I appreciate the advice, but the Avatar is no longer sold by Denafrips and is only available on the gray market. If it were to fail, I would have no means of getting it repaired. Denafrips says on their website they do not warranty gray market products. However, it is possible to buy replacement lasers for the CDT2 MK3 as well as upgrades, such as the one from MK2 to MK3.
Also, the CDT2 MK3 has an OXCO clock built-in, so there’s no need to sync it with the Terminator Plus. I’m not sure that I prefer the change when syncing the Gaia to the single “superior” clock of the Terminator Plus. When I enable clock sync between the two, it “sharpens” the imaging of the music, which is not always to my liking.
I just got the CDT2 MK3 from DHL tonight, so I’ll report back with sound impressions.
Aaaah ... din know that Avatar is no longer available from Denafrips ... no choice then.
Yes, I do like the "sharpen" image when sync to T+ but not in a treble or clarity sense but PRAT instead .. more music, more dynamic and more resolution in MY system ... ymmv as usual.
My move from cdt2 mk2 with femto clock to Avatar synced to T+ was not a subtle improvement ... it made me dust off the jewel case of my cd to relisten to them.
I was not very impressed with the Jay’s Audio CD transport/Terminator Plus combination when I first listened to it yesterday, but it’s improved over the 24 hours I’ve had it. It was quite harsh-sounding at first, but it’s mellowed out a bit and it has an amazing soundstage. The sigh at the beginning of “J-Boy” by Phoenix is just cinematic, like an ocean-sized breath of air. I’ve never heard it pop out at me like that before, not even with my music server and endpoint combination, but the attack and decay of the lead singer’s sigh sounds crystal-clear on the CDT2-MK3.
I took a break from work and listened to the first four songs of Bjork's album "Post" on the CDT2-MK3 and it's startling how great a well-recorded album comes across with the combo of the CDT2 and T+. The song "Oh So Quiet" with its classic orchestra and brass arrangement really pops. I was startled by the dynamic contrast of Bjork's whispered lyrics followed by a sudden burst of trumpets and then her louder singing punctuated by shouts/screams of joy. The CD transport really shows off the dynamic range of that song, even at the standard 44.1 resolution.
For all Terminator and Terminator Plus owners, do you guys leave the Dac on 24/7? I initially intend to do so, and planned to leave it with my isolation transformer, but the maker of the transformer said it's not a good idea for the transformer (he didn't speak for the dac) to be left on all the time.
I tested it and found that if I connect my dac to my power conditioner directly to the wall, e.g. AudioQuest Niagara 1000, it doesn't sound as good as connecting it directly from my isolation transformer.
How do you guys connect the dac to power source in case you leave it on 24/7? I want some protection but I don't want to jeopardize sonic quality.
I do not use any power condition but my Tplus+ and all equipment are connected to my 2x diy 2kVA isotransformers 24/7 except my tube L3B that I put to standby when I sleeps.
My Tplus+ and all equipments take a while to sound their best if I switched them off for the few times when I need to power them down which I avoid.
I do not use any power condition but my Tplus+ and all equipment are connected to my 2x diy 2kVA isotransformers 24/7 except my tube L3B that I put to standby when I sleeps.
My Tplus+ and all equipments take a while to sound their best if I switched them off for the few times when I need to power them down which I avoid.
Thanks for the reply. So you made the Isolation Transformer yourself? That's great! My current unit (1500VA) was bought 6-7 years ago, and when I chatted with the maker, I was told that the unit should not be left on 24/7 and it is advisable to turn it off once in a while. In worst case scenario should it fail, the transformer might short and sends out huge electrical spike killing any connected devices, and not to mention potential fire hazard if this happens. This is from the maker (who is a reputable local transformers maker). Anyway, I'm thinking about getting a brand new IsoTransformer just for this Dac and Hermes. At lease newer unit should be more reliable then 7 years old one I have.
Aaaah ... din know that Avatar is no longer available from Denafrips ... no choice then.
Yes, I do like the "sharpen" image when sync to T+ but not in a treble or clarity sense but PRAT instead .. more music, more dynamic and more resolution in MY system ... ymmv as usual.
My move from cdt2 mk2 with femto clock to Avatar synced to T+ was not a subtle improvement ... it made me dust off the jewel case of my cd to relisten to them.
Speaking about "sharpen", in my case, last Friday when I connected my Canare 75Ohm cables with my Hermes and TP, I immediately felt that, although I could hear more details, the sound was more congested and a bit bright. I ordered these blue cables from B&H and I made sure to order correct impedance (75) with shortest length possible (0.3m). The cables were professionally terminated by Canare and shipped from Germany.
So in my case, the sound was literary "sharpen" but not in good way. Then I borrowed a pair of Synergistic Research Atmosphere X BNC cable (sold for US$ 670 each, where I live) from a store. Even without any break-in I can immediately say it sounded a lot better. More body, details and weight with every note. Now I can hear the clear benefit of syncing the TP clock with the DDC!
