[jasonho]

Pontus with CTH and phatlab phantasy

 

[mordicai]

Wonder how long it will be before the Pontus ships with the new DSP board they include now with the Terminator?

 

[rudra]

Those that use Pontus with Singer Su 1 or another reclocker via I2S connection with better clocks like the crystek or accusilicon in them, it is a waste of money since the Pontus re-clocks the signal.

Most of you would be better off not buying those devices

 

[bouscadie]

Interested by a dac Denafrips, and confident in the service of Vinshine audio from your testimonials. I wonder if the number of problems / failures with his device is not a little too likely anyway. Even if it is solved by the service, the ideal is still not to have it. A census of devices that have had a problem is it possible?
Thanks

 

[qafro]

How does it compare to Chord Hugo2 in SQ

 

[Henrim]

How does it compare to Chord Hugo2 in SQ

Plenty of people have made that comparison in this thread, just have a read.

 

[displayname]

How does it compare to Chord Hugo2 in SQ

I think only one person has made the direct comparison, but the review was very much in favor of the Pontus.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/den...dac-close-up-view.853050/page-4#post-14983495

 

[cazone]

The perfect DAC for enjoying music.

Pros - Truly enjoyable music with less bright treble
Bass extension is deeper
Excellent details and Transparency
Wide soundstage
Value for price

Cons - R-2R architecture DAC requires some "heat up" before performing at its best.
Having a remote can be a nice option too

First of all, I like to thank Alvin from Vinshine Audio for loaning me this Denafrips Pontus DAC. I own both Hugo and Mojo for both portable and transportable (in fact desktop) audio setup. I was always looking forward to owning a true discrete R-2R ladder DAC but was always put off by the high prices.

It’s the 1st R2R DAC i tried but what really captures my attention is the well solid build casing. My friends have always told me that I have a soft spot for (visually) beautiful product, and I must admit that I was captivated by Pontus when I unboxed it.



It’s worth mentioning that Pontus is a true balanced, dual mono R-2R network arrays DAC. I have seen a lot of “balanced” DAC/Amp around the market, but true balanced ones are far and few. Most of them are designed for high end HiFi market.



Unfortunately I wasn't able to test out the balanced out option as I only have my Cavalli Tube Hybrid amp connected via RCA. However, I plan to own the Massdrop THX 789 amp & Liquid Platinum in near future.

One key feature that captures my attention is the inclusion of the linear power supply. For folks (like me) who appreciate the differences in having a LPS in your audio setup, this inclusion really saves you the trouble of finding one that is suitable for your DAC. Adding a LPS can easily add on another 10% to the cost.

For my setup, I have it paired with CTH and my Kennerton Odin headphone. Source is from my macbook air playing both wav and dsd music files via Audirvana Plus.



As suggested, I turned both the DAC and Amp for 20-25 mins before trying to listen. My first impression listening to it - very large and wide soundstage. Hugo 2 is capable and known for its soundstage and transparency but Pontus brings it to even a higher level. When comparing the two, Hugo 2 is like listening to music in a room while Pontus makes me feel that i am in my hall.

Both Hugo and Pontus have excellent dynamics, transparency and details. It's hard to say which is better but there's definitely a difference when I listen to it for long. I often get a bit of fatigue with my Hugo 2+CTH setup when I listen to it for more than 30 mins. With Pontus + CTH, I was so immersed in listening to the playing music and often forget how many times have the album repeated itself.

Bass wise, it's obvious that Pontus has a clear edge over my Hugo 2. The bass hits deeper and sound much less "digital". I had the habit of putting my fingers

Overall wise, I am able to truly enjoy listening to my favourite songs and albums and not having to worry when I should stop for my ears to take a rest.

Last but not least, Pontus is a very affordable R-2R dac considering the features and price (SGD$2298 : ~US$1670). The inclusion of various digital input options (i2S, USB, BNC/Coax, AES, RCA) makes it so easy for me to plug and play any source in future!

Great review!
Thank you.

I can see a IsoTek Initium power cable attached to the Pontus.
Did you test different cables?
I would like to try this cable for myself and would appreciate your opinion.

C*

 

[jasonho]

Great review!
Thank you.

