@@stephencosta6814 Steve does a great job and he has far more contacts and review experience than I will ever have. He inspired me to start my channel, but I intend to offer something distinctly different than Steve. My wish is to complement other TH-cam reviewers, not compete with them.
Approval from the godfather, you are now a made man. I purchased my Ares2 after Steve’s review. Big jump up from the Modi 3 non-multibit. I’m using balanced cables now, it does have higher gain using balanced interconnects
I’m an audiophile and a Bostonian. Instantly subscribed! Great review of the DAC, and thanks for explaining that extra nonsense that went along with it. I heard that some of the Denafrips DAC’s in the US were showing up in without serial numbers. But...I’ve also heard some amazing reviews about different Denafrips DAC’s. Thanks for the great vid, man!
Very insightful, straightforward and clearly presented review of this unusual DAC. At first I thought he presented rather awkwardly but as you continued to watch, you realised he has a wealth of knowledge and insight. A very perceptive review. Thank you.
Finally received my Denafrips Aries II DAC, and I noticed immediatly a reduced noise floor and improved detail in vocals. It makes listening to music all that more enjoyable, recommend low lighting and let the music take you on a journey. Step up from my previous DAC for sure.
Good review. I'm in a similar point in the upgrade cycle from Mimby to Aries. Was leaning towards Bifrost until Mr. Guttenberg mentioned this little gem earlier this evening. Good to see you and him seem to agree. Maybe I'll agree too - in about 3 weeks. 😉
I've been upgrading my system but still could not get of this digital glare. I also had the Schiit Modi Multibit but finally came to the conclusion that I needed to upgrade my DAC. I seriously considered the Denafrips Ares 2 but decided instead to get the Denafrips Pontus. The first thing I noticed was that the glare was completely gone. All the other things mentioned in this review applies also. Now the bad news. I had a regular USB cable from my laptop to my DAC. After reading reviews, I ordered the Curious USB cable and it took the resolution down to another level. That cost $400 bucks but it did make a significant improvement. It also completed my line of all silver cables in my system. From my listening, silver seems to pass more information than copper. Some silver cables are available for reasonable prices and they are worth the investment also. I've never enjoyed listening to music more than now.
Glad you like the Pontus. I haven't heard that DAC but I assume it has the sonic signature of the Ares II only better. I agree that cables can sometimes make an audible difference. I haven't tried the Curious cables. Good to hear that you are enjoying your system!
@@thebostonaudiophile I commented above about my experience with my friend's Ares II and am also saving up for a Pontus, instead. Looks to have a lot more of the upper tier design, for a much more reasonable cost.. Have you heard the Ares anywhere, to compare? Either way, glad you like it.
That curious cable is something special. I believe Paul McGowen from PS Audio uses it to showcase his products at audio shows. It is a shame that the cable is so expensive, but probably fairly priced compared to the competition
Infortunately, there is no trial period, so they won’t take it back if you don’t like it. First 30 days if there’s a problem that can’t be fixed over the phone (Vinshine has been said to be easy to communicate with), they pay both ways. After that, you pay for at least some of the shipping, and the warranty for repairs is 3 years. Check Vinshine’s website for details.
Excellent review. You give us concise info on a foreign built piece, well done. My stereo stuff is mostly 25ish years old,ead pre, ati amp, thiel towers. Eagerly await your reviews as i modernize.
As Steve said below, you're off to a great start. Being happily retired now, I enjoy my morning coffee with a good audio-relevant review. Initially I used these reviews to educated myself along the "purchasing path". I purchased my first decent kit back in 69/70 and now, at 70 years of age - "I ain't done yet". Why? Because its fun and I just happen to love music. I was a rock guitarist who just happened to love Beethoven so my Universe of musical choice is wide and expansive. When DACS first arrived on the scene, all I could ever hope for was that the industry would get over the technical stumbling block of D/A conversion. Well, I must say, with the advent of companies like Chord, Schiit and assessment comment it's basic and honest. Next up is your "Absolute Phase" vid... I think I'm going to learn something. Cheers from Canada - good review on a product I am quite interested in.
