[Powermankw]

If you're using the OS mode, make sure the sharp filter is on. Denafrips has a video on the pontus website that shows how to enable the filters in OS mode. I think there's an audible difference between the two modes. The NOS mode seems more smooth with deep low end and ample warmth. The OS mode with sharp filter is more sparkly with more air and slightly more dynamic.

That would suggest the filter makes a difference. I will give it a shot when I get set up again, but I can't hear any difference between NOS/OS. In fact... When it was measured, and NOS isn't really NOS, was there any measured difference.

 

[shwnwllms]

That would suggest the filter makes a difference. I will give it a shot when I get set up again, but I can't hear any difference between NOS/OS. In fact... When it was measured, and NOS isn't really NOS, was there any measured difference.

I use HQPlayer so I set it in NOS and didn’t look back. Even when setting it up and testing native PCM I couldn’t tell a difference between NOS / OS but I didn’t mess with it for that long or even play with the filters. I would think think any difference would be more apparent on low res files. Sharp vs Slow may be more noticeable as well.

 

[bobski32]

Could someone please verify what pin-out configuration I need to hook up the Pontus 2 to a Pi2aes i2s connection.

I've read both... all lights on/and all light off.

Please help, thanks.

 

[ColSaulTigh]

Could someone please verify what pin-out configuration I need to hook up the Pontus 2 to a Pi2aes i2s connection.

I've read both... all lights on/and all light off.

Please help, thanks.

I found that it's best to just play some music at a lower level and just toggle through the settings one at a time until you hit the right one. For example, my Iris and Pontus II do not use the 'default' "all-off" setting, but instead with best with 4x on.... It doesn't take long to roll through them all and see which works best.

 

[Powermankw]

Could someone please verify what pin-out configuration I need to hook up the Pontus 2 to a Pi2aes i2s connection.

I've read both... all lights on/and all light off.

Please help, thanks.

The Pi uses PS Audio config, and the Pontus comes default with same.

https://www.denafrips.com/config-pontus

 

[aseedsea]

I found that it's best to just play some music at a lower level and just toggle through the settings one at a time until you hit the right one. For example, my Iris and Pontus II do not use the 'default' "all-off" setting, but instead with best with 4x on.... It doesn't take long to roll through them all and see which works best.

Were you toggling both the Iris and Pontus at the same time? Or, were you only rolling through the options on the Pontus?

 

[ColSaulTigh]

Were you toggling both the Iris and Pontus at the same time? Or, were you only rolling through the options on the Pontus?

Rolling through the Pontus. There's nothing to adjust on the Iris, short of turning on/off the external clock.

 

[bobski32]

Thanks guys... Appreciate the help.

 

[Louisiana]

Hi,
that’s the difference between Pontus and Pontus 2?
Tried Google, without success.

 

[Wildcardtheory]

Could someone please verify what pin-out configuration I need to hook up the Pontus 2 to a Pi2aes i2s connection.

I've read both... all lights on/and all light off.

Please help, thanks.

I used the PS audio specification of "100" aka led 1=on and the other two=off. This configuration passed PCM, DSD, left-right channel and phase tests for me. Firmware v3.12

 

[Wildcardtheory]

Hi,
that’s the difference between Pontus and Pontus 2?
Tried Google, without success.

Power supply changes + Alvin could confirm others, but the most obvious is updated DSP board and USB module.

 

[Wildcardtheory]

A question: does the use of a DDC (I2S connection) with it's superior clocks (compared to Pontus II) make sence when Denafrips states (on their Pontus website) that "All (!) digital input are FIFO buffered and reclocked by the on board FEMTO clocks"? Also in the picture (DSP board) on the same website can be seen "Adaptive FIFO Buffer Recklocking via the on board FEMTO Clocks to the USB input signal (!!) )". It seems like there is a contradiction (reclocking all digital input vs USB input only) as i understand it. This confuses me a bit...
The Iris reclocks the signal with it's better clocks, then sends it via I2S to the Pontus where the signal is buffered and reclocked again with inferior clocks (compared to Iris)? Does it make sence? Is ALL digital input getting reclocked (like it's mentioned in the text-part of the Pontus description) or JUST the asychronus USB input (as described in the picture)? Or does the signal from I2S bypass the Pontus FPGA board?
Any input from more knowledgeable people than me is appreciated...

Excellent point. My experiences of this goes like this, the less correction the DAC has to do the more natural the sound becomes. Which implies that the correction at the DAC end is not the final say in perceived audio to the brain, even though the jitter rejection measures excellent, So we conclude that source clocking makes a difference even with "inferior" re-clocking on the DAC end for the second time after the DDC. I suspect this is because the DAC's re-clocker has "less" errors to correct by the time it exits the "superior" DDC. The fact that this difference is audible points to technical limitations in the Pontus 2's blanket re-clocking specification and or implementation.

If this was not the case, nobody would ever need a DDC with the Pontus 2 because it claims that jitter is scrubbed by it's input-reclocking on all inputs. Alas.

Interesting experiment to try with your Pontus 2, assuming you have been running it for several hundred hours. IMO a newly unboxed Pontus 2 sounds better with HQplayer4 ADSM7 DSD512 with ext3 or xlr filters, but this it not the experiment, for the experiment take a nicely warmed up Pontus 2 and send it plain PCM, just 44.1 or 48 Khz nothing fancy. Set it to "OS mode" with the "slow filter" ( yes the one that has the odd waveform ) Ensure your Phase light is OFF.
If you run latest Thesyscon USB driver do not use the maximum asio buffer with the default safe mode. Reset it at 128 samples for 44.1khz and put safe mode off. Enjoy.

If you hate the sound, beers on me.

 

[McPh1st0]

Thanks but the Pontus ist gone, i got a Holo Spring 3 instead...

 

[dakchi]

Thanks but the Pontus ist gone, i got a Holo Spring 3 instead...

I'm curious about Holo Spring 3. How does it perform compared to Pontus?

 

[sajunky]

I'm curious about Holo Spring 3. How does it perform compared to Pontus?

I don't know v3, but my Audio GD R2R-11 $350 with low jitter oscilators (DIY mod) brings points against Spring 2 L2. Not so clean and losing slightly in complex passages, but more natural sound. Has a real texture Springs is missing. When upgraging, it wouldn't be Holo Audio, this is for sure. Holo sounds more like delta-sigma.