I can see a IsoTek Initium power cable attached to the Pontus.
Did you test different cables?
I would like to try this cable for myself and would appreciate your opinion.

C*

I have only tried with normal and IsoTek power cable. Here's my observations :
1) It makes a diff in sounding : quieter background , instruments are more focused.
2) Cable is thick, so its hard to bend around corners. so do plan your cable layout carefully.
3) the connecting portion is not as perfect as i like it to be. It doesn't insert completely into the power socket. Somehow i feel its hanging loose.

thats all i can say

 

[cazone]

Thanks

 

[alexl993]

I have only tried with normal and IsoTek power cable. Here's my observations :
1) It makes a diff in sounding : quieter background , instruments are more focused.
2) Cable is thick, so its hard to bend around corners. so do plan your cable layout carefully.
3) the connecting portion is not as perfect as i like it to be. It doesn't insert completely into the power socket. Somehow i feel its hanging loose.

thats all i can say

I just picked up a Pontus and would also like to hear others experiences with different power cords. Thanks.

 

[htluc808]

Hello all,
Curious what people think of the new DSP upgrade? I had mine for a few days and can't stop listening to it. Will update again once fully burned-in.

 

[norbert2nd]

Dear all,
The new DSP-board makes my external USB/I2S-interface redundant. I have used the Singxer SU-1 for that purpose.
I'm not a big fan of the original Amanero-based DSP-board and of Amanero-boards in general.
The new DSP-board really makes a big difference and takes away that coloration and haziness which I find typical for Amanero implementations.
But there was still room for improvement. Therefore I decided to replace the two clock oscillators of unknown brand with NDK NZ2520SDA oscillators. That works without issues. The NDKs fit perfectly to the Mk-I PCB:

This brought the Pontus Mk-I (using the USB-input) to a level of detail and tonal fidelity which I personally find very satisfactory.
In the meantime I have noticed on the Denafrips website that the Pontus Mk-II features NDK oscillators as the standard clock.
Would be interesting to know how the Mk-II Pontus ranks in the Denafrips DAC family ...

Regards, Norbert

 

[sc2806]

the latest review on the Pontus,



his previous review of the Ares2



also, on the Pontus from another reviewer (award-winning)



all very favourable, much better than similarly priced or 2-3 times higher priced competitions

I used to have the Chord Hugo, Hugo2 and the difference is tremendous for only a fraction of the Hugos cost.
the Hugo2 was about 15K HKD while the Pontus is about 11.5K or so

I use Clarus Crimson XLR cables and Power cables, and the Curious Evolved for USB

the image size, soundstage dimensions and deep low bass are stunning! But the true winning ticket is how "analog" (YMMV) the vocals are, it is solid, palpable, sometime it would even project out from the center stage depending on the material and how clean is
the source or digital signal. The cleaner the better of course. It is pretty amazing how all my music sounds great ever since I got this DAC about 3 months ago. No brainer in hindsight, the difference between a discrete R2R ladder vs an FPGA chip is like comparing a home-cooked meal with fast food n'est ce pas?

 

[teknorob23]

the latest review on the Pontus,



his previous review of the Ares2



also, on the Pontus from another reviewer (award-winning)



all very favourable, much better than similarly priced or 2-3 times higher priced competitions

I used to have the Chord Hugo, Hugo2 and the difference is tremendous for only a fraction of the Hugos cost.
the Hugo2 was about 15K HKD while the Pontus is about 11.5K or so

I use Clarus Crimson XLR cables and Power cables, and the Curious Evolved for USB

the image size, soundstage dimensions and deep low bass are stunning! But the true winning ticket is how "analog" (YMMV) the vocals are, it is solid, palpable, sometime it would even project out from the center stage depending on the material and how clean is
the source or digital signal. The cleaner the better of course. It is pretty amazing how all my music sounds great ever since I got this DAC about 3 months ago. No brainer in hindsight, the difference between a discrete R2R ladder vs an FPGA chip is like comparing a home-cooked meal with fast food n'est ce pas?

Ordered mine on Friday, cant wait to hear how it compares to my hugo2 and pairs with my Flux Lab Acoustic FA12 Amp. Going to have to build some lovely UPOCC silver XLR cables while i wait and read the rest of this thread.. again