Do you have any impressions of the ares ii with the Klipsch cornwalls? I have forte’s with dynaco mono’s and was hoping that they would pair nicely. An input would be great.
Is it still working or has it shit itself yet? I think this is not actually a toroidal transformer, it’s called something different but I forget the name.
@@thebostonaudiophile i expect your mains are close to my dream system,sp9,f7. At age 71, im using ati amp, ead pre, gumby dac, thiel floorstanders, svc and rel subs. My schiit jutenheim sounds piercing, srill with my headphones- senns 6xx, focal elear, m1060. Zeos likes a tor $960 from ukraine, headphone amp.ive wanted to try tubes, but it has only 2 tubes, balanced, hand built, point to point. Please take a look. Bothers me that no detailed specs are offered, like thd, noise. But, I expect an $850 schiit mjolnir, might be piercing and schrill to my ears.i ordered a 789 hphone amp $250, but perhaps that tor is worth a chance.
I have had the exact same static electricity problem with my Audio-GD R-28, the sound will cut out for a short amount of time. I have to touch my rack before I touch it to discharge myself. I have an Ares II on order, thinking about getting one of their Hestia preamps too. What power conditioner are you using?
My static electricity problem went away and I believe it's due to this power conditioner: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XWL2VVK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure that's what did it. I plan to review this conditioner in the near future.
Have you detected that the Ares II starts clipping on highly dynamic music ? Maybe it's not the music you like but try playing the first 3 songs from "A rush of blood to the head" by Coldplay, from a CD player or from Tidal. You can also detect some skipping and pops/cracks like if it was vinil. If you can't hear that then my unit is defective.
I haven't noticed that problem with my unit. Sorry to hear that. Have you checked the cables? If so, perhaps you could send Vinshine an email? They might know the cause. Good luck!
@@thebostonaudiophile I also have a Cambridge Dacmagic and using same equipment is free of issues. Did you get an Ares II provided by Denafrips (prepared for review) or you ordered it like anyone else?
@@gerardo28 He mentioned that he ordered it and that MasterCard charged him a currency conversion fee. He also let us know the risks in ordering it: no returns and the high cost of shipping it to Singapore for warranty repairs. Hope this helps.
I had the same clipping problem. I couldn't use My OPPO UDP205 as a CD-transport. On occasion the problem occurred via USB running Foobar from My laptop aswell. Ended up selling both units.
I can hear the same pops/cracks like vinyl with hip hop songs with heavy bass so your unit is definitely not defective. It’s a common problem with Aries 2
Thanks. Configuring Ares with oversampling and slow filter (see my video) makes big improvements to impact. Ares doesn’t have MQA or blue tooth. Again, I only like to comment on what I’ve heard first hand. Heard a Brooklyn Audio DAC in my system lately and that one impressed me.
I have the Musical Paradise MP D2 M3 which is a tube DAC that I recently upgraded with NOS RCA tubes, I love it, however I want to get the Denafrips Pontus to compare. Ever curious I guess.
Yes, costs 750 quid purchase price. This "thing" has been hyped up all over the web ? Caution ...... there are lots of INFLUENCERS on here who get paid to write good things about certain items. It's the modern way of advertising fellas. Beware of big time BS ???? UK
@@chrismaynard6016 - That's one possibility another one is that it is a great little DAC. Good to keep open mind. Personally, I have auditioned an R2R ladder DAC and I know they sound very good.
@@mikelm222 Yes, I have a Metrum Octave Mk1 NOS and sounds good in stock form but then my excellent old Pioneer PD-91 with BB 18 bit OS dacs sounds great too ..... would cost £££££'s to make now? Would love to NOS the BB dac's on board but don't know who could do the MOD for me ? The PD-91 is a fab, solid transport.
Let me know if you do. I'd love to try the Terminator some day. I have no doubt that it's better than the Aries II and it would be fun to hear the differences.
Hey Mate, We got an official dealer up in Australia. There likely are others around the world. Just because they don't distribute in the US, doesn't make the company sketchy. My system audio speakers from Denmark similarly have no US distributor.
