You can find my written review, as well as the picture of the inside of the DAC that many of you asked for, here: iiwireviews.com/ladder-schumann-best-r2r-dac-you-never-heard-about/
I really love Chord DACs and at home I use a Quest that, to my tastes, works very well with the kind of music I listen to. I listened to this R2R DAC in the shop where I repair turntables and it really hit me. Great soundstage and smooth, natural.sound. I won't change my Quest but this one is really great. Thank you for sharing, great video
I apprciate your honesty, I have trouble trusting other audio reviewers - they are just a marketing piece. You are like a friend who gives good advice. Thank you Srboljub.
Wow, you're the BEST audio reviewer at actually describing the SOUND of gear! I was curious as to whether these Ladder and Musician Monoceros models were just rebadged Denafrips models . Apparently they are different enough circuit or FPGA implementations to warrant separate consideration. Same factory for the casework maybe, but who cares? Thank you sir! PS: It's time for you to review the Ares12th ! I have it and the Ares 2 in different systems. Listening in the same system, they're STARTLINGLY different. More focus and space with the 12.... Soon as I overcome my lazy inertia, I'll upgeade the Ares2 to 12th firmware too. Good of DENAFRIPS to provide the firmware update for free. THANKS Alvin!!
Another very thorough review, thanks. This DAC is on my shortlist now, but I wish they’d spend just a little more on the logo. Sprayed on paint might be okay on something costing $50, but at this price I want something either embossed or at least tastefully done. In these days of scanning and computer printing, there’s just no excuse for that horror show of a logo.
I have one and share your world view, but it's well executed in real life. Doesn't look cheap (whereas an embossed one probably would on what is an otherwise minimalist fascia).
Your description of an r2r dac really has me thinking I might need to try one. Sounds like just what I've been looking for. How do R2R dacs pair with tubes? Also your video quality and audio is notably better than earlier reviews you've done. I really really like your reviews. Keep up the excellent work.
I for a long time had a Denafrips Ares 2 feeding into a Schiit Valhalla 2 working as preamp into a Class D amp - very very special (spatial?) sound. Musical to the max.
As somebody with a primary interest in natural tonality, including vocals and speech, I can easily spot that your reviews include an extra benefit; You prove that, beyond your sincerity which can upset some brands which offer high prices but not quality (LOL), each listener must realize that the quest for a "perfect sound" must include a well-trained sensitivity to perceive it. Because of that, it may take months or even years to optimize the full hi-fi path especially if there is poor access to A/B testing. Not accidentally, I like very seldom available reviews done by folks who are guaranteed to possess that sensitivity, such as orchestras' members and their conductors.
@Allan Miller I would emphasize speakers, since they will be a most significant portion of the cost. Other suggestion worth emphasizing is that buying brand-new vs second-hand is not cost-effective.
@Allan Millernice choice! Many speakers do it well, but some play too much with psycho-acoustics. One of the issues I often observe (also present in many DACs) is a "living presence" effect achieved by manipulating some high frequencies. Those end up in changed tonalities, such as of high-register piano notes. For me, probably the most valued aspect of Zingali Twenty Evo 1.2 is their correct tonality: th-cam.com/video/RGnTcQmE7jQ/w-d-xo.html
Man my friend brought his Schumann over to compare to my Chord hugo Tt2 and M scaler combo. Let's just say that I put my Chord gear for sale the very next day. Soundstage on the Schumann was bigger, tonality of instruments and voices was more realistic. Music sounded more dynamic and just as detailed as the chord. The only things the chords did slightly better was the bass was a little tighter and separation of instruments was a little more clearly defined. Chord goes on about the transients being so quick with the 1 million Taps when you add the M scaler but honestly the Schumann sounded just as quick with the transients. Don't get me wrong I love the chord gear but it is seriously overpriced. $17K for tt2 and M scaler VS $1900 for the Schumann. No brainer.
It would be very interesting to compare this DAC with Gustard's new R2R the R26. It is a bit more expensive, but it has more features, including a pre-amp and streaming capabilities, however, a head to head comparison of the R2R sound would help buyers.
I'm testing both and the r26 it's more special it has the most detail I've ever heard ever! The ladder is a very good all rounder that has a ton of bass. Depends what your searching for......the r26 made me hear things I've never heard before!
You’re one of the best audiophile reviewers in my opinion. Great vocab, unique and engaging way of describing the qualities of the product. And most importantly you seem very earnest and trustworthy. I’ve bought a few products because of your reviews. And they’ve delivered as per what you’ve described. Well done. Keep going. You deserve more followers. 🤟🏻
You're making my life difficult!! 🙂 I'm looking forward to receiving Topping's D90LE to demo at home, but now you're making me think I should also be testing Ladder's DAC! Thanks for another brilliant honest review.
The Denafrips and Ladder DACs share the same buttons, original chassis, and feet. They also have a similar organization n the rear. The LEDs are basically the same too, with small holes and LEDs behind them.
Thank you for these excellent reviews. I bought ARES 2 and then SMSL 500 mk 2 based on your reviews which sounded great with Arya stealth and IFI Ican pro in Tube plus mode. It was the best sound I have ever heard but sound stage was in the head which made me seek R2R DACs. Unfortunately i sold my Ares 2 before I got IFI Ican pro because it lacked edge definition compared to SMSL 500 as you said. Now i have both Gustard R26 and Ladder Shumann which I am trying out for holiday season and plan to keep 1. I was disappointed by R26 a little. Sound is a little soft and vocals a little thin than i would like. Ladder Shumann seem much better and it has solved the soundstage problem easily. Enjoyable, airy, bassy, musical but vocals are still not as biting as I would like. So now I have ordered Pontus 2. I agree with Tharbamar's latest comparison of R26, Shumann and Pontus, at least for the first 2. While I am waiting for pontus to arrive, i am trying to tweak Shumann and I am really troubled by lack of user manual. How can they do this ? Thats why i am posting here. I was wondering how can I access OS2 modes you described. I can only turn NOS/OS off and on so far using the button and while OS ( LED off) has a little more definition of vocals , I am wondering if OS2 mode could be even better. Any guidance is most welcome.
Yes, Schuman has very full and present sound, especially with vocals. For changing OS modes press "setup" button (and release) then immediately after that press "mode" button. Everytime you press mode you should see one LED switching ON or OFF. That is selection between two modes. I got my unit very early for a review so I thought that was the reason for not having user manual. I can't belive they still haven't wrote it. For R26 just be sure to put a week or two of work into it before deciding about keeping it or not. It starts sounding a bit thin but relaxes later on... And that takes more time than usual. To my ears and in speaker setup R26 is the more precise one, but does push soundstage deeper behind the speakers (I guess with headphones it feels farther away too but haven't tried it in headphone setup).
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for taking the time for detailed reply. That worked. The setting with 4 lights on has the most treble (USB, mode, setup and sample rate light off and on ) and makes vocals more immediate even before burn in for Shumann. Everything else is near perfect already for me. I am not a typical audiophile and I just listen to low quality youtube music videos so less precision may not bother me as much. I cant imagine Pontus being much better than Shumann but I am on manic spending spree :) I think these DACs may be better served by speakers than headphones but I will continue to strive to stumble on the perfect sound for me regardless and I am getting pretty close with Ladder Shumann. I Will also give R26 another go cause amazon has extended return window till Jan 31 due to holidays. Thanks again. To state the obvious, You have a rare talent for describing the sound so accurately and I am very happy to be a loyal follower :)
Insteresting comparision would be to compare with HoloAudio Cyan 2 DAC, because it is the same price, similar size, also R2R and it is even more bare bone DAC.