At first, I planned to cut corner on clock cables, as I didn't believe BNC cables can make this level of difference (they don't even transmit audio signal after all!). It seems I might have to shell out more money for these cable (damn Denafrips why you have to use two!). Cables came with a ground plug but I haven't tried it yet. The paper said I mustn't connect this ground to power conditioner or isolation transformer and now I have no free wall socket left.
Yes, a group of friends pooled in and made a bunch of them with top oyaide connectors, MIC chassis with thick faceplate and ready-made relay electronics. Frankly, I only heard obvious improvement with more cost effective dedicated 20A and 30A power lines to the isotransformers and not the isotransformer themselves but YMMV and system dependent as usual.
Great that you found improved bnc cables to your taste but I am past clock cables and yes, I am using some inexpensive Canare Japan pro bnc cables.
Tubulus Concentus arrived almost 2 weeks ago and now it's fully broken in... the sound is considerably better than the Coax.
My only complaint is the stiffness of the cable, making it difficult to use. I had to place the DDC off center (moved to the left side of the DAC) to accommodate the stiffness of the cable.
So in my case, the sound was literary "sharpen" but not in good way. Then I borrowed a pair of Synergistic Research Atmosphere X BNC cable (sold for US$ 670 each, where I live) from a store. Even without any break-in I can immediately say it sounded a lot better. More body, details and weight with every note. Now I can hear the clear benefit of syncing the TP clock with the DDC!
At first, I planned to cut corner on clock cables, as I didn't believe BNC cables can make this level of difference (they don't even transmit audio signal after all!). It seems I might have to shell out more money for these cable (damn Denafrips why you have to use two!). Cables came with a ground plug but I haven't tried it yet. The paper said I mustn't connect this ground to power conditioner or isolation transformer and now I have no free wall socket left.
Yes, unfortunately for your wallet, the clock cables can absolutely impact sound, just like other cables such as usb. One potential cost savings point here though... you don't necessarily need to have two clock cables connected, depending on your music files, you can get by just having one clock cable connected.
Yes, unfortunately for your wallet, the clock cables can absolutely impact sound, just like other cables such as usb. One potential cost savings point here though... you don't necessarily need to have two clock cables connected, depending on your music files, you can get by just having one clock cable connected.
Yes I'm aware that the 45Mhz one is for 44.1Khz (plus its multipliers), and the 49Mhz works the same for 48Khz.
Too bad my library contains in equal proportion both CD-Rip / DSD which utilize 45Mhz, and 24/96 Khz and up which utilize 49Mhz. So I have to have them both.
hi guys,
I spent last weeks choosing dac instead Exogal comet. Amp is AGD he9 and phones lcd-4.
Just curious how is T+ low end in compare with my dac or AGD r7he, holo may l2? It's a lot of reviews but no one listened heavy music at test... as soon as genre is 90% of my library I'm worry it won't be enough of weight, attack, and meaty sound.. that what often written in reviews. I'm going connect to ultrarendu via usb. Just don't want to go with Gaia and aes/ebu...
I appreciate if someone can describe how heavy metal/metal sounds on T+...
Ok, decided to go with Denafrips tonight. Terminator Plus and Gaia will arrive next weekend I guess.. I really hope it was right decision...
I also will start from i2s cable by RAL to compare with my current USB cable Synergetic Research active usb. Oh yeah, transport is ultrarendu
Ok, decided to go with Denafrips tonight. Terminator Plus and Gaia will arrive next weekend I guess.. I really hope it was right decision...
I also will start from i2s cable by RAL to compare with my current USB cable Synergetic Research active usb. Oh yeah, transport is ultrarendu
Congrats on your purchase. I saw your message earlier today. Although I have the T+ and Hermes (practically the same as Gaia), I don't listen to metal music, so I don't know how to respond to your question. What I can say is T+ is not as laid back/smooth as the May (in fact I think it's a bit too snappy), so I think you shouldn't go wrong with this decision.
hi guys,
I spent last weeks choosing dac instead Exogal comet. Amp is AGD he9 and phones lcd-4.
Just curious how is T+ low end in compare with my dac or AGD r7he, holo may l2? It's a lot of reviews but no one listened heavy music at test... as soon as genre is 90% of my library I'm worry it won't be enough of weight, attack, and meaty sound.. that what often written in reviews. I'm going connect to ultrarendu via usb. Just don't want to go with Gaia and aes/ebu...
I appreciate if someone can describe how heavy metal/metal sounds on T+.
Ok, decided to go with Denafrips tonight. Terminator Plus and Gaia will arrive next weekend I guess.. I really hope it was right decision...
I also will start from i2s cable by RAL to compare with my current USB cable Synergetic Research active usb. Oh yeah, transport is ultrarendu
I have TPlus/Gaia and RAL and Tubulus Concentus cables. The I2S cable definitely makes a difference and you can tune to your sonic preferences with your choice of I2S cable in this combo as it is very revealing. Tubulus is is definitely more meaty and weighty, RAL is more open/detailed/airy. This is just in comparison to each other so it is relative. But, listen and see what you think.
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