Welcome to the world of quality DACs. I have the Ares II in my bedroom system. The comparable Schiit unit would be the Gungnir Multibit which is more expensive but still considered a budget DAC. A lot of people don't like R2R DACs as much as Delta Sigma DACs. Other R2R DACs to check out: Audio Mirror, Metrum Acoustics, MHDT Labs, HoloSpring DAC, Audio Note (expensive).
@@shaned7793 Yeah, if you're comparing costs. But, in comparing cost you have to take into account that the Ares II is shipped direct from China with the attendant low costs. The Gungnir is built and sold in the U.S., a more expensive proposition. If it was made in China, odds are the cost would be the same as the Ares II. If you go by tone, the Ares II is closer to the Gungnir than the Bifrost IMO.
Great review! I like how you set the stage with the draw backs, but explained that you feel there performance overcomes them. Also, I agree with you. I have limited experience with DACs, but I've been using an Airist R2R from Drop, which is $350 and a Violectric V850, which is $1500-1700 new. I bought it used and recently resold it. I found those two DACs all but completely indistinguishable. I really haven't noticed much difference between any two DACs to this point. A friend, who is a bigger spending audiophile than me, picked up an Ares II and had been raving about it for months, before I got to visit him and give it a try. I wanted to believe, but I kept my expectations heavily in check. When I finally sat down with it, I listened for about 15 seconds, took my headphones back off, looked at him and exclaimed, "Son of a bitch! It's better!" And it really is. The sense of debth, detail and space is really a step up. Tonally, it has just a little warmth maybe, but more over, a slightly sweet tone, for lack of a better word, that really makes everything sound nice.
Man, you were in college in 82? You look young! Thanks for this. I figured my Ares II was good, but my frame of reference is limited, and now I’m more confident in my judgment. But now my coaxial inputs have given out and I need to decide whether it’s worth the shipping fees to have them fixed.
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 I don't know for sure. I've hardly used them except with a little bluetooth streamer. I had both connected up so that they were receiving the same signal -- maybe I overloaded them somehow, created some kind of arc, but I expect they should have been able to take it. Oddly, somehow one of the inputs is working again. Except that it will affect resale value, I'm not very concerned.
so how many hours did you use it and no issues? problem with most online reviewers is that they just churn and burn thru gear and dont really know jack about product.
I got mine in September, 2019. I bought it from Vinshine like anyone else would. I listen to it almost every day. I would estimate I've listened to it for about 200 hours. The only "issues" have been the static electricity thing that I mentioned. With my line conditioner, that static problem has stopped.
Thanks guy........, your review does assist me in narrowing several DAC options, to which I’ve been chewing on. This one along with the Musical Paradise MP-D2, or the MHDT Labs Atlantis DACs, yet my gut instincts tell me, this is very much worthy of pursuit. Thanks again, and might I ask, what’s the component sitting just behind you to the right? ( your left as facing the screen ) as it looks interesting to say the least. O_o scar
You're welcome. I think you're talking about the vintage Expressive Technologies preamp. I'll talk about that in a future video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Not too sure what is going on with my computer and its ability to transcribe my TH-cam comments but there is some missing content below and I apologize. Maybe my Mac is getting old.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I don't receive samples to review and I'm not going to purchase a BiFrost, just to review it. If I come across other DACs I'll do a comparison.
Hey Brother great review I subscribed your Channel hope you do many more looking forward to it you look like you're in the military just my observation the military reviewer LOL
Thank you on all points. I'm not military but I take your comment as a complement. The Navy wanted engineers at my college for their nuclear submarine program and I strongly considered it, but I was needed to run our family business. If you are military, thank you.