Ordered one and received. Fantastic sounding DAC(using coax input) although I2S doesn’t work with its default configuration(sound is noisy and plays only on right channel). My unit didn’t come with manual as well so reached out to support for help.
The Musician Pegasus (notice the naming convention) is VERY similar in build construction to the Denafrips Venus II, sharing the same feet, same chassis, leds, and button family. Internally they are different, but what this means is that there is a factory in China making at least three different brands of DACs and marketing them as though they are competing with each other.
expensive dacs are not about better sound in my humble o. any dac over $100 is going to sound like nothing is there because that's its job. to take 1010010101 and turn it into analog. congrats, we got that down to laser mathematical precision. get any of them. jds, schiit, geshelli, smsl, etc - all of them are going to be perfectly fine dacs. you only spend $500+ on a dac when you're getting something like the cayin idac or rme adi2. because with those you're getting about a billion extras along with "just a dac". like a tube pre stage or onboard amp and PEQ opinions are like orifices... but this is a good one. don't spend $1000 on "just a dac", no matter how it sigmas or ladders to get there...
You do a great job explaining the nuances of dacs. I just ordered a Pegasus based on your reviews. I will eventually upgrade the capacitors in the Pegasus as I do to all the hifi gear I own, based on what I like or dislike about the sound to something like Elna Silmic and that should make up the difference between the Pegasus and Schumann.
Love Elna Silmics too. I’ve fitted them to all my gear for general use. The only exception is when I can fit DNM slit foil caps for the main smoothing caps in my amps. They are stunning.
Those questions about same engineer as Denafrips Ares or not…I think that is a fair game question when someone asks you to review their product that so closely resembles another product.
It's all single source. Managerial staff, chief engineering, de-jure ownership, brand names, that all says nothing within P.R.China's export company branching. It's a just a simulation of market activity and competition.
Shame you didnt show the inside of this DAC, also as good as this maybe how long is this company going to be in business you could be left with an expensive paper weight!
Hi there! Is there any chance that you will listen to the Gustard R26? I would really like to hear a review of a R2R dac with prestage so I can connect to a poweramp directly.
Have you ever tried a Schumann Resonance Generator 7.83 Hertz? This device can make any system sound better. I suggest trying a higher quality version of one. Please look them up.
@@20CycleMonger I’ve seen a RR-888. I wonder if you can gain performance by adding a linear power supply with high end cabling? Possibly to match the RR888.
@@tubefreeeasy Can't hurt, but i haven't yet. I have an LPS. Should give it a try... But it WORKS without. I built a kit one once. Not as effective sadly. The 888 is an update. Probably better. I also have a cheapie one of Amazon for my living room system that works well. Dont overspend. If you dont perceive the effect with a $50 model youre probably immune. Regards:-)
How were the the RCA outputs vs the XLR? Most of the DACs in this range are optimized for XLR but many decent integrated amplifiers are single ended, so it seems like this DAC might be overkill for a 2-channel system.
R2Rs tend to sound slow and less dynamic compares to D/S dacs. Would you say that the OS modes on this make a difference in the time domain? Do they sound more dynamic compared to NOS mode?
the FPGA i really the key to make the R2R DAC work. theoretically you could shift 24bit that are coming from the serial signal directly into 3 cheap 8bit serial/parallel register chips where the output bits are connected to the R2R resistors. the problem is, that you don't get resistors on this planet that have the precision to be used in a 24 bit R2R DAC. and this is where the FPGA comes in. so, every bit does not have the exact ratio of 2 to the next bit because of real world resistors that have a tolerance that is too high. the FPGA needs to know the real values of the resistors and tries to do a compensation. that needs a calibration cycle at manufacturing. the calibration values are stored in the fpga (or a memory chip connected to the fpga) the fpga is going through the bits from the highest to the lowest and every bit has a correction level. all these correction levels need to be added and the new value, and this will be sent to the output registers/R2R resistors.
I have actually took some but forgot to show them in the video. I'll put them in the written review later. Nothing special to see really, just a neatly assembled R2R with a linear power supply, o-ring transformer, good Japanese capacitors, etc.
Hi Srboljub, How would Ladder Schumann compare to Gustard R26. Since you reviewed both which one do which sound you prefer after burn in if you can only keep one and why ?
It's a tough choice. Schumann is fuller, more forward, more analogue like. R26 has cleaner tone and deeper soundstage. I've kept listening to R26 because I am a soundstage depth fan... But I can easily see many people preferring Schumann. I am aware this sounds like a political way of avoiding to choose a winner, so I'll say that on points I would give a win to R26 but in reality where different people have different preferences and systems, it is not that easy to proclaim an outright winner.
@@iiWiReviews Currently I have Gustard x26 pro and Musician Draco r2r. Really love that r2r sound considering upgrading soon. I love the analog sound and prefer one with the best 3d soundstage. Will be tough choice for sure lol :)
The missing manual is only the obvious but shows me the philosophy of the manufacturer: pace before care. And I suspect that the device itself is no different. The unclear operation also speaks for it. And another no-go: there is SO much space on the Front but the user has to struggle with this micro font. Apparently it is enough that the developers and the designers are satisfied. The good sound quality should not excuse other shortcomings. I feel the same way with my SMSL 300 and 300MKII. A bad manual was the beginning and far too little space for the connections was not the end. Of course they were good for the price. But even the good price is not always an excuse.
Clearly Ladder Schumann and Musician Pegasus and my Denafrips Pontus II are all manufactured in the same factory 😇…but that bothers me not…I find my Pontus to be exceptional, too and hope that you get a chance to have a spin with it in your system and report your findings. I would be very curious to see what you think. I am feeding my Pontus II with a Mercury Streamer via I2S which I think ups the streaming game a bit, too….but who knows! 🤷🏻♂️
In my opinion, sharing an OEM doesn't mean much to me as the end user. Many car brands are made in the same factory, and on the same platforms, but with clearly different end results due to different design priorities. BTW, I am getting Mercury soon too, wondering if it sounds better than already great Pi2AES. Cheers! 🍻
@@iiWiReviews GREAT! Looking forward to your take on The Mercury…especially if you are feeding the Ladder Schumann via I2S! That will be close enough for me!!! 👍🏼
I just purchased musician pegasus, and I would like to as you: Musician recommends using xlr output and I have impression that as per what they say, this is not only because of it can drive signal to long distances but there might be other quality reasning howewer they do not specify. I was triing to find briefly more information about diferencies between balanced and rca but evidently this will require more resarch. Now my question:), Do you thing xlr converted to rca by cable can be better than rca to rca in this case?
Anyway you can expand your reviews beyond these Chinese products. Are Apos and Shenzhen Audio the only way you can review? I know I'm coming off as a d*ck... but you have such a good talent at this and I think you've took these Chinese products as far as you can.
