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Thread: Denafrips terminator 2 dac

  1. #21
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Melbourne

    Posts: 445
    I'm Karl.

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    Ok so just a quick update now I approach the 150hrs mark.

    My vinyl has been spanked

    Just don’t think my cartridge is able to dig this level of retrieval out .

    I might need a substation upgrade to get this level of performance.

    My god what an eye opener


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    CTC Classic 301 , SPH bearing and Hanze Hifi HAT CPS-2 all analogue power supply / Tenuto Mk2 mat / custom Panzerholz and Kewasinga articulating plinth / Track audio isolation feet / Reed tonearm / Audio Technica ART 9 / 2 box BigBottle mk3 phonostage with Clarity cap CMR and NOS Telefunkens valves / Croft 25R preamp with upgraded 12BH7A line stage and NOS 1956 RCA valves / Croft 7R monoblocks with NOS 56 RCA valves/ Dynaudio Contour 30i speakers / Spotfire interconnects and speaker cables / Merlin Scorpion mains block / Rhodium mains cables / Marantz CD DAC /

  2. #22
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: http://www.homehifi.co.uk

    Posts: 6,288

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigbird View Post
    Ok so just a quick update now I approach the 150hrs mark.

    My vinyl has been spanked

    Just don’t think my cartridge is able to dig this level of retrieval out .

    I might need a substation upgrade to get this level of performance.

    My god what an eye opener
    But what about the musicality though? I got suckered into the detail retrieval bit for quite some years when I started designing DACs, and lost a lot of valuable time doing only that. But when I came up with the Dorado sound enhancer I realized that I had given musicality very little consideration. I don't just want to hear the guitarist touching the strings. I want to hear and feel the emotion of him/her doing that. Are you experiencing the same emotions from the DAC as you get from your vinyl? Or is your style of music not really into emotions, but more geared towards raw delivery?

  3. #23
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Melbourne

    Posts: 445
    I'm Karl.

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    Quote Originally Posted by StanleyB View Post
    But what about the musicality though? I got suckered into the detail retrieval bit for quite some years when I started designing DACs, and lost a lot of valuable time doing only that. But when I came up with the Dorado sound enhancer I realized that I had given musicality very little consideration. I don't just want to hear the guitarist touching the strings. I want to hear and feel the emotion of him/her doing that. Are you experiencing the same emotions from the DAC as you get from your vinyl? Or is your style of music not really into emotions, but more geared towards raw delivery?
    It has bags of musicality

    And it’s amazing how analogue this dac sounds . It’s not like many others I’ve heard . Only a handful of dacs I’ve heard do what this does . It has a smoothness and vinyl like presentation but without taking away from music.

    Some dacs are voiced one way or another, either warm or ohyper detailed which can be almost cold and sharp but this has something special where it manages to tick all of the boxes . It has lots of detail but without being harsh, it has tremendous bass weight without feeling unnatural and it’s completely engaging. It keeps you locked into your seat wondering how the hell it sounds so good . Not an ounce of fatigue or glare

    No wonder you can’t find any bad reviews about these new terminators .

    I’ve been a hardcore vinyl man for ever but this has completely changed my perception of digital . It’s that good . It does everything my vinyl does, and some but without all the faff . Put it this way , I usually play a couple of records a night and the only records I’ve played all week was to compare against the terminator and they got shown the door . The rest of my playback has been digital and I’m not feeling like I’m missing anything at all

    It’s bittersweet for me really as I’ve spent the last 5-10 years really getting my vinyl setup to a high a level as I can afford and this dac has come and trampled on it In the space of a week .

    Hopefully my phono upgrades and a new cart can close the gap


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    CTC Classic 301 , SPH bearing and Hanze Hifi HAT CPS-2 all analogue power supply / Tenuto Mk2 mat / custom Panzerholz and Kewasinga articulating plinth / Track audio isolation feet / Reed tonearm / Audio Technica ART 9 / 2 box BigBottle mk3 phonostage with Clarity cap CMR and NOS Telefunkens valves / Croft 25R preamp with upgraded 12BH7A line stage and NOS 1956 RCA valves / Croft 7R monoblocks with NOS 56 RCA valves/ Dynaudio Contour 30i speakers / Spotfire interconnects and speaker cables / Merlin Scorpion mains block / Rhodium mains cables / Marantz CD DAC /

  4. #24
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

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    Stanley if you haven't heard a modern R-2R dac you are not realising how analogue they are now sounding.