I just got the Denafrips Ares ii yesterday and put it to the test. And wow ! All my dreams collapsed ! Let me break it up to points: Pros: The sound has been altered to sound like a wide sound stage... so there is a perception that the sound has a wide soundstage Pretty straightforward and easy to operate Cons: 1) Even though the soundstage appears to be wide but this is very irregular. The vocal sound is wide (Unnaturally!) but then a lot of the instruments have their soundstage much smaller sounding more like a matchbox of the instrument rather than the instrument itself! This unrealistic difference in the size of the soundstage between vocals and some instruments creates a very wide yet unnatural and disturbing overall soundstage 2) The high frequencies are pretty disturbing to listen to as there is an accentuation and edginess of the high frequencies 3) Everything is thin. The bass, the midrange ...etc. So most of the flavor of listening across the spectrum is lost as nothing is presented truly to its magnitude 4) Loss of resolution! There is a loss of the sound data in many cases especially when it is in the low midrange and low frequencies. What is perceived as details is I think the accentuation of the higher frequencies which give the misleading feeling of extra detail and airiness 5) Completely unnatural. Probably this is the worst part. After 10 min of listening you would want to turn of the audio off as this very unnatural sound starts creeping into your head and gives you a headache. I uninstalled The Denafrips ARES II from my system and I'm so relieved ! 6) This DAC gives you the Archetype of the typical digital sound. Even though some effort has been done to digitally alter the sound stage, the sound is cold, harsh, bright and edgy. It is very far from the promised Analog like sound. I'm putting my comments in several youtubers' comment section to make sure you are informed before buying
@@Leon-Soren Each time the unit is powered on via the rocker switch in the rear, the unit begins in "standby" mode. Then you just press the "standby" button and I believe (I'm not 100% sure) it either searches for the live input or uses the last selected input. I'd have to try it to see. Either way, it's no big deal. It just takes a second to hit the input button that you want to play after turning off "standby".
Yeah, that's there policy. Different cultures have different ways of doing business. I'm bet they would find Patagonia's life time free repairs to be amazing! ha ha! thanks for watching!
You're off to a great start! Do more reviews...
Thank you Steve. I'm grateful for your response and encouragement.
Steve you should not encourage other people to do reviews they may steal your job😵😵😂🤣😅
@@stephencosta6814 Steve does a great job and he has far more contacts and review experience than I will ever have. He inspired me to start my channel, but I intend to offer something distinctly different than Steve. My wish is to complement other TH-cam reviewers, not compete with them.
Approval from the godfather, you are now a made man. I purchased my Ares2 after Steve’s review. Big jump up from the Modi 3 non-multibit. I’m using balanced cables now, it does have higher gain using balanced interconnects
If you do not have high-end DAC or never heard an expensive DAC, this Ares is, trust me, AMAZING! The best $738 that I spent on any audio system.
Selmer Reference54 Certainly at its price it’s very darned good.
I’m an audiophile and a Bostonian. Instantly subscribed!
Great review of the DAC, and thanks for explaining that extra nonsense that went along with it. I heard that some of the Denafrips DAC’s in the US were showing up in without serial numbers. But...I’ve also heard some amazing reviews about different Denafrips DAC’s. Thanks for the great vid, man!
Very insightful, straightforward and clearly presented review of this unusual DAC. At first I thought he presented rather awkwardly but as you continued to watch, you realised he has a wealth of knowledge and insight. A very perceptive review. Thank you.
Thanks for watching and for your kind words.
Great review. I am an owner and was stunned the first time I played the Aries II with my Magnepan MG12QRs. Just fabulous.
Thanks man. Couldn't agree more!
Thank you for your review! Next purchase that am making.
You're welcome.
Buyers be aware because almost all TH-camrs don’t mention it, this DAC can’t be use for gaming and media consumption, because of a 2/3 seconds delay.
Great review. I like that you speak from the heart rather than a dazzlingly, well edited video.
Love your review with the right balance of technical details. Subscribed and looking forward for more reviews.
Great review and decided to purchase this product due to Steve G and your reviews. Thank you.
Thank you. Enjoy your Ares!
Finally received my Denafrips Aries II DAC, and I noticed immediatly a reduced noise floor and improved detail in vocals. It makes listening to music all that more enjoyable, recommend low lighting and let the music take you on a journey. Step up from my previous DAC for sure.
@@Daniel-hk3ru Glad you like it! I'm still enjoying mine too.
Thanks for the review!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for tuning in!