Western brands just don't react to any review requests from anybody smaller than 50-60K subs. Schiit never even reacted to my mails for example. Many just don't want to ship anything out of big markets such as US and UK where its easy for them to deliver review sample to reviewers based there, and also circle one sample amongst several reviewers. I also believe that it's not popular with big brands when someone is saying that Musician Pegasus betters Chord Qutest or that Acoustic Invader easily betters Hegels and NADs of the same price... Or that NAD 3020V2 is sonically matched by SMSL that's 1/3rd of a price. But, as my view numbers continue to grow I hope it will become more feasible to actually purchase something for a review and resell it afterwards. I reviewed Schiit Freya+ because many asked for it, then I purchased tubes for it because people asked for it... Now I'm waiting to sell it (and some other pieces I've personally purchased like iFi Zen Can, REL T5x...) and I just don't have a budget to get anything new until those devices are sold and budget can be reused. This whole channel doesn't earn more than few hundred dollars per month with adds. Even when you add affiliate links and few patrons, it's still very modest sum. If it weren't for Chinese and online shops sending samples, I probably couldn't even keep the channel running. If my numbers ever reach Darko's or at least half of that... I may get to choose more, until then it's gravelling. That's just reality of a small YT reviewer. A good thing is that I never said anything I didn't mean 100%. I refused many cooperations that wanted to influence my reviews (Western companies more than Eastern if you could believe it). What you get from me is limited when it comes to choice but fully unrestricted when it comes to what I say about those products. I babbled a lot, but this is a short version of a not so glamorous life of a small hifi reviewer. 😄
Hi iiWi I just bin watched your dac/amp videos and I'm glad that you like Zen Can. I'm currently looking for a dac to pair it up with Zen Can as it doesn't work with my home cinema receiver. My first pick would be Modi 3 plus but I cannot buy it in UK so I need your help :) There is few on my mind D10s, E50, DX30 Pro + or maybe you would pick something else. I cannot afford DX5 pro atm.
Can you do a comparison, Schuman R2R sound quality reference to SMSL M400 on AK4499Q. I am very curious about your opinion how both models sound, which one sounds better.
@@RJohnODonnell Shows sample price (which is generally for industry members, reviewers, etc.) as $1,399 and the regular price $799. Think they're reversed by mistake, so can't be sure they'll honor orders at the $799 price.
Does this dac have a FIFO buffer on it's inputs, or the FPGA does this differently? I can't have a Denafrips dac because it has an audio delay on it's inputs, therefore using a Denafrips dac on a PC, streaming audio will be fine, but gaming will not be good as the audio will be lagged behind the graphics. So I'm curious if there's an audio delay on this dac's inputs
I'm looking for my endgame dac but so far I had real bad luck with chinese dacs. I had an entry level d30 die on me after a few months then I upgraded to an smsl su9 something. That died after 4 months (smsl was no help at all but I was able to return it to amazon and got my money back after some arguing). What happens if I fork out 1400 for the next one for a manufacturer's product which has no US presence and it dies on me like the others I tried? Are these companies standing behind their products?
While I appreciate the appeared to be a thoughtful and descriptive. I am curious why (unless I missed it) after multiple requests you still haven't posted any pics of the internals. Especially with the current internet chatter that this is actually just a rebadged Aries. Looking for to seeing behind the curtain soon.
Great review. If architecture is similar to D/frips (likely) the output stage is basic and needs an input greater than than 10k ohms. This is the first dac c.1k to my knowledge with nos mode preffered. Is this a proper nos mode I wonder? - Dfrips is not according to highly technical review backed with measurement.
It surely feels like the same OEM so I think you're guessing right, but I couldn't get any more info at this time. I remember that insight from Golden Sound about NOS on Denafrips. If it means anything, I clearly preferred OS slow (airy and more precise) on Ares II to NOS mode (muddy), that was before I actually new it wasn't a true NOS. However, here I do like NOS the most (more spacious, calmer, more air) so it might be real.
Pozdrav. Iskreno je teško dati pametan savet ovde. Schumann je malo raskošniji i analogniji u srednjetonskom području, a R26 ima malo autoritivniji bas i generalno nešto čistiji zvuk. Kako bi vama legao koji zavisi i od pojačalo i sobe generalno... Ako imate nekih problema sa malo masnijim basom, onda bolje Schuman, ako imate utisak da vam je zvuk već malo više u sredini nego u ekstremima, onda bolje R26. Realno su nijanse u pitanju i nema grešne ni sa jednim.
Can you give some more info about source of your music and input you're using? Crackling shouldn't happen no matter the settings on the DAC itself. So my first thought goes to digital source or digital cable not having good connection, or something like that.
Oops! Change of plans! Bought a brand new iFi Gryphon, a 3-month old iFi ICAN Pro Signature and a 3-month old pair of ZMF Atrium. Got to slow down first
I haven't heard Pontus so I can't really. Many of my viewers comented previously that Pontus II and Musician Pegasus are roughly on the same level. If that is the case then Ladder Schumann should be slightly better. But can't say for sure without a direct comparison.
You can find the link to a manual shared by the user at the end of my written review here: iiwireviews.com/ladder-schumann-best-r2r-dac-you-never-heard-about/ Sadly, no official manual has been released as far as I know. It's truly mind boggling.
We don’t know. My guess is that it is a big OEM building ladder DACs for different companies and keeping parts similar or the same to keeps costs down. Heck, the new 9K Wilson Audio subwoofer uses a Dayton DSP plate amp and Dayton Pro subwoofer driver.
Hello, i got this dac now. i can tell you when the led is of OS is of. So its NOS Mode on🤣... because if the thing gets dsd...the os nos mode can be turned on or of. i listening with the gustard u18 ddc and this is the best qay to use this dac. i think bass is realy to much...i have to turn it down on my preamp by just 0.8db or so...but thats fine. i can also confirm the sound richness in the mids...no sharpness at all...but sometimes it seems the treble is a little bit to much and sometimes something is missing. NOS or OS...I Cant heary any differences at all...only at the first time i had some wierd noises while playing and the LED was on...but later one that was gone but i also cant hear any difference at all with or without it. i think you can under setup 2x or 4x oversampling mode. but also...no difference at all. this dac is a allrounder and good sounding and realy impactful but only with the ddc you can hear the full potencial of this dac. gustard u18 mode 2 is the right one if you wanna try it for your self. streamer is also the ifi zen stream with the better powersuply. Over all...hmmm i dont know if i will keep it...i will try the r26 and than i will see whitch one is better. my system consists of accuphase c2120 and p4200 b&w 804D2. All out nordost norse 2 cables....frey 2 power cords and tyr 2 to the amp and my powerplant p5. the qb4.2 distribution socket for dac, pre and ddc. ddc got heimdall 2 usb and aes. i²s is blue heaven hdmi. ethernet on the ifi zen streamer is also a heimdall 2. Speaker cables are frey 2 and jumpers are the referenc jumpers. also got nordost qx4 and the qv2 and 2 qk1... room treatment is also done with absorbers and diffusors, so i realy got a hifi studio in a flat🤣 Dac i got also is the smsl vmv d2...pretty good Delta Sigma Dac...much better than x26 pro with ess chips...was way to harsch in the treble...oooff. The D2 is a realy good dac and is not that much away from the r2r schumann in terms of analog sounding...but if you put the ddc to it...not via i²s, thats way to analytic and cold. i used aes...this was perfekt. the dac keeps his natural sound signature but gets very clearer and more lifelike. palbalbe is the term you used alot...thats right. overall i think the air in that 1500€/$ range for dacs is pretty thin...it boils down to personal preference and systems...as always. i will keep listening to the schumann and later on i put back my D2 and take a listening seasson.
nlw after 50-70h later the dac changed a bit...the to much bass is gone and rhe sound gets more refined. Overall i am getting more and more excited about this dac. its realy musical soubding dac with life in it. by the way...i thaughr about it and changed to single ended because its not a balanced dac. just got 2 ladders and not 4. single ended sound even better....more relaxed and revealing. much better natural performance over all👍
The fact that there is ANY confusion about what that NOS/OS LED indicates when it is lit - reveals a BAD design! There should be one LED for OS and a second LED for NOS, so that there is NO question about which one is in operation!
