Wow, finally you have found a good combination of a DAC, an amplifier, and speakers. The sound is alive and very entertaining. This is what I say is a good, very good sound, indeed!
Great review my friend, it's always a pleasure to watch your reviews and know your opinions! Let me ask you, If the musician Pegasus, Gustard R26 and this Ladder was the same price, which one would be your choice? For a person who likes a warm vocal and good resolution, but doesn't like an analitical, clinical tipe of sound... P.S. -> I would like and appreciate if you used the same speakers in your tests, because it would facilitate to listen the samples and compare...LOL Greatings!!
Once again thanks for the great review!!. Because of your review of the D300 Rohm Dac i decided on buying it and im more than pleaased with the performance of the dac base on your description of the sound. KEPP up the good Work my freind!! Hello From Puerto Rico!!
I am between this one and Pontus 2.I think this one is even better than Pontus 2.Once i see comparison between them i will decide which one i will get :)))).One thing is for sure for now and that is Pontus 2 has much better build quality, but this Ladder has good build quality as well.For me the sound is more important :)))
I couldn’t tell whether you thought the Ladder or the Gustard had a more mellow sound. Would be good to know as looking at the Gustard but don’t want bright or cold sound.
There are a few reviews now for Gustard R26, Ladder Schumann, Denafrips Venus/Pontus II, Musician Pegasus etc. All are great DACS and each reviewer has their own favorite. Some are comparing the Gustard R26 to Denafrips Terminator + level quality, others compare it to Pontus, which is further down the hierarchy. What we need is 10 hifi reviewers sat in a room doing A/B comparisons on all of the above to reach a consensus. Otherwise separately we get 10 different opinions played on 10 different systems. Ultimately I doubt any one person is ever going to be lucky enough to have all the DACS lined up ready to try in their system, so pick one you like the reviews of, and go for broke. If you don't like it sell it on. That's what 99.9% of average Joe's do.
@@cameronrector178 Oops!😆 I think he's saying the Ladder is more polished and mellower. The iiwi channel here on YT gives a good breakdown of the Ladder. His description doesn't say that it's mellow but very detailed and spacious. SoundNews breaks down the Gustard but I haven't watched his vid yet. Happy hunting!
He needs to review this one most reviewers audio reviews that review this product just talk about how amazing it is and actually keep it I can't believe it's it's pretty affordable for being made in Germany RME ADI-2 DAC FS Ultra Fidelity
Amazing, as always! I think your sample showed exactly what you said in the video, compared to the ares ii this seem to have even more separation between sounds (I imagine that a deeper/wider soundstage too) and the attack of the notes from the musicians feel with a more real (impactful) quality... Now I just wonder if the Ladder Schumann is the better buy compared to the Denafrips Pontus ii. Thanks so much! ❤
I was wondering the same thing as well. I was considering Pontus 2 for a long time.Pontus 2 for sure has a better build quality, but it is heavier and bigger. It is only 200 bucks more expensive than Ladder.I would love to hear some comparisons.If Pontus 2 sounds even better for me it justifies its 200 bucks more!And the other DAC in my mind is HOLO Spring 2 Level 2 which is considered to be better than Pontus 2!
@@beslemeto i have the pontus and man its a great dac, price /value is top. i2S better than usb so you should use that but i would advise to listen dont buy based on review.
@@Hypofx If i had the chance i would listen, but where? Those Chinese DAC's are not presented at any Hi-Fi store i guess.The only way is to buy from Ebay with return policy, but again they don't sell Pontus there.By the way did you pay VAT for your unit when arrived in your country? Thanks!
@@beslemeto yes its true, so there is a small risk, but believe me Denafrips like a TANK, support is good too especially if you go to Vinisheaudio Alvin is a great guy, and i did not regret the Pontus its a beauty
Great review friend, just starting learning about dacs and would like to own either the R26 or the Schumann Ladder going by your reviews in that price range. If you had to choose one which would you keep forever?
Hello, Thank you for the video. The Ladder sounds really wonderful on your system,listened to it with the Ifi hip dac 2 and Iem's. Been looking for an affordable R2R Dac for a long time,Spring 3 or Audio Note would be my favourites but not available at the moment. Gustard R 26 was also on my list but is out again in terms of functionality there is probably still lacking. Is the Ladder really the best currently if you want to stay at around 1500$?
Great sound!!! & no sub (?) ...very nice sounding speakers playing a very nice sounding source through an obviously very nice sounding amplifer. No weak link in the chain here
J'ai suivi votre conseil concernant le denon pma 2500ne et je suis entièrement satisfait du rendu sonore les timbres son sublime et l amplificateur possède une réserve de puissance phénoménal
I'm trying to sell my Chord hugo tt2 and M scaler to buy this. Did a direct comparison with my friends Schumann Ladder and the chord sounded a bit too "studio" like in comparison. Tonality of voices and instruments was slightly more realistic and satisfying on Ladder and also lush, big sound stage. Detail retrieval was as good as the chord stack. The thing the chord did slightly better was instrument and layer separation and tighter bass. More space around the instruments. Incredible value with this Schumann though.
