Musician Audio Pegasus R2R DAC
Oct 20, 2022 at 2:03 PM Post #1,066 of 1,482
Dude, we get it. You don't like Musician and like to hawk your own company's wares. Some of us are not interested.
Not sure what you get, but rejecting my proposal without testing is damn stupid. Poor sounding fuse, move it outside. The best fuse is no fuse, plain and simple.
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Oct 25, 2022 at 2:34 PM Post #1,067 of 1,482
Any issues known for the Pegasus?
Which fuses can you recommand?
I have the Synergistic orange fuses installed in my pegasus. I've tried the Purple fuses and still have some purple fuses in my linear power supplies and power strips (ps powerplant 3) but the purple thinned out the sound a little too much on my dacs. The mid range seemed to become a little more recessed while the space got bigger. That might be what you're after, but I prefer a more forward mid range, more tangible, more coherent. The orange fuses did that while also adding clarity from the stock fuse.
 
Nov 9, 2022 at 5:01 PM Post #1,068 of 1,482
I have to say, I am enjoying the sound of the Pegasus quite a lot.

I owned several DACs from RME ADI-2 to Chord Qutest, Hugo TT2, but my only R2R DAC so far was the Soekris 2541. I prefer Chord DACs to regular delta/sigma DACs, they sound a lot more 3D and more natural than usual d/s DACs. That said, after all the price increases and newcomers from the past 4 years IMO Chord DACs are getting a bit overpriced at RRP.

Back to R2R, as I said my only experience was the 2541. I really liked its midrange, a more realistic tonality, body and texture. I preferred the Soekris to the Qutest or ADI-2 easily. I did have some issues with it though which made me sell it: bass was a little bit anaemic and undefined and extension at both ends was a bit rolled off. This experience was good for me to realise I like R2R tonality a lot and actually prefer it to Chord sound too; but there is a level of technicality and bass rendition I can't go below. I thought, I will only find R2R DACs with adequate technicalities around £2000-£3000 and above which is not really my budget for a DAC only device.

After many positive reviews I thought I give the Pegasus a shot and I have been pleasantly surprised. I wanted a little more warmth and a little more life to my music but with the absolute minimum number of technical compromises. The Pegasus seems to fit the bill. Compared to regular d/s or even Chord DACs the Pegasus is not simply a little warmer, but it is 'sweeter'. I know, it is a difficult term to explain, but 'sweet' is the word that best describes the sound to me. There is a very pleasant and relatively subtle colouration going on which elevates the joy of music listening to another level. With this warmer and sweeter sound, you get a thicker body and more tangible, lifelike texture as well. Singers simply come alive.

That is all good, but what about technicalities? What about the roll off and slightly anaemic bass of the Soekris, or the resolution, space, and instrument separation of Chord? I am happy to report that the Pegasus to my ears reach a level of technical performance that does not leave me disappointed. Resolution is very good, layering, depth and 3D qualities are impressive. Of course, there are better resolving DACs that bring out the finest of details, but for significantly more money (TT2, Holo 3). And to be honest for casual listening this is pretty much all I need. Furthermore, this R2R sweetness comes with great bass. Both in quantity and quality. There is good separation body and punch in the low end with great extension. Even with EDM I did not find the bass lacking at all.
When it comes to vocals and instrumental music, R2R tech, and the Pegasus really start to shine. Very engaging, sweet, musical, almost like a hug. This new sound presentation makes me want to listen to more and more tracks.

So yes, the Pegasus is a great success on my desk, but of course a lot depends on amp and headphone synergy too. Not to mention sonic taste. The Pegasus is not a neutral technical monster. It is thick, sweet and warm but with enough clarity, resolution and dynamics that I do not feel I am missing out on those qualities at all. Surprisingly satisfying level of clarity and detail retrieval for the price and technology actually.

I will experiment further with amp pairings, but I am pretty sure the Pegasus will stay for a while. :)
 
Nov 9, 2022 at 11:05 PM Post #1,069 of 1,482
Nov 11, 2022 at 9:48 PM Post #1,071 of 1,482

new ARES 12TH will challenge Pegasus​

I haven't had a chance to play with the NEW Ares, but the old one was (IMO) a step below the Pegasus. Not a far step down, and arguably a good value, but the Pegasus was just a bit better performing. Again, my opinion, your mileage may vary.
 
Nov 16, 2022 at 7:08 PM Post #1,074 of 1,482
Nov 16, 2022 at 7:40 PM Post #1,075 of 1,482
How would you describe the differences? Thanks.
The pegasus has a more understated natural sound, while the ares 12th is more punchy and the ares signature is very present in the 12th. Pegasus is neutral yet very natural while the Ares 12th is weighty and also very natural but I feel there is more "fun" in the ares 12th. I think possibly bifrost 2 + ares 2 hybrid.
 
Nov 17, 2022 at 2:17 AM Post #1,076 of 1,482
ah... i missed those instructions... su-2 has 10 dip switches. i tried (almost) every permutation. tried googling what singxer combo works with denafrips thinking what works for denafrips should work for pegasus. i forgot whether i found any good results (d90 is 3+7). and, honestly, i was rooting for d90 cuz i don't like the way pegasus looks. a bit too space age looking case work.
Hi, did you found what switch works for denafrips dacs on the su2?
 
Nov 17, 2022 at 2:37 AM Post #1,077 of 1,482
The pegasus has a more understated natural sound, while the ares 12th is more punchy and the ares signature is very present in the 12th. Pegasus is neutral yet very natural while the Ares 12th is weighty and also very natural but I feel there is more "fun" in the ares 12th. I think possibly bifrost 2 + ares 2 hybrid.
Interesting. I already find the Pegasus pretty fun, punchy and weighty and not that neutral. Amp pairing must play a big role too, as I use the GSX-Mini which has a great control, slam and impact. The Pegasus is a fantastic and engaging DAC.
 
Nov 17, 2022 at 5:06 AM Post #1,079 of 1,482
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Nov 17, 2022 at 9:28 AM Post #1,080 of 1,482
Interesting. I already find the Pegasus pretty fun, punchy and weighty and not that neutral. Amp pairing must play a big role too, as I use the GSX-Mini which has a great control, slam and impact. The Pegasus is a fantastic and engaging DAC.
Don't get me wrong, the Pegasus is really good. It's more of a preference thing. I really like the Pegasus, but I feel it's overall sonic character is not in weight and punch, not that it was lacking, there was just more of it on the Ares 12th. There is still that beautiful involving sound signature the Pegasus has, that I'll never get tired of. It's just going to depend on what you're after.
 

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