Your claim that FPGA is not capable of D-A conversion is entirely false. Many vendors use FPGA conversion. FPGA is simply a chip that is programmable, we can use that switch array to accomplish a multitude of tasks, including d-a conversion w/minimal timing issues. Most FPGA units I’ve seen actual take the input and covert to a single bit pdm, aka DSD, signal. A pdm most closely assimilates analog wave and thus an FPGA conversion is relatively simple. The only reason this product would maintain an r2r conversion is handling pcm signals which they’ve chosen to not convert to pdm.
Schumann is very natural sounding so you don't need to match amp's tonality in any way. Just get the best one you can that suits your speakers. If you're thinking about headphone amps, don't use ones with low input impedance (some Toppings for example) because it will result in lower volume level.
@@iiWiReviews It was the least I could contribute. I have now bought the Acoustic Invader Power and Pre-amp because of your honest and thorough review. And now I also ordered Ladder Schumann. Will be a poor man because of you, but rich in musical experiences! PS: I'm dreading your review of Gustard! 🤣🤣
Simple strategy of "divide and conquer" - that one should sound the same as Denafrips Ares II, which is 99.8% of any R2R DAC (Holo, Denafrips, etc.) ... virtually undistinguishable from each other and from other DAC's built in the last 20 years
There are no specifications about the DAC on their site. It's abnormal. And it's risky to buy a DAC whose resistor precision, distortion, and signal-to-noise ratio are unknown.
I have to agree with you about it being abnormal. I'm also puzzled why PR department is not doing a better job of promoting this great sounding peace of hardware in way it deserves.
Ladder Schumann isn't meant to compete with Aries II on price. The reviewer clearly said it was more detailed than Aries II. I would imagine that Ladder Schumann is meant to compete with the Pontus II, even though Pontus II is about $1000 USD more.
Obviously the Denafrips designer is producing different models for an alternate distributor. Lots of companies do that to increase market share. It looks like a hybrid of Ares 2 and Pontus 2 and the price also suggests that. I wish you would have opened it up to show the internals....also it would have been helpful to know if this model allows for its I2S to be configured in order to be useful with multiple DDCs.
@@iiWiReviews it would appear that it's an Ares 2 with I2S and AES added. Not sure how the "FPGA" differs from original Ares 2 but it may also be a tweek on the original design. Only way to find out is to open it up and compare the internals....
I don't know if it was commented on but is there a large difference in performance between RCA and XLR other than loudness? Do you lose detail, depth etc on RCA outputs?
XLR does sound slightly better, livelier... but RCA is no slouch either. It is really tough comparing just outputs on the DAC because every balanced preamp or integrated amp also sounds better when connected that way. Schumann is a truly balanced design, and so is my preamp, so using XLR does sound noticeably better. But that is a joint result of both devices in the chain. RCA can match XLR only if XLR is there for convenience and not truly a balanced design internally (many head-amps are doing that lately and there is no real difference between RCA and XLR).
Interesting and look forward to other reviews and sound demos. However at this stage I’m a bit suspicious of this device. No specs, no internal shots, no electrical safety conformity information. It might all be ok but I suggest buyer beware.
Nice Review. This Ladder Schumann R2R DAC almost looks like the Middle child of the Denafrips Pontus II and Ares II. I recently picked up the Hifiman EF400 which is an R2R DAC/Amp combo and was pleasantly surprised by the R2R DAC sound. It's the first time I've heard an R2R DAC and now I know why people like them so much. btw.... the EF400 at $600 bucks could be a Giant Killer. Won't be as good as the crazy expensive R2R DAC's... but it gets you a real nice taste of R2R
How about voltage output? Regarding the Musician dac, some people have reported the output is too low and they have to turn their amp up too much. Did you experience this with the Ladder Schumann?
I don't have that info, it sounds as loud as any other DAC with anything I have. But both Musician and Denafrips DACs have high output impedances that like to be connected to amps and preamps with 10 kΩ or greater impedance input so no signal loss is happening. 99% of preamps and amps do have 10 kΩ or higher, but if you happen to own one with a lower input impedance then all these DACs will produce lower volume than usual.
You can find my written review, as well as the picture of the inside of the DAC that many of you asked for, here: iiwireviews.com/ladder-schumann-best-r2r-dac-you-never-heard-about/
Thanks ordered one👍
I really love Chord DACs and at home I use a Quest that, to my tastes, works very well with the kind of music I listen to. I listened to this R2R DAC in the shop where I repair turntables and it really hit me. Great soundstage and smooth, natural.sound. I won't change my Quest but this one is really great. Thank you for sharing, great video
which R2R DAC you have listened?
@@ayc868 Ladder Schumann FPGA R2R DAC
@@ayc868 I have the Qutest and looking for an upgrade. Any suggestions
I apprciate your honesty, I have trouble trusting other audio reviewers - they are just a marketing piece. You are like a friend who gives good advice. Thank you Srboljub.
Thanks for such high praise! Really appreciate it.
Wow, you're the BEST audio reviewer at actually describing the SOUND of gear!
I was curious as to whether these Ladder and Musician Monoceros models were just rebadged Denafrips models .
Apparently they are different enough circuit or FPGA implementations to warrant separate consideration.
Same factory for the casework maybe, but who cares?
Thank you sir!
PS:
It's time for you to review the Ares12th !
I have it and the Ares 2 in different systems. Listening in the same system, they're STARTLINGLY different. More focus and space with the 12....
Soon as I overcome my lazy inertia, I'll upgeade the Ares2 to 12th firmware too.
Good of DENAFRIPS to provide the firmware update for free.
THANKS Alvin!!
Another very thorough review, thanks. This DAC is on my shortlist now, but I wish they’d spend just a little more on the logo. Sprayed on paint might be okay on something costing $50, but at this price I want something either embossed or at least tastefully done. In these days of scanning and computer printing, there’s just no excuse for that horror show of a logo.
I have one and share your world view, but it's well executed in real life. Doesn't look cheap (whereas an embossed one probably would on what is an otherwise minimalist fascia).
Your description of an r2r dac really has me thinking I might need to try one. Sounds like just what I've been looking for. How do R2R dacs pair with tubes?
Also your video quality and audio is notably better than earlier reviews you've done. I really really like your reviews. Keep up the excellent work.
I for a long time had a Denafrips Ares 2 feeding into a Schiit Valhalla 2 working as preamp into a Class D amp - very very special (spatial?) sound. Musical to the max.
As somebody with a primary interest in natural tonality, including vocals and speech, I can easily spot that your reviews include an extra benefit; You prove that, beyond your sincerity which can upset some brands which offer high prices but not quality (LOL), each listener must realize that the quest for a "perfect sound" must include a well-trained sensitivity to perceive it. Because of that, it may take months or even years to optimize the full hi-fi path especially if there is poor access to A/B testing. Not accidentally, I like very seldom available reviews done by folks who are guaranteed to possess that sensitivity, such as orchestras' members and their conductors.
Well said....it can take years!
@Allan Miller I would emphasize speakers, since they will be a most significant portion of the cost. Other suggestion worth emphasizing is that buying brand-new vs second-hand is not cost-effective.
