matbhuvi said:
Any idea how it will compare to iDSD Micro? I am torn between selecting between these two. The R2R portable contact is really inviting me towards Tento. But, iFi has a great amp (class A as well). I am not sure about Tento on amp perspective. Specs were not clear. I need at least 2V output.
Well, I am not shigzeo, but I still own and use my Tento unit, so can offer my experience with it.
Out of curiosity I bought Chord Mojo to compare to Tento. Mojo is a very good DAC to my ears, however I ended up prefering Tento. I realised that with Tento I could hear how hard a piano key was hit, with Mojo I merely registered it being hit. It might seem a rather simplistic example, but that is the closest I can get to why Tento works for me (I listen almost exclusively to classical music).
Now, this is with an external (custom built) amp, as I never got along with the signature of the built-in amp. As for your 2V demand, my AKG K240 DF (600 ohms/88 dB) don't go very loud with the built-in amp, and sound nowhere as alive as they do with the custom-built one, or especially with another amp of mine, Zigis Rock'n Glass.
So, I am a big fan of the Tento DAC, not so much the built-in amp. Also, I should mention, that I prefer Coax to USB and Optical, the former being meatier to my ears. In my case the setup goes: MacBook Pro/AIFF/Audirvana+ >> Hiface Two >> Tento PortaDAC >> Zigis Trissturis >> Myst Nail 2. Hardly a portable setup, but this particular combination works extremely well.
Anyway, there you are, maybe some of it is useful to you.