    Denafrips, Musician, Soekris (with the right psu) are all now spanking vinyl playback. I can only imagine how good the sound is that Karl is hearing, as his dac is very near TOTL.
    I have a Musician Pegasus and that is lacking nothing in musicality and emotion in the playback.

    Good one Karl. My vinyl has taken a step closer now I have a new TT, the performance of my Dynavector cart is now being shown.
    I love Hendrix for so many reasons. He was so much more than just a blues guitarist - he played damn well any kind of guitar he wanted. In fact I'm not sure if he even played the guitar - he played music. - Stevie Ray Vaughan

  5. #25
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: http://www.homehifi.co.uk

    Posts: 6,288

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    I have a not so poor customer who bought an expensive R-2-R DAC in April. He has been using a modded SEG for a year now. Several weeks of listening to the two in a system costing upwards of £30K has shown the R-2-R to have an edge in some areas, but a terrible disappointment in others. The main downfall was its playback of high resolution files of 96kHz and 192kHz. It was brilliant at 44.1kHz though.
    On an equal note, a well known and respected former member of this forum bought a SEG for a laugh just last month. His speakers alone cost more than 100x than the SEG. I won't mention the brand name of his speakers and amp since that might give his identity away. He emailed me to say that its a keeper and has commissioned the design of a high-end no cost spared power supply to power the Dorado.

  6. #26
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,774
    I'm Martin.

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    Compared R-2R DAC to two Delta Sigma DACs last month. Did not hear any lack of musicality or emotion, did not hear any added musicality or emotion.

    They were, to all intents and purposes, almost identical in performance. The very slight differences were only occasional and were nothing to do with musicality or emotion and may well not even exist at all outside of my own perception.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  7. #27
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    ive heard people say delta sigma sabre dacs are glarey.. ive not experienced this. The one in my Pathos is very good..and only a relatively old type now.. ESS sabre 9018K2M. its implemented well and the whole machine is a treat to use(as it should be at its price.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

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  8. #28
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

    Posts: 6,869
    I'm Lawrence.

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    I've had 3, struggled with 2 but the third one (Breeze Audio, using original ESS9018 non k2m) is a keeper. No sign of the digital glare from the first two. I guess it's a matter of implementation.

  9. #29
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

    Posts: 6,869
    I'm Lawrence.

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    Quote Originally Posted by StanleyB View Post
    His speakers alone cost more than 100x than the SEG. I won't mention the brand name of his speakers and amp since that might give his identity away.
    You can rule me out anyway

  10. #30
    Join Date: Jul 2014

    Location: Essex, UK

    Posts: 45
    I'm BaskingInTheTriumphOfRealityOverHope.

    Default Streamer with Denafrips DAC

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigbird View Post
    >>>snip<<<

    Next I will be looking at a streamer to extract some more magic from it . Possibly the nova fidelity X50D. That seems to tick all of the boxes.
    >>>snip<<<
    Just a thought...

    With the Terminator 2 (Plus?) already in the system, is the NF X50D overkill? I have a Bluesound Node 2i (new model available - gen 3 / N130) hooked up to a Denafrips Pontus II and the overall setup has made listening to music the most enjoyable I can ever recall. Doubtless the amp is a factor but I'm still impressed by the Node 2i / Pontus II.

    If the ripper is important, then the Node (gen 3) isn't going to cut it but, otherwise, if there is sufficient connectivity, it's a snip at £550ish. The app (BluOS) isn't perfect but it is decent and, usually, reliable. I previously had a NAD C 658 (pre / streamer / DAC) but much prefer the Node 2i / Pontus II combo.

    End of "just a thought...".
    Kevin

    Main system:
    Sources: EverSolo DMP-A6; Sony UHP-H1 (disc player)
    DAC: Denafrips Pontus II
    Pre amp: Quad Artera Pre (is also the main headphone amp)
    Power amp: Willsenton R8 amp (running JJ E34Ls) / Aiyima A07 (with Sparkos SS3602 Op Amps)
    Speakers: Dynaudio Special 40s with Van Damme UP-LCOFC (4mm) cables
    InterConns: Tellurium Q Black XLR; Morrow Audio MA4 - pre 2018 (analogue RCA); Mark Grant (coax x1); Atlas (coax x1)

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