@Allan Millernice choice! Many speakers do it well, but some play too much with psycho-acoustics. One of the issues I often observe (also present in many DACs) is a "living presence" effect achieved by manipulating some high frequencies. Those end up in changed tonalities, such as of high-register piano notes. For me, probably the most valued aspect of Zingali Twenty Evo 1.2 is their correct tonality: th-cam.com/video/RGnTcQmE7jQ/w-d-xo.html
Man my friend brought his Schumann over to compare to my Chord hugo Tt2 and M scaler combo. Let's just say that I put my Chord gear for sale the very next day. Soundstage on the Schumann was bigger, tonality of instruments and voices was more realistic. Music sounded more dynamic and just as detailed as the chord. The only things the chords did slightly better was the bass was a little tighter and separation of instruments was a little more clearly defined. Chord goes on about the transients being so quick with the 1 million Taps when you add the M scaler but honestly the Schumann sounded just as quick with the transients. Don't get me wrong I love the chord gear but it is seriously overpriced. $17K for tt2 and M scaler VS $1900 for the Schumann. No brainer.
Hi mate. Do you mind opening the DAC and showin us the internals? There are no pictures of the internals to find on the interwebs so far. Cheers.
Thank you as always for this in-depth and very informative review of this piece of equipment.
It would be very interesting to compare this DAC with Gustard's new R2R the R26. It is a bit more expensive, but it has more features, including a pre-amp and streaming capabilities, however, a head to head comparison of the R2R sound would help buyers.
I'm testing both and the r26 it's more special it has the most detail I've ever heard ever! The ladder is a very good all rounder that has a ton of bass. Depends what your searching for......the r26 made me hear things I've never heard before!
@@Montreal_Audio_Systems Thanks, I've ordered one.
You’re one of the best audiophile reviewers in my opinion. Great vocab, unique and engaging way of describing the qualities of the product. And most importantly you seem very earnest and trustworthy. I’ve bought a few products because of your reviews. And they’ve delivered as per what you’ve described. Well done. Keep going. You deserve more followers. 🤟🏻
Ditto that one for sure
You're making my life difficult!! 🙂 I'm looking forward to receiving Topping's D90LE to demo at home, but now you're making me think I should also be testing Ladder's DAC! Thanks for another brilliant honest review.
onkyo made good soundcards back then, think they still making amps nowadays
I subscribed as I find you more authentic than many others.
Excellent re-watch. Cool runnings
The Denafrips and Ladder DACs share the same buttons, original chassis, and feet. They also have a similar organization n the rear. The LEDs are basically the same too, with small holes and LEDs behind them.
Thank you for these excellent reviews. I bought ARES 2 and then SMSL 500 mk 2 based on your reviews which sounded great with Arya stealth and IFI Ican pro in Tube plus mode. It was the best sound I have ever heard but sound stage was in the head which made me seek R2R DACs. Unfortunately i sold my Ares 2 before I got IFI Ican pro because it lacked edge definition compared to SMSL 500 as you said. Now i have both Gustard R26 and Ladder Shumann which I am trying out for holiday season and plan to keep 1. I was disappointed by R26 a little. Sound is a little soft and vocals a little thin than i would like. Ladder Shumann seem much better and it has solved the soundstage problem easily. Enjoyable, airy, bassy, musical but vocals are still not as biting as I would like. So now I have ordered Pontus 2. I agree with Tharbamar's latest comparison of R26, Shumann and Pontus, at least for the first 2. While I am waiting for pontus to arrive, i am trying to tweak Shumann and I am really troubled by lack of user manual. How can they do this ? Thats why i am posting here. I was wondering how can I access OS2 modes you described. I can only turn NOS/OS off and on so far using the button and while OS ( LED off) has a little more definition of vocals , I am wondering if OS2 mode could be even better. Any guidance is most welcome.
Yes, Schuman has very full and present sound, especially with vocals. For changing OS modes press "setup" button (and release) then immediately after that press "mode" button. Everytime you press mode you should see one LED switching ON or OFF. That is selection between two modes. I got my unit very early for a review so I thought that was the reason for not having user manual. I can't belive they still haven't wrote it.
For R26 just be sure to put a week or two of work into it before deciding about keeping it or not. It starts sounding a bit thin but relaxes later on... And that takes more time than usual. To my ears and in speaker setup R26 is the more precise one, but does push soundstage deeper behind the speakers (I guess with headphones it feels farther away too but haven't tried it in headphone setup).
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for taking the time for detailed reply. That worked. The setting with 4 lights on has the most treble (USB, mode, setup and sample rate light off and on ) and makes vocals more immediate even before burn in for Shumann. Everything else is near perfect already for me. I am not a typical audiophile and I just listen to low quality youtube music videos so less precision may not bother me as much. I cant imagine Pontus being much better than Shumann but I am on manic spending spree :) I think these DACs may be better served by speakers than headphones but I will continue to strive to stumble on the perfect sound for me regardless and I am getting pretty close with Ladder Shumann. I Will also give R26 another go cause amazon has extended return window till Jan 31 due to holidays.
Thanks again. To state the obvious, You have a rare talent for describing the sound so accurately and I am very happy to be a loyal follower :)
@@syed7926which did you end up keeping
Insteresting comparision would be to compare with HoloAudio Cyan 2 DAC, because it is the same price, similar size, also R2R and it is even more bare bone DAC.
Ordered one and received. Fantastic sounding DAC(using coax input) although I2S doesn’t work with its default configuration(sound is noisy and plays only on right channel). My unit didn’t come with manual as well so reached out to support for help.
Congratulations on you purchase! Absolutely great sounding device, but I can't believe they are still sending it without a user manual.
Could you please tell us what you have connected to the Shumann’s i2s input? Is it a DDC?
@@freakin13guy pi2AES streamer
I never conclude about what DAC I should buy...
I'm waiting for your next review.
No new surprises coming soon... Feel free to choose your favorite flavor now. 😄
Antonio Sergio? Brasileiro?
I got a Denafrips Pontus II a month ago. Loving it.
Peguei um Denafrips Pontus II um mes atras. Estou amando.
@@iiWiReviews Jokes aside, I really like your work and I follow your channel which I consider to be an opinion maker
@@joaopedroscarcella422 Oi João Pedro, sim, brasileiro. Moro aqui em Sampa.
The Musician Pegasus (notice the naming convention) is VERY similar in build construction to the Denafrips Venus II, sharing the same feet, same chassis, leds, and button family. Internally they are different, but what this means is that there is a factory in China making at least three different brands of DACs and marketing them as though they are competing with each other.
expensive dacs are not about better sound in my humble o. any dac over $100 is going to sound like nothing is there because that's its job. to take 1010010101 and turn it into analog. congrats, we got that down to laser mathematical precision. get any of them. jds, schiit, geshelli, smsl, etc - all of them are going to be perfectly fine dacs.
you only spend $500+ on a dac when you're getting something like the cayin idac or rme adi2. because with those you're getting about a billion extras along with "just a dac". like a tube pre stage or onboard amp and PEQ
opinions are like orifices... but this is a good one. don't spend $1000 on "just a dac", no matter how it sigmas or ladders to get there...
@@sauhamm3821which do you recommend ladder shumann , gustard r26 ,rme adi-2 dac fs or denafrips
Great review! Thanks for all your sharing 😉
You do a great job explaining the nuances of dacs. I just ordered a Pegasus based on your reviews. I will eventually upgrade the capacitors in the Pegasus as I do
to all the hifi gear I own, based on what I like or dislike about the sound to something like Elna Silmic and
that should make up the difference between the Pegasus and Schumann.
Love Elna Silmics too. I’ve fitted them to all my gear for general use. The only exception is when I can fit DNM slit foil caps for the main smoothing caps in my amps. They are stunning.
Those questions about same engineer as Denafrips Ares or not…I think that is a fair game question when someone asks you to review their product that so closely resembles another product.
It's all single source. Managerial staff, chief engineering, de-jure ownership, brand names, that all says nothing within P.R.China's export company branching. It's a just a simulation of market activity and competition.
