[the finisher]

I've been checking all the reviews of the Terminator, first off what a horrible name.

It sounds like a very desirable r2r dac, but I came up the price ladder to Yggy, and there are arguably better for more money.
I'm more than happy with Yggy vs what I paid, and 2k more was, and is outside my budget for a dac.

Besides Yggy is still upgradable, the Terminator is what it is as far as I know. Anyway, as usual competition is good as it drives innovation.

 

[Alcophone]

I certainly won't be wasting money on another DAC in a futile attempt to squeeze a tiny 'improvement' over Yggy.
I'll stick with Mike's 'obsolete' 21 bit technology. It sounds great

Some of us need more than one good DAC

 

[riffrafff]

Easy answer to this dilemma...buy both, and send one back. Oh, the Terminator doesn't offer a trial period? Too bad, so sad.

 

[Les Strat]

Easy answer to this dilemma...buy both, and send one back. Oh, the Terminator doesn't offer a trial period? Too bad, so sad.

....plus it's not upgradeable, costs twice as much as Yggy, has no dealer support in UK, and has 10 'extra' bits which I don't need to play my 16 bit music

 

[dieslemat]

Some of us need more than one good DAC

Hypothetical question. Would you get 2 Yggys or an Yggy and a Gungnir?

 

[Alcophone]

Hypothetical question. Would you get 2 Yggys or an Yggy and a Gungnir?

Hmmm. I would get a Gumby, compare it with the Yggy I already have, and probably return the Gumby within 15 days and save the 5% restocking fee by upgrading to an Yggy ("move up the line").

For now, the plan is to get a Terminator eventually, though. Very curious about it. I'd compare it to the Yggy in my headphone setup at work and my speaker setup at home and eventually decide which one to use where. Assuming I like the Terminator at least as much as the Yggy in at least one of the systems.
If not, I'd sell the Terminator and... probably try the Holo Audio Spring DAC Level 3 next. Though based on what I'm reading I'd be surprised if I like that one better than the Terminator.

I'd also like to do a DAC shootout with a friend who has a DAVE and a Blu Mk2. Though I'm afraid that this might lead to my wallet committing suicide.

 

[kingkikapu]

I’d buy yggy and another set of cans vs terminator and no cans.

 

[Les Strat]

I’d buy yggy and another set of cans vs terminator and no cans.

Even if I needed two high quality DACs ( which I don’t as I make do with a Squeezebox Touch in my study) I would save £2000 to buy another 400 CDs,or a used car, or 500 pints of good beer......

 

[Jamiee]

John Darko's video review of the Denafrips Terminator:


He compares it to Yggdrasil A2, PerfectWave DirectStream, & Aqua DAC's.

Long story short...... Yggy A2 is his least favorite of the bunch.

 

[Thenewguy007]

Yggy2 is $2,000 USD cheaper than the next cheapest option. Having better extension or separation for things 2-4 times the price is one thing, but exactly how much better do they do. He didn't say in the review.

 

[Les Strat]

John Darko's video review of the Denafrips Terminator:


He compares it to Yggdrasil A2, PerfectWave DirectStream, & Aqua DAC's.

Long story short...... Yggy A2 is his least favorite of the bunch.

Thanks for posting this.
I watched the video, but really don't know why I bothered!
Amongst the claimed 'advantages' of Terminator over Yggy were:
'wider, taller, soundstage'
'extended treble'
'more low end' (Yggy described as 'bass light')
'pulls music apart'.

To his credit, John Darko does say at the end of the review 'if you heard any of these DACs in isolation, you would probably think this is the best DAC I've ever heard'..

I'm definitely sticking with Yggy A2, which is the best DAC I've ever heard! I certainly won't be wasting £4,000+ on something I can't audition at home and has no UK dealer support.

 

[thebkt]

To be fair, the same sort of descriptions could be used going down the ladder each step. The Yggy is a tiny bit better than a gumby, which is in turn better than (insert dac) and so on.

The fact that the Terminator was a noticeable upgrade to him just means that if you want an improvement and have the cash, there are options. Still... that $2k less for the yggy leaves it seeming like a pretty great deal in the world of higher end stuff.

 

[the finisher]

'more low end' (Yggy described as 'bass light')
'pulls music apart'.

To his credit, John Darko does say at the end of the review 'if you heard any of these DACs in isolation, you would probably think this is the best DAC I've ever heard'..

I'm definitely sticking with Yggy A2, which is the best DAC I've ever heard! I certainly won't be wasting £4,000+ on something I can't audition at home and has no UK dealer support.

This means a lot from a guy who listens on ATC SCM 100 ASL monitors of which I could only hope to own used. And something I'd rather throw huge money at
One thing for sure in this game, something always better syndrome. Yggy is the best DAC I can afford, and it will only get better.

I watched this video before posting about the Terminator, and read several favorable impressions and reviews.
The Yggy bass light? That's the first time I have heard it described that way, and if the Terminator has more I think it's not neutral at all.
I got lots of bass And I don't want my music pulled apart
My soundstage goes wall to wall and from the front of my desk out into the back yard.
How much bigger can it get?

The PS Audio Direct Stream DAC is 6k and I have heard many who prefered Yggy, some not.
Torq [Whos DAC impressions are well respected.] compared Yggy to the DAVE and liked the DAVE a bit more, but the differences are slight at this level of DAC.
And as he put it " the elephant in the room" Yggy $2400 and DAVE 15k.

Why stop there.

"You don’t have to be an audiophile to appreciate the world’s most expensive headphone system"
https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/15/12480856/select-dac-ii-amplifier-audiophile-experience

If your not an Audiophile why the hell would you care! 90k for a DAC.

 

[Les Strat]

Thanks for the compliment about the ATCs
I first heard some ATC 50s about 25 years ago and was so blown away I decided that one day I would have to get some.
There is a company in UK which used to produce loudspeaker kits using ATC drivers and Mark 1( old version) ATC amp packs.
I think that 25 years ago those kits were about £3,000.
I finally bought my used SCM 100ASLs 11 years ago. They were already over 10 years old but the cabinets look like new.
When I took them back to the factory in Gloucestershire, England, they were fascinated to see such an old pair of speakers in pristine condition.
They tested everything and originally suggested just replacing some parts; I decided to replace everything -amp packs and drivers apart from the mids which still measured perfectly.
I now have a set of ATCs which are effectively the same as a brand new pair which would cost cost £18k!
Comments about Yggy being bass light made me laugh! If you put some 'dub' ( say Augustus Pablo) through the Yggy to the ATCs, the bass is phenomenal. It is still neutral and tight and any more would be too much.
I also don't want my music pulled apart!
I might be a bit dim, but I've never understood the talk about 'soundstage'. On my system it sounds like a band is playing in my room, and that's a big enough soundstage for me.
I have read a lot about PS Audio products and they seem to be well designed and highly regarded, but they are expensive.
I have read all of Torq's reviews, which are extremely well written.
After the A2 upgrade, he rated Yggy even better than the Chord Dave and Linn Klimax DS3, which he had thought was the best DAC available.
I've heard the Linn and it's good, but costs about £18k in UK and they are just having a laugh at that price! I would never buy any Linn products.
There will be advances in technology and I am sure that there will be 'better' DACs than Yggy available in the future, but as I don't sit at home doing A/B comparisons of kit, I am happy to enjoy the music on a system I like, and spend my money on more music....and maybe a CD transport if Mike Moffat comes up with one.

 

[dieslemat]

Yes Im curious now about CDs. Yesterday I saw an old cd of Keane and tried to do an AB comparison between The CD and Tidal.

I was blown away but the difference!!