The feet on the aries are like that for a reason to help with vibrations interfering with interrupting the sound quality.
Good review. I'm in a similar point in the upgrade cycle from Mimby to Aries. Was leaning towards Bifrost until Mr. Guttenberg mentioned this little gem earlier this evening. Good to see you and him seem to agree. Maybe I'll agree too - in about 3 weeks. 😉
I'm very happy with my Ares II and I think you will like yours very much. Let me know how you like it after you give it a listen!
I've been upgrading my system but still could not get of this digital glare. I also had the Schiit Modi Multibit but finally came to the conclusion that I needed to upgrade my DAC. I seriously considered the Denafrips Ares 2 but decided instead to get the Denafrips Pontus. The first thing I noticed was that the glare was completely gone. All the other things mentioned in this review applies also.
Now the bad news. I had a regular USB cable from my laptop to my DAC. After reading reviews, I ordered the Curious USB cable and it took the resolution down to another level. That cost $400 bucks but it did make a significant improvement. It also completed my line of all silver cables in my system. From my listening, silver seems to pass more information than copper. Some silver cables are available for reasonable prices and they are worth the investment also. I've never enjoyed listening to music more than now.
Glad you like the Pontus. I haven't heard that DAC but I assume it has the sonic signature of the Ares II only better. I agree that cables can sometimes make an audible difference. I haven't tried the Curious cables. Good to hear that you are enjoying your system!
@@thebostonaudiophile I commented above about my experience with my friend's Ares II and am also saving up for a Pontus, instead. Looks to have a lot more of the upper tier design, for a much more reasonable cost.. Have you heard the Ares anywhere, to compare? Either way, glad you like it.
That curious cable is something special. I believe Paul McGowen from PS Audio uses it to showcase his products at audio shows. It is a shame that the cable is so expensive, but probably fairly priced compared to the competition
Thanks for the vid! Using the top of a Cornwall as a workbench....Gangsta! Lol. Keep em comin man!
Ha ha! Thanks for watching. More vids coming!
Infortunately, there is no trial period, so they won’t take it back if you don’t like it. First 30 days if there’s a problem that can’t be fixed over the phone (Vinshine has been said to be easy to communicate with), they pay both ways. After that, you pay for at least some of the shipping, and the warranty for repairs is 3 years. Check Vinshine’s website for details.
Nice review. Mine is coming next week. Very excited!
Thanks. Enjoy!
Excellent review. You give us concise info on a foreign built piece, well done. My stereo stuff is mostly 25ish years old,ead pre, ati amp, thiel towers. Eagerly await your reviews as i modernize.
Thank you 🙏.
As Steve said below, you're off to a great start. Being happily retired now, I enjoy my
morning coffee with a good audio-relevant review. Initially I used these reviews to
educated myself along the "purchasing path". I purchased my first decent kit back in
69/70 and now, at 70 years of age - "I ain't done yet". Why? Because its fun and I just happen to love music. I was a rock guitarist who just happened to love Beethoven so my Universe of musical choice is wide and expansive. When DACS first arrived on the scene, all I could ever hope for was that the industry would get over the technical stumbling block
of D/A conversion. Well, I must say, with the advent of companies like Chord, Schiit and
assessment
comment
it's basic and honest. Next up is your "Absolute Phase" vid... I think I'm going to learn
something. Cheers from Canada - good review on a product I am quite interested in.
Do you have any impressions of the ares ii with the Klipsch cornwalls? I have forte’s with dynaco mono’s and was hoping that they would pair nicely. An input would be great.
Good match IMO.
How does it work as a preamp? I have a smsl d1 And its seems to pr alot better with a pre between the dac and amp.
Is it still working or has it shit itself yet? I think this is not actually a toroidal transformer, it’s called something different but I forget the name.
Still works perfectly.
@@thebostonaudiophile Good to know, might get one to have a play with.
Thanks for this review, what amp and pre-amp are you using with this DAC?
You are welcome. I'm using an Audio Research SP9 MK2 pre and a First Watt F7 power amp.