Another great review thanks for sharing.
Excellent review and explanation! Would you review gustard r26 r2r dac next or compare it?
I would love you to compare it with Denafrips Venus or Terminator!
Shame you didnt show the inside of this DAC, also as good as this maybe how long is this company going to be in business you could be left with an expensive paper weight!
You made it very useful. Thank you
For around the same price, you can get the Pontus on the used market (if you get lucky). I wonder how they compare.
Hi mate, great review. Do you still prefer the Schumann over the Gustards A26 and R26?
Would be nice if you could also review the Gustard R26 🙏
It's coming in few weeks.
Hi there! Is there any chance that you will listen to the Gustard R26? I would really like to hear a review of a R2R dac with prestage so I can connect to a poweramp directly.
I'll look into it. I'm curios about it myself.
@@iiWiReviews Sorry if I am chatty! But there are also the BURSON AUDIO
CONDUCTOR 3X REFERENCE of course it is not a R2R!
Have you ever tried a Schumann Resonance Generator 7.83 Hertz?
This device can make any system sound better. I suggest trying a higher quality version of one.
Please look them up.
I've been using the Acoustic Revive RR-777 for years now.
Makes music more palpable and acoustically 3D.
Amazing for a brain hack!
@@20CycleMonger
I’ve seen a RR-888. I wonder if you can gain performance by adding a linear power supply with high end cabling?
Possibly to match the RR888.
@@tubefreeeasy
Can't hurt, but i haven't yet.
I have an LPS.
Should give it a try...
But it WORKS without.
I built a kit one once. Not as effective sadly.
The 888 is an update. Probably better.
I also have a cheapie one of Amazon for my living room system that works well. Dont overspend. If you dont perceive the effect with a $50 model youre probably immune.
Regards:-)
How were the the RCA outputs vs the XLR? Most of the DACs in this range are optimized for XLR but many decent integrated amplifiers are single ended, so it seems like this DAC might be overkill for a 2-channel system.
Thanks!
Thanks for your support! 👍
R2Rs tend to sound slow and less dynamic compares to D/S dacs.
Would you say that the OS modes on this make a difference in the time domain? Do they sound more dynamic compared to NOS mode?
the FPGA i really the key to make the R2R DAC work. theoretically you could shift 24bit that are coming from the serial signal directly into 3 cheap 8bit serial/parallel register chips where the output bits are connected to the R2R resistors.
the problem is, that you don't get resistors on this planet that have the precision to be used in a 24 bit R2R DAC.
and this is where the FPGA comes in. so, every bit does not have the exact ratio of 2 to the next bit because of real world resistors that have a tolerance that is too high. the FPGA needs to know the real values of the resistors and tries to do a compensation.
that needs a calibration cycle at manufacturing. the calibration values are stored in the fpga (or a memory chip connected to the fpga)
the fpga is going through the bits from the highest to the lowest and every bit has a correction level. all these correction levels need to be added and the new value, and this will be sent to the output registers/R2R resistors.
No pictures of the inside?
Hadn't yet seen pics of the inside anywhere.
I have actually took some but forgot to show them in the video. I'll put them in the written review later. Nothing special to see really, just a neatly assembled R2R with a linear power supply, o-ring transformer, good Japanese capacitors, etc.
@@iiWiReviews Awesome! 👌 👍
I'd love to see some pictures of the internals as well.
@@iiWiReviews thank you we all know what guts of Ares 2 look’s like and want to compare.
Hi Srboljub, How would Ladder Schumann compare to Gustard R26. Since you reviewed both which one do which sound you prefer after burn in if you can only keep one and why ?
It's a tough choice. Schumann is fuller, more forward, more analogue like. R26 has cleaner tone and deeper soundstage. I've kept listening to R26 because I am a soundstage depth fan... But I can easily see many people preferring Schumann.
I am aware this sounds like a political way of avoiding to choose a winner, so I'll say that on points I would give a win to R26 but in reality where different people have different preferences and systems, it is not that easy to proclaim an outright winner.
@@iiWiReviews Thank you so much :)
@@iiWiReviews Currently I have Gustard x26 pro and Musician Draco r2r. Really love that r2r sound considering upgrading soon. I love the analog sound and prefer one with the best 3d soundstage. Will be tough choice for sure lol :)
The missing manual is only the obvious
but shows me the philosophy of the manufacturer:
pace before care.
And I suspect that the device itself is no different.
The unclear operation also speaks for it.
And another no-go:
there is SO much space on the Front
but the user has to struggle with this micro font.
Apparently it is enough that the developers and the designers are satisfied.
The good sound quality should not excuse other shortcomings.
I feel the same way with my SMSL 300 and 300MKII.
A bad manual was the beginning and far too little space for the connections was not the end.
Of course they were good for the price.
But even the good price is not always an excuse.
Funny watching the cc subtitles. Leather shoe man
Clearly Ladder Schumann and Musician Pegasus and my Denafrips Pontus II are all manufactured in the same factory 😇…but that bothers me not…I find my Pontus to be exceptional, too and hope that you get a chance to have a spin with it in your system and report your findings. I would be very curious to see what you think.
I am feeding my Pontus II with a Mercury Streamer via I2S which I think ups the streaming game a bit, too….but who knows! 🤷🏻♂️
In my opinion, sharing an OEM doesn't mean much to me as the end user. Many car brands are made in the same factory, and on the same platforms, but with clearly different end results due to different design priorities. BTW, I am getting Mercury soon too, wondering if it sounds better than already great Pi2AES. Cheers! 🍻
@@iiWiReviews GREAT! Looking forward to your take on The Mercury…especially if you are feeding the Ladder Schumann via I2S! That will be close enough for me!!! 👍🏼
I just purchased musician pegasus, and I would like to as you: Musician recommends using xlr output and I have impression that as per what they say, this is not only because of it can drive signal to long distances but there might be other quality reasning howewer they do not specify. I was triing to find briefly more information about diferencies between balanced and rca but evidently this will require more resarch. Now my question:), Do you thing xlr converted to rca by cable can be better than rca to rca in this case?
Anyway you can expand your reviews beyond these Chinese products. Are Apos and Shenzhen Audio the only way you can review? I know I'm coming off as a d*ck... but you have such a good talent at this and I think you've took these Chinese products as far as you can.
Western brands just don't react to any review requests from anybody smaller than 50-60K subs. Schiit never even reacted to my mails for example. Many just don't want to ship anything out of big markets such as US and UK where its easy for them to deliver review sample to reviewers based there, and also circle one sample amongst several reviewers.
I also believe that it's not popular with big brands when someone is saying that Musician Pegasus betters Chord Qutest or that Acoustic Invader easily betters Hegels and NADs of the same price... Or that NAD 3020V2 is sonically matched by SMSL that's 1/3rd of a price.
But, as my view numbers continue to grow I hope it will become more feasible to actually purchase something for a review and resell it afterwards. I reviewed Schiit Freya+ because many asked for it, then I purchased tubes for it because people asked for it... Now I'm waiting to sell it (and some other pieces I've personally purchased like iFi Zen Can, REL T5x...) and I just don't have a budget to get anything new until those devices are sold and budget can be reused. This whole channel doesn't earn more than few hundred dollars per month with adds. Even when you add affiliate links and few patrons, it's still very modest sum. If it weren't for Chinese and online shops sending samples, I probably couldn't even keep the channel running. If my numbers ever reach Darko's or at least half of that... I may get to choose more, until then it's gravelling. That's just reality of a small YT reviewer.