@@Tharbamar here in Australia the Hugo tt2 and M scaler together retail got $17K Aud and the Ladder retails for $1890. Impossible to argue with that. I got them both for $13K new about 2 years ago.
@@Tharbamar I'm not sure what is considered high end components or not but even if we considered the Hugo Tt2 without the M scaler, it's still a considerable chunk of money. Approximately $9000aud VS $1900aud for the Schumann. To be fair the TT2 is also a headphone amp, has Bluetooth and can also work as an amplifier which it did a pretty good job of powering my Harbeth Shl5+ speakers when I tested it. Either way I think the Chinese are coming and companies like chord might have to rethink their marketing and products/prices. Don't get me wrong, I love the chord gear but the Schumann really did put my TT2 and M scaler on show a few weeks back when I compared the two. I was lucky enough to sell my Dac and M scaler yesterday for a reasonable price and I'm now waiting for the Schumann to arrive. I ordered it as soon as the funds came through without hesitation. Both the TT2 and Schumann are FPGA based chips.
At 3:29 you said "Out of the box [the sound] was muffled and congested." According to what you said you then hooked up "a few different amplifiers" and tried two different sets of XLR cables. So when, after how many hours -roughly- did it "break in" then? Guess the proper term might be "settle".
This Ladder Schumann is on 24/7, it has over two months of usage. All of my comments are based on that other than out of the box comment. Most of R2R DAC takes about 500 hours to fully settle, it can be done by leave it on 24/7.
@@beslemeto The reviewer didn’t give any conclusive indication in the video as to which was the warmer/more polished of the two and didn’t clarify in the comments either.
@@flemdoghd For Gustard i know it is more polished and softer sounding DAC.This Ladder is said to be even more spacious,more detailed and richer sounding than Musician Pegasus which really gets the attention.The question is is Ladder comparable or even better than Pontus 2.We have to wait and see if someone compares them.For now this Ladder DAC gets my attention.350 bucks more than Pegasus though!
Hello again! I'm sorry, but could you please answer my question below as to how you feel the SMSL DO200 compares, since I know you really liked that one. As a matter of fact I bought that one based upon your review (my very first DAC!) PLEASE tell me what how you think these 2 compare. Thank you! Oh, also too... If you don't mind please how do you feel the Denafrips Ares II compares to these 2? I'm VERY interested because the SMSL was about $500 and the Ares II is about $850. Thanks!
Personally it will be decided based on paring components, DO200 is comparable in everything that Ares II can do and more but Ares II have slightly more expensive sound quality in my system, thanks
Thanks for the review. But I've a doubt about what you mentioned about FPGA dacs, as far as I know FPGA can be used to create digital logic circuits, they can not be programmed to generate analog audio signals. FPGAs are used to do the signal processing in digital domain and then use delta-sigma or r2r technology to do the actual analog conversion. Even the Chord dacs are Delta-Sigma dacs with FPGA processing. There no pure FPGA dacs, all the so called FPGA dacs either has to be a Delta-Sigma or R2R. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Pure digital amplifier is neither delta-sigma, nor R2R. It uses a floating point math up until it will be possible to digitally generate PWM signal out of 8-6 bits PCM data. Actually, people say that ESS uses the same technique inside their chips, but after the math send 6-bits data to a delta-sigma converter rather than using two switches and LC filter. May be their chips are not so fast to generate that PWM, may be they don't want user to use LC, who knows. PS And of course that math can be burned in an fpga
@@sc0or thanks for the info. I also have heard about digital Amplifiers but regarding DACs, afaik FPGAs can't convert digital PCM or PDM data stream to an analog audio signal. afaik FPGAs can be used to create custom digital gates based circuitry not analog circuitry.
@@akilasupun We stay in a digital domain all the time. Triggers, registers, and gates inside an FPGA can implement a digital math algorithm with no issues. And sure, an FPGA outputs a digital signal. DAC-on-Chip has an additional converter, which in case of R2R is a set of registers and resistors, and in case of "pure digital" is a complementary pair of switches followed by an LC filter. The only signal that does not need math is DSD (because all math was previously made during analog to digital conversion). It's ready to be sent into a filter directly. (this is why DSD typically sounds better, and I'd recommend to purchase a good PCM-to-DSD software converter, and convert all your media library to DSD if you wish)
One small detail, the Denafrips Ares II is about half the price of this DAC review at $700US. Not entirely a equal comparison. Maybe if it was compared to something more in the same price range like the Denafrips Pontus II, I bet the result would be different.