@@thebostonaudiophile i expect your mains are close to my dream system,sp9,f7. At age 71, im using ati amp, ead pre, gumby dac, thiel floorstanders, svc and rel subs. My schiit jutenheim sounds piercing, srill with my headphones- senns 6xx, focal elear, m1060. Zeos likes a tor $960 from ukraine, headphone amp.ive wanted to try tubes, but it has only 2 tubes, balanced, hand built, point to point. Please take a look. Bothers me that no detailed specs are offered, like thd, noise. But, I expect an $850 schiit mjolnir, might be piercing and schrill to my ears.i ordered a 789 hphone amp $250, but perhaps that tor is worth a chance.
I have had the exact same static electricity problem with my Audio-GD R-28, the sound will cut out for a short amount of time. I have to touch my rack before I touch it to discharge myself. I have an Ares II on order, thinking about getting one of their Hestia preamps too.
What power conditioner are you using?
My static electricity problem went away and I believe it's due to this power conditioner: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XWL2VVK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure that's what did it. I plan to review this conditioner in the near future.
To remove the top cover, how many screws have to be taken out?
Great review, subscribed.
Thank you!
Have you detected that the Ares II starts clipping on highly dynamic music ? Maybe it's not the music you like but try playing the first 3 songs from "A rush of blood to the head" by Coldplay, from a CD player or from Tidal. You can also detect some skipping and pops/cracks like if it was vinil. If you can't hear that then my unit is defective.
I haven't noticed that problem with my unit. Sorry to hear that. Have you checked the cables? If so, perhaps you could send Vinshine an email? They might know the cause. Good luck!
@@thebostonaudiophile I also have a Cambridge Dacmagic and using same equipment is free of issues. Did you get an Ares II provided by Denafrips (prepared for review) or you ordered it like anyone else?
@@gerardo28 He mentioned that he ordered it and that MasterCard charged him a currency conversion fee. He also let us know the risks in ordering it: no returns and the high cost of shipping it to Singapore for warranty repairs. Hope this helps.
I had the same clipping problem. I couldn't use My OPPO UDP205 as a CD-transport. On occasion the problem occurred via USB running Foobar from My laptop aswell. Ended up selling both units.
I can hear the same pops/cracks like vinyl with hip hop songs with heavy bass so your unit is definitely not defective. It’s a common problem with Aries 2
curious though why get an ares II now with the topping d90 being out.
I know nothing about the Topping d90 and I’ve never heard one, which is all I trust in the end, so I can’t comment on how it compares. Can you?
@@thebostonaudiophile the d90 is less rounded. but more impactful. and has more options. its an ak4499 dac chip fully balanced. MQA and bluetooth .
Thanks. Configuring Ares with oversampling and slow filter (see my video) makes big improvements to impact. Ares doesn’t have MQA or blue tooth. Again, I only like to comment on what I’ve heard first hand. Heard a Brooklyn Audio DAC in my system lately and that one impressed me.
@@thebostonaudiophile yeah mytek and brooklyn bridge are impressive!
@@KenMoreira mytek sound is excellent but at $4k to $6k, crazy expensive
Very good review, congrats!
I have the Musical Paradise MP D2 M3 which is a tube DAC that I recently upgraded with NOS RCA tubes, I love it, however I want to get the Denafrips Pontus to compare. Ever curious I guess.
You already have a beautiful DAC sit back and enjoy your music brother let's not yet GAS.. gear acquisition syndrome😳😷🤔
They have a dealer in the UK - Willow Tree Audio in Suffolk
Yes, costs 750 quid purchase price. This "thing" has been hyped up all over the web ? Caution ...... there are lots of INFLUENCERS on here who get paid to write good things about certain items. It's the modern way of advertising fellas. Beware of big time BS ???? UK
@@chrismaynard6016 - That's one possibility another one is that it is a great little DAC. Good to keep open mind. Personally, I have auditioned an R2R ladder DAC and I know they sound very good.
@@mikelm222 Yes, I have a Metrum Octave Mk1 NOS and sounds good in stock form but then my excellent old Pioneer PD-91 with BB 18 bit OS dacs sounds great too ..... would cost £££££'s to make now? Would love to NOS the BB dac's on board but don't know who could do the MOD for me ? The PD-91 is a fab, solid transport.