A good thing is that I never said anything I didn't mean 100%. I refused many cooperations that wanted to influence my reviews (Western companies more than Eastern if you could believe it). What you get from me is limited when it comes to choice but fully unrestricted when it comes to what I say about those products.
I babbled a lot, but this is a short version of a not so glamorous life of a small hifi reviewer. 😄
@@iiWiReviews understood my friend. Thank you for the insight.
@@iiWiReviews how much youre asing for your Freya +?
@@iiWiReviews don´t give up! good channel:)
Hi iiWi I just bin watched your dac/amp videos and I'm glad that you like Zen Can. I'm currently looking for a dac to pair it up with Zen Can as it doesn't work with my home cinema receiver. My first pick would be Modi 3 plus but I cannot buy it in UK so I need your help :) There is few on my mind D10s, E50, DX30 Pro + or maybe you would pick something else. I cannot afford DX5 pro atm.
Nice review, nice device. I hope new brand add some competition and price drop at market.
It's a keeper👍
How sounds drum kick on this dac? I didn’t notice you describing this point in the video.
Hi man, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the holo spring 3 and how it compares.
Can you do a comparison, Schuman R2R sound quality reference to SMSL M400 on AK4499Q. I am very curious about your opinion how both models sound, which one sounds better.
@iiWi Reviews do you think Denafrips A II would work best with tubed pre amp or solid state?
Currently listed on Alibaba for just US$799 with free shipping (seems like they may have reversed their "sample" and regular pricing.)
Reversed their sample? What does this mean?
@@RJohnODonnell Shows sample price (which is generally for industry members, reviewers, etc.) as $1,399 and the regular price $799. Think they're reversed by mistake, so can't be sure they'll honor orders at the $799 price.
@@Bill.K Thank you!
Does this dac have a FIFO buffer on it's inputs, or the FPGA does this differently? I can't have a Denafrips dac because it has an audio delay on it's inputs, therefore using a Denafrips dac on a PC, streaming audio will be fine, but gaming will not be good as the audio will be lagged behind the graphics. So I'm curious if there's an audio delay on this dac's inputs
Nice review..
I'm looking for my endgame dac but so far I had real bad luck with chinese dacs. I had an entry level d30 die on me after a few months then I upgraded to an smsl su9 something. That died after 4 months (smsl was no help at all but I was able to return it to amazon and got my money back after some arguing). What happens if I fork out 1400 for the next one for a manufacturer's product which has no US presence and it dies on me like the others I tried? Are these companies standing behind their products?
So.. this one is end game? Where to buy it in EU without import taxes?
Hi, Can this DAC be use with a Topping D90SE preamplifier? Thanks.
While I appreciate the appeared to be a thoughtful and descriptive. I am curious why (unless I missed it) after multiple requests you still haven't posted any pics of the internals. Especially with the current internet chatter that this is actually just a rebadged Aries. Looking for to seeing behind the curtain soon.
Hi, it is way more detailed than the matrix mini i-3 PRO?
Do you know the gain output on the rca v xlr ?
As every DAC , 2v RCA 4v xlr
What amps do you think would pair really well with this dac? How would the topping pa5 pair?
Mc7100
Great review. If architecture is similar to D/frips (likely) the output stage is basic and needs an input greater than than 10k ohms. This is the first dac c.1k to my knowledge with nos mode preffered. Is this a proper nos mode I wonder? - Dfrips is not according to highly technical review backed with measurement.
It surely feels like the same OEM so I think you're guessing right, but I couldn't get any more info at this time.
I remember that insight from Golden Sound about NOS on Denafrips. If it means anything, I clearly preferred OS slow (airy and more precise) on Ares II to NOS mode (muddy), that was before I actually new it wasn't a true NOS. However, here I do like NOS the most (more spacious, calmer, more air) so it might be real.
Metrum Musette was 100% NOS. And their Amethyst. Not sure if either are still made now.
Pozdrav gosn. S. Da li ovaj DAC ili Gustard R26 za Wharferdale zvucnike?
Pozdrav. Iskreno je teško dati pametan savet ovde. Schumann je malo raskošniji i analogniji u srednjetonskom području, a R26 ima malo autoritivniji bas i generalno nešto čistiji zvuk. Kako bi vama legao koji zavisi i od pojačalo i sobe generalno... Ako imate nekih problema sa malo masnijim basom, onda bolje Schuman, ako imate utisak da vam je zvuk već malo više u sredini nego u ekstremima, onda bolje R26.
Realno su nijanse u pitanju i nema grešne ni sa jednim.
How does it compare to smsl m500 2? I owned the latter from your review.
Bigger soundstage in all directions and even more deteils and air. But everything else has to be good enough to show it.
Dac came today. Music is playing but crackling. Any suggestions? No manual to check set up
Can you give some more info about source of your music and input you're using? Crackling shouldn't happen no matter the settings on the DAC itself. So my first thought goes to digital source or digital cable not having good connection, or something like that.
@@iiWiReviews node 2i streamer, xlr from Dac to amp.
Wide eye digital cable from source to dac
Can I use it for gaming ?
Is it 2 or 3 times better than the smsl 500 2?...
Will there be the Gustard R26 next?
I'm waiting for my unit to arrive. Hope to review it before the end of the month.
@@iiWiReviews think I’ll take the plunge and order mine tomorrow. Still, will looking forward to your video
@@iiWiReviews Any chance of an Audio Note 0.1X DAC review? Love your passion for this sport.
Oops! Change of plans! Bought a brand new iFi Gryphon, a 3-month old iFi ICAN Pro Signature and a 3-month old pair of ZMF Atrium. Got to slow down first
Thank you for Rachael Yamagata
Can you compare Schumann with Pontus II please?
I haven't heard Pontus so I can't really. Many of my viewers comented previously that Pontus II and Musician Pegasus are roughly on the same level. If that is the case then Ladder Schumann should be slightly better. But can't say for sure without a direct comparison.
have you or anyone found a manuel for this DAC yet? Trying to find manuel or setup instructions
You can find the link to a manual shared by the user at the end of my written review here: iiwireviews.com/ladder-schumann-best-r2r-dac-you-never-heard-about/
Sadly, no official manual has been released as far as I know. It's truly mind boggling.
Thanks keep up the great reviews.
Is it poetic justice that a Chinese brand is ripping off another Chinese brand?
We don’t know. My guess is that it is a big OEM building ladder DACs for different companies and keeping parts similar or the same to keeps costs down. Heck, the new 9K Wilson Audio subwoofer uses a Dayton DSP plate amp and Dayton Pro subwoofer driver.
Hello,
i got this dac now. i can tell you when the led is of OS is of. So its NOS Mode on🤣...
because if the thing gets dsd...the os nos mode can be turned on or of.
i listening with the gustard u18 ddc and this is the best qay to use this dac.
i think bass is realy to much...i have to turn it down on my preamp by just 0.8db or so...but thats fine.
i can also confirm the sound richness in the mids...no sharpness at all...but sometimes it seems the treble is a little bit to much and sometimes something is missing.
NOS or OS...I Cant heary any differences at all...only at the first time i had some wierd noises while playing and the LED was on...but later one that was gone but i also cant hear any difference at all with or without it. i think you can under setup 2x or 4x oversampling mode. but also...no difference at all.
this dac is a allrounder and good sounding and realy impactful but only with the ddc you can hear the full potencial of this dac. gustard u18 mode 2 is the right one if you wanna try it for your self.
streamer is also the ifi zen stream with the better powersuply.
