’t have been for the out of phase bug, I won’t be going back to v1.0. Thanks to Denafrips and Alvin my system is on another level now and I still can’t believe it.

 

[ms10]

Until 60 minutes ago, I was firmly in the v1.0 camp for my Pontus 12th.

However, a week or two ago I made a very fortuitous upgrade to my ethernet stage. I swapped my BNC clock cable*. I was kind of gobsmacked at how it improved the SQ while using v1.0. So on the back of that I wondered how the Pontus would respond to this upstream improvement if I tried v1.4 again. I had twice previously tried the v1.4 only to reject it both times due to the digital glare.

But now, I'm bowled over. Streaming nirvana. So far, I'm certainly not feeling any top-end glare.

I guess the moral of the story is that all components, whether directly connected or not, are inter-dependent.

* - between my AfterDark King 10MHz clock (sine) and Uptone EtherRegen I removed a Oyaide FTVS-510 BNC cable for a CyberShaft Semi-rigid BNC.