I agree this Aries II hits way way above it's weight class. Has me wondering if maybe one day I pull the trigger on the Denafrips Terminator?
Let me know if you do. I'd love to try the Terminator some day. I have no doubt that it's better than the Aries II and it would be fun to hear the differences.
4:57: Haha, subscribed on the spot. Good review & good luck with your channel.
Thank you and thanks for the sub!
Hey Mate, We got an official dealer up in Australia. There likely are others around the world. Just because they don't distribute in the US, doesn't make the company sketchy. My system audio speakers from Denmark similarly have no US distributor.
Did you try any other DACs? e.g. the Terminator?
Welcome to the world of quality DACs. I have the Ares II in my bedroom system. The comparable Schiit unit would be the Gungnir Multibit which is more expensive but still considered a budget DAC. A lot of people don't like R2R DACs as much as Delta Sigma DACs. Other R2R DACs to check out: Audio Mirror, Metrum Acoustics, MHDT Labs, HoloSpring DAC, Audio Note (expensive).
Thanks for watching and for the information.
Actually, the comparable Schiit unit would be the Bifrost 2
@@shaned7793 Yeah, if you're comparing costs. But, in comparing cost you have to take into account that the Ares II is shipped direct from China with the attendant low costs. The Gungnir is built and sold in the U.S., a more expensive proposition. If it was made in China, odds are the cost would be the same as the Ares II. If you go by tone, the Ares II is closer to the Gungnir than the Bifrost IMO.
Front panel LEDs: there's also a NOS/oversampling option. So, there's some DSP going on over and above the 20 bit R2R ladder DAC.
Thanks for commenting. I did an "Important Follow Up" video to address OS and filter selection. Check it out if you're interested.
Great review! I like how you set the stage with the draw backs, but explained that you feel there performance overcomes them. Also, I agree with you. I have limited experience with DACs, but I've been using an Airist R2R from Drop, which is $350 and a Violectric V850, which is $1500-1700 new. I bought it used and recently resold it. I found those two DACs all but completely indistinguishable. I really haven't noticed much difference between any two DACs to this point. A friend, who is a bigger spending audiophile than me, picked up an Ares II and had been raving about it for months, before I got to visit him and give it a try. I wanted to believe, but I kept my expectations heavily in check. When I finally sat down with it, I listened for about 15 seconds, took my headphones back off, looked at him and exclaimed, "Son of a bitch! It's better!" And it really is. The sense of debth, detail and space is really a step up. Tonally, it has just a little warmth maybe, but more over, a slightly sweet tone, for lack of a better word, that really makes everything sound nice.
Thank you. Yes, I agree, DAC's can sound very different! Glad you were able to hear that.
i have a NAD D1050 this might be better?
Man, you were in college in 82? You look young!
Thanks for this. I figured my Ares II was good, but my frame of reference is limited, and now I’m more confident in my judgment.
But now my coaxial inputs have given out and I need to decide whether it’s worth the shipping fees to have them fixed.
Thanks for watching and for your kind words. Did you email Alvin at Vinshine? Perhaps he can suggest a fix or a low cost shipper?
What happened to the coax?
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 I don't know for sure. I've hardly used them except with a little bluetooth streamer. I had both connected up so that they were receiving the same signal -- maybe I overloaded them somehow, created some kind of arc, but I expect they should have been able to take it. Oddly, somehow one of the inputs is working again. Except that it will affect resale value, I'm not very concerned.
Affiliate links?
really like your style. do more.
What is the phrase for?
so how many hours did you use it and no issues? problem with most online reviewers is that they just churn and burn thru gear and dont really know jack about product.
I got mine in September, 2019. I bought it from Vinshine like anyone else would. I listen to it almost every day. I would estimate I've listened to it for about 200 hours. The only "issues" have been the static electricity thing that I mentioned. With my line conditioner, that static problem has stopped.
@@thebostonaudiophile thanks.