Over all...hmmm i dont know if i will keep it...i will try the r26 and than i will see whitch one is better.
my system consists of accuphase c2120 and p4200 b&w 804D2. All out nordost norse 2 cables....frey 2 power cords and tyr 2 to the amp and my powerplant p5. the qb4.2 distribution socket for dac, pre and ddc.
ddc got heimdall 2 usb and aes. i²s is blue heaven hdmi. ethernet on the ifi zen streamer is also a heimdall 2.
Speaker cables are frey 2 and jumpers are the referenc jumpers. also got nordost qx4 and the qv2 and 2 qk1...
room treatment is also done with absorbers and diffusors, so i realy got a hifi studio in a flat🤣
Dac i got also is the smsl vmv d2...pretty good Delta Sigma Dac...much better than x26 pro with ess chips...was way to harsch in the treble...oooff.
The D2 is a realy good dac and is not that much away from the r2r schumann in terms of analog sounding...but if you put the ddc to it...not via i²s, thats way to analytic and cold. i used aes...this was perfekt. the dac keeps his natural sound signature but gets very clearer and more lifelike. palbalbe is the term you used alot...thats right.
overall i think the air in that 1500€/$ range for dacs is pretty thin...it boils down to personal preference and systems...as always.
i will keep listening to the schumann and later on i put back my D2 and take a listening seasson.
nlw after 50-70h later the dac changed a bit...the to much bass is gone and rhe sound gets more refined. Overall i am getting more and more excited about this dac. its realy musical soubding dac with life in it.
by the way...i thaughr about it and changed to single ended because its not a balanced dac. just got 2 ladders and not 4. single ended sound even better....more relaxed and revealing. much better natural performance over all👍
Triggered to try my first R2R dac but no silver color option and the logo LADDER😭 on the front are a deal breaker 😬
Yeah feel the same. 'Ladder' is a deal breaker, sounds like a hooker's tights
pontus vs schuman ???
suspiciously similar to denafrips ares
The fact that there is ANY confusion about what that NOS/OS LED indicates when it is lit - reveals a BAD design! There should be one LED for OS and a second LED for NOS, so that there is NO question about which one is in operation!
Your claim that FPGA is not capable of D-A conversion is entirely false. Many vendors use FPGA conversion. FPGA is simply a chip that is programmable, we can use that switch array to accomplish a multitude of tasks, including d-a conversion w/minimal timing issues.
Most FPGA units I’ve seen actual take the input and covert to a single bit pdm, aka DSD, signal. A pdm most closely assimilates analog wave and thus an FPGA conversion is relatively simple.
The only reason this product would maintain an r2r conversion is handling pcm signals which they’ve chosen to not convert to pdm.
What amp would you recommend with Ladder…🙋♂️✌️
Schumann is very natural sounding so you don't need to match amp's tonality in any way. Just get the best one you can that suits your speakers. If you're thinking about headphone amps, don't use ones with low input impedance (some Toppings for example) because it will result in lower volume level.
Thank you ♥️
Unfortunately Amazon buyers wrote that it will break down after a while…
I read that on Amazon also🤔
Takk!
Thanks for your support! 🎶
@@iiWiReviews It was the least I could contribute. I have now bought the Acoustic Invader Power and Pre-amp because of your honest and thorough review. And now I also ordered Ladder Schumann. Will be a poor man because of you, but rich in musical experiences! PS: I'm dreading your review of Gustard! 🤣🤣
Hope you'll like all of them as much as I do. Enjoy!
Jel prodajes LADDER Schumann dac ?
R2R = always DSP "Stereo surround Slow roll off ".
Simple strategy of "divide and conquer" - that one should sound the same as Denafrips Ares II, which is 99.8% of any R2R DAC (Holo, Denafrips, etc.) ... virtually undistinguishable from each other and from other DAC's built in the last 20 years
There are no specifications about the DAC on their site. It's abnormal.
And it's risky to buy a DAC whose resistor precision, distortion, and signal-to-noise ratio are unknown.
I have to agree with you about it being abnormal. I'm also puzzled why PR department is not doing a better job of promoting this great sounding peace of hardware in way it deserves.
Very strange indeed, no specs found..
Denefrips is MIC and you can imagine this is a "Knock Off" version BUT it is not cheaper than the Aries II.
Ladder Schumann isn't meant to compete with Aries II on price. The reviewer clearly said it was more detailed than Aries II. I would imagine that Ladder Schumann is meant to compete with the Pontus II, even though Pontus II is about $1000 USD more.
When I do get a new DAC. I will unsubscribe from your channel for ease of mind
🤣🤣🤣👍
:))))😀😀😀😀 me too!
They’re probably targeting Chord’s customer base.
It seems they have already have one hit. My friend that owns a Qutest is so impressed with Schumann that he's probably upgrading to it.
@@iiWiReviews That says quite a bit. That's an impressive feat.
Do not even come close to my HOLO Audio Spring 3 KTE.....!!!
Have you compare it side by side? If not how can you make such statements?
Sounds promising. I am a bit disappointed with the casework however. It is plain looking/constructed for a $1400 DAC.
You talk about music like a musician.
Obviously the Denafrips designer is producing different models for an alternate distributor. Lots of companies do that to increase market share. It looks like a hybrid of Ares 2 and Pontus 2 and the price also suggests that. I wish you would have opened it up to show the internals....also it would have been helpful to know if this model allows for its I2S to be configured in order to be useful with multiple DDCs.
I'll try to find that out and add the info once I write a review on the site.
@@iiWiReviews it would appear that it's an Ares 2 with I2S and AES added. Not sure how the "FPGA" differs from original Ares 2 but it may also be a tweek on the original design. Only way to find out is to open it up and compare the internals....
I don't know if it was commented on but is there a large difference in performance between RCA and XLR other than loudness? Do you lose detail, depth etc on RCA outputs?
XLR does sound slightly better, livelier... but RCA is no slouch either. It is really tough comparing just outputs on the DAC because every balanced preamp or integrated amp also sounds better when connected that way. Schumann is a truly balanced design, and so is my preamp, so using XLR does sound noticeably better. But that is a joint result of both devices in the chain. RCA can match XLR only if XLR is there for convenience and not truly a balanced design internally (many head-amps are doing that lately and there is no real difference between RCA and XLR).
Thank you, especially for the perspective at the end. DACs are changing rapidly, and it’s easy to obsess over the last 1% perceived performance.👍👍
Interesting and look forward to other reviews and sound demos. However at this stage I’m a bit suspicious of this device. No specs, no internal shots, no electrical safety conformity information. It might all be ok but I suggest buyer beware.
Nice Review. This Ladder Schumann R2R DAC almost looks like the Middle child of the Denafrips Pontus II and Ares II. I recently picked up the Hifiman EF400 which is an R2R DAC/Amp combo and was pleasantly surprised by the R2R DAC sound. It's the first time I've heard an R2R DAC and now I know why people like them so much. btw.... the EF400 at $600 bucks could be a Giant Killer. Won't be as good as the crazy expensive R2R DAC's... but it gets you a real nice taste of R2R
I'd like to hear your take on Ladde vs PontusII Denafrips.
What input you were using? how is the USB input and also the SE output?
How about voltage output? Regarding the Musician dac, some people have reported the output is too low and they have to turn their amp up too much. Did you experience this with the Ladder Schumann?
Same question here 🙂
I don't have that info, it sounds as loud as any other DAC with anything I have. But both Musician and Denafrips DACs have high output impedances that like to be connected to amps and preamps with 10 kΩ or greater impedance input so no signal loss is happening. 99% of preamps and amps do have 10 kΩ or higher, but if you happen to own one with a lower input impedance then all these DACs will produce lower volume than usual.