[daytrader]

How does It sound?
Would you please do a brief review and comparison with your previous devices

I won’t have it installed till after I return to my primary residence, 2nd week of March. I surely will post shortly thereafter. My apologizes to the group.

 

[TomekZ]

I've a Pontus that I bought in September. I truly love it. It replaces a Schiit Gungnir multi-bit. Previously, I've had a Red Wine Audio DAC, a Bifrost mult-bit, a Denefrips Ares I. The Ares convinced my to go for the Pontus. Although the Ares was not as detailed as the Gungnir, it had such a lovely warm smoooooth tone. The Pontus has the tone & the detail. The Pontus convinced me to sell my 40 year old LP collection of classical music--which I grew out of anyways.

 

[samoloko]

I've a Pontus that I bought in September. I truly love it. It replaces a Schiit Gungnir multi-bit. Previously, I've had a Red Wine Audio DAC, a Bifrost mult-bit, a Denefrips Ares I. The Ares convinced my to go for the Pontus. Although the Ares was not as detailed as the Gungnir, it had such a lovely warm smoooooth tone. The Pontus has the tone & the detail. The Pontus convinced me to sell my 40 year old LP collection of classical music--which I grew out of anyways.

thank you very much
are there differences In quality between single ended, balanced outs and pcm and dsd format

 

[simon740]

Hello,

is there a big difference in sound quality between the USB input and the I2S input on Pontus II?
Which streamer with I2S output do you use with Pontus?

regards,
Simon

 

[Josh Condie]

I've a Pontus that I bought in September. I truly love it. It replaces a Schiit Gungnir multi-bit. Previously, I've had a Red Wine Audio DAC, a Bifrost mult-bit, a Denefrips Ares I. The Ares convinced my to go for the Pontus. Although the Ares was not as detailed as the Gungnir, it had such a lovely warm smoooooth tone. The Pontus has the tone & the detail. The Pontus convinced me to sell my 40 year old LP collection of classical music--which I grew out of anyways.

TomekZ - Can you do a detailed comparison between the Gungnir Multi-bit and the Pontus? I am looking at the same change and am very curious as to your experience. Thanks!

 

[TomekZ]

The Pontus vs the Gungnir felt more like music vs analysis of music. Oh the Gungnir will have just a bit more clairity in complex passages, but is overall a drier, more analytical flavor. I came to Gungnir from a late Bifrost 1, a Red Wine Audio R2R, & an early Mojo Audio Mystique 1. But then I heard a Denafrips Ares 1 and knew I wanted to move into the Denafrips sound. The Ares was not close to the detail of the Gungnir, but was warmer & more delectable. The Pontus seems like a liquified Gungnir. Both are very spacious.

 

[Josh Condie]

Thank you. Love the description

 

[daytrader]

How does It sound?
Would you please do a brief review and comparison with your previous devices

So as I said I would after getting back to my permanent residence, I’ve just plugged in my Pontus II into my home system. The system includes tubed pre and power amps and full range planars, silver cables throughout.

For now, I used the NOS and polarity +.

After a full warm up in the system for at least 7 hours, I’ll say my review is mixed. Weight and scale of size is definitely more noticeable over the less priced Ares II, as it should be. The Pontus has a much better power supply addressing each the digital and the analog sections, so no surprise on my above observation. Music seemed to come from all around my speakers with a much better midrange presence and low end. At this point I was extremely happy with what I was hearing and my choice of the Pontus over the Ares for my home system. As a side note, and as they say YMMV, the Ares II is all I would go with for a headphone system. It is very good at that position, where as the Pontus I believe would be overkill and under utilized in that spot for music presentation. In a large room with full range speakers, Pontus or “god save me“,even higher up the Denafrips line up would be my suggestion. I did swap both the Pontus and the Ares into my Stax 700/007tll system and felt the law of diminishing returns became obvious very quickly. Thus unless your cash sources are unlimited for an audio budget, the Ares is that good and no need to spend more to run a good headphone system. At home, go bigger and be amazed!

Now, what wasn’t so good but I will stress with only 7 hours, and I’m sure when I hit 100 or more hours, based on my experience with break in, it will settle down. I will report back if I do not hear any improvement. So on to it. Upper frequency seems truncated along with soundstage confusion is the best way I can describe it. A little bit of fuzziness around instrument. Placement seemed ok but could have been more precise? As a side note my system is run single ended vs balanced as my preamp doesn’t have bal inputs.

So, I now have my CD transport running my PAD breakin CD as directed, and will then run in for a week with music.

Back in a week with an update on the Pontus. But for now I will say unequivocally how good the Ares II is for the money. Based on my current experience, might be the only dac one needs in a modest hi-end system

 

[daytrader]

So I have a quick overnight update I just couldn’t wait for a week to go by. So after 3 passes thru with my PAD breakin CD and being left on overnight playing music, I just sat down infront of my system for a critical listen to. Oh my...the focus has snapped into place and the bottom end has even dropped to a lower depth, wow! Images are clean and stable, and what I called fuzziness is gone, I’m just blown away, just stunned, with what another day of breakin has done. It’s just crazy to think all those little ladders, resisters and caps can come so far in such a little time. Will the next 5+ days get even better? I’ll see, listen and report back, if I can hold off till then?

Fellow enthusiasts, I’ve been doing this audio crazy for years now, and have spent some good money on audio gear over the years so I kind of have an idea of “over spending and under delivering“ if some of you can relate? With this in mind, I will say the Pontus II at its price level delivers way above its point of cost performance and musical satisfaction. If it gets better, great, if not I’m still overjoyed, but I suspect it will, 2 days just isn’t enough? I’m ecstatic!....Thanks Alvin!!

 

[bpiotrow13]

Apologies if I missed this, but can anyone compare Pontus mk1 to mk2 sonically?

 

[daytrader]

So with my Pontus II I’ve notice that if I go OS and slow filter, it tends to tighten up the sound but also moves the sound stage back some. Anyone else get this too?

 

[simon740]

Hello,

can anyone tell me how big is the difference in sound quality between Ares II and Pontus II? If we only use the USB input...


regards,
Simon

 

[daytrader]

Hello,

can anyone tell me how big is the difference in sound quality between Ares II and Pontus II? If we only use the USB input...
If I were to use I2S the difference would probably be obvious or?

regards,
Simon

I2S is not available on Ares II. As to Pontus vs Ares, USB or otherwise, I have both models and can say without hesitation that the Pontus is way more dynamic and organic sounding.

 

[simon740]

I2S is not available on Ares II. As to Pontus vs Ares, USB or otherwise, I have both models and can say without hesitation that the Pontus is way more dynamic and organic sounding.

Thank you.
Can I ask which transport for the Pontus II you use?

regards,
Simon

 

[svmusa]

Curious for general Spotify/Tidal streaming using a transport 12s is it an overkill?