Thanks guy........, your review does assist me in narrowing several DAC options, to which I’ve been chewing on. This one along with the Musical Paradise MP-D2, or the MHDT Labs Atlantis DACs, yet my gut instincts tell me, this is very much worthy of pursuit.
Thanks again, and might I ask, what’s the component sitting just behind you to the right? ( your left as facing the screen ) as it looks interesting to say the least.
O_o scar
You're welcome. I think you're talking about the vintage Expressive Technologies preamp. I'll talk about that in a future video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
There is an online store called AliExpress that sells Denafrips. I think that store is based in China.
That is not a real store, that is a Chinese E-Bay. I have dealt with them a lot, and normally it works fine.
Not too sure what is going on with my computer and its ability to
transcribe my TH-cam comments but there is some missing content
below and I apologize. Maybe my Mac is getting old.
Nice review. I am interested in this and the Schiit Bifrost 2. I would love to hear some comparisons between the two units.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I don't receive samples to review and I'm not going to purchase a BiFrost, just to review it. If I come across other DACs I'll do a comparison.
Nice meeting you, just subscribed.
Likewise. Thanks for subscribing more vids soon!
Hey Brother great review I subscribed your Channel hope you do many more looking forward to it you look like you're in the military just my observation the military reviewer LOL
Thank you on all points. I'm not military but I take your comment as a complement. The Navy wanted engineers at my college for their nuclear submarine program and I strongly considered it, but I was needed to run our family business. If you are military, thank you.
I just got the Denafrips Ares ii yesterday and put it to the test. And wow ! All my dreams collapsed ! Let me break it up to points:
Pros:
The sound has been altered to sound like a wide sound stage... so there is a perception that the sound has a wide soundstage
Pretty straightforward and easy to operate
Cons:
1) Even though the soundstage appears to be wide but this is very irregular. The vocal sound is wide (Unnaturally!) but then a lot of the instruments have their soundstage much smaller sounding more like a matchbox of the instrument rather than the instrument itself! This unrealistic difference in the size of the soundstage between vocals and some instruments creates a very wide yet unnatural and disturbing overall soundstage
2) The high frequencies are pretty disturbing to listen to as there is an accentuation and edginess of the high frequencies
3) Everything is thin. The bass, the midrange ...etc. So most of the flavor of listening across the spectrum is lost as nothing is presented truly to its magnitude
4) Loss of resolution! There is a loss of the sound data in many cases especially when it is in the low midrange and low frequencies. What is perceived as details is I think the accentuation of the higher frequencies which give the misleading feeling of extra detail and airiness
5) Completely unnatural. Probably this is the worst part. After 10 min of listening you would want to turn of the audio off as this very unnatural sound starts creeping into your head and gives you a headache. I uninstalled The Denafrips ARES II from my system and I'm so relieved !
6) This DAC gives you the Archetype of the typical digital sound. Even though some effort has been done to digitally alter the sound stage, the sound is cold, harsh, bright and edgy. It is very far from the promised Analog like sound.
I'm putting my comments in several youtubers' comment section to make sure you are informed before buying
Their English manuals can be downloaded here: www.denafrips.com/support
Thank you for providing that useful link. It's a very intuitive DAC to operate.
@@thebostonaudiophile You're welcome! By the way, does it have "memory" to current settings, say NOS every time it's powered off and on?
@@Leon-Soren Each time the unit is powered on via the rocker switch in the rear, the unit begins in "standby" mode. Then you just press the "standby" button and I believe (I'm not 100% sure) it either searches for the live input or uses the last selected input. I'd have to try it to see. Either way, it's no big deal. It just takes a second to hit the input button that you want to play after turning off "standby".
Try Tiny Desk concerts NPR, and enjoy the DAC !
No dealer in the US
Interesting… 🤔
No returns! That's par for the course in this part of Asia. No refunds either. Can you say Chinese!
Yeah, that's there policy. Different cultures have different ways of doing business. I'm bet they would find Patagonia's life time free repairs to be amazing! ha ha! thanks for watching!
Screw MasterCard!
Ha ha ha!