I had them all, Schumann outperform Pontus II with all firmware version, Pontus II is slightly better in background darkness otherwise it will give them run for the money.
I have pretty much wrote off Musician Audio’s Pegasus, too many negative feedback and cases of bad after sales service and support. Now I am 😂deciding between Gustard R26 or the Ladder Schumann. What are you recommendations? Users, please share your review about these 2 decks?
Again great review, thanks! For someone listening to classical (solo piano, chamber music, symphones)and Jazz, what would be the better choice, timbre wise, the Schumann or the R26?
Not trying to sound condescending here, but my best advice is to always improve your speakers first by buying the best you can before you consider laying down over a thousand dollars on a DAC. Upgrading your speakers will give you the best bang for buck when it comes to improvging overall tonality quality & instrument reproduction.
I’m trying to pick between this and the r26 too my friend. Have the ares 2 but I’m not super impressed so I need the step up. Leaning towards r26 since it has lots of filter options and a great factory pre amp!
@@quinto34 then if you are 100% happy with your speakers then i realy can't see how a DAC is going to improve tonal charitiristis with said instruments. You might get a bit more calirity, but i really think the differences would be very minimal. Maybe better amplification? But i'd assume you're using decent enough amplification already?. Maybe an even better & cheaper option would be to play around with EQ? there is a lot of snobbery around EQ in the Hi-Fi cummunity, but don't let that put you off. If you take the time to learn about it and implement it properly , it can be extremely rewarding a lot of fun! BTW may i ask which speakers you're currently using ?
@@AmbientWanderer I listen to solo piano music a lot and I love my speakers, Harbeth SHL5+40th..tonality is great in general, but I'm lookin for a better soundstage depth-wise and even more natural treble (for some piano recordings) .I used to own other DACs and it does make an audible difference on my system.. I own a RME ADI2 DAC and used fiddle with the EQ but its not for me, even the HD800S sounds best un-eq-ed for my ears..
I know it costs about 1/3 of the price, but I know you reviewed and really liked the SMSL DO200. How would you say this DAC compared to that one? Thank you! 😊
With a asking price of $1399, you should be comparing it to the $1703 DENAFRIPS PONTUS II instead of the $799 DENAFRIPS ARES II. Not to forget, DENAFRIPS offers free shipping, so the price difference is even smaller between the PONTUS II and the Ladder.
@@Tharbamar yeah seller will send a replacement unit. Someone else on forum said he experienced the same problem with the crackling. My concern is long term reliability and warranty support. Are you using it as your main Dac? How long have you had it in your system if so.
Okay high end sound at a reasonable price but -- Americans are buying from China. The seller has no presence in US which has led some audio enthusiasts to be very reluctant to purchase this equipment. If problem, the seller is reluctant to allow return, from what I've read.
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 really believe this DAC is good. But now I have a little problem. Whether Schumann or Pegasus. These devices are so closely related to Denafrips in terms of production, and it is no longer possible to understand who is developing or copying them, who is responsible and what future prospects one of these manufacturers has. So for me there are exactly two future-oriented brands: Denafrips and Holo. China cannibalizes its best products. That is "amazing".
When it comes to chipsets I agree by 100%. Use an early, barely 24 Bit capable 2002 Philips TDA15xx or latest AKM AK449x, no audible difference. When it comes to output stages of DAC devices I disagree.
Out of all the affordable R2R dacs this one sounds the best, i just ordered one thanks👍
How do you like it?
@@joaquinbarreto9398 It's a definite keeper, a bargain really!
Tuned to perfection really@@joaquinbarreto9398
Wow, finally you have found a good combination of a DAC, an amplifier, and speakers. The sound is alive and very entertaining. This is what I say is a good, very good sound, indeed!
Great review my friend, it's always a pleasure to watch your reviews and know your opinions!
Let me ask you, If the musician Pegasus, Gustard R26 and this Ladder was the same price, which one would be your choice?
For a person who likes a warm vocal and good resolution, but doesn't like an analitical, clinical tipe of sound...
P.S. -> I would like and appreciate if you used the same speakers in your tests, because it would facilitate to listen the samples and compare...LOL
Greatings!!
It is everyone DAC should own. Hopefully, most people can afford it.
Yes. Power cords can also make a huge difference
Seems like your thoughts are exactly on par with the other review of this dac. Sounds like mega bang for your $$$
Once again thanks for the great review!!. Because of your review of the D300 Rohm Dac i decided on buying it and im more than pleaased with the performance of the dac base on your description of the sound. KEPP up the good Work my freind!! Hello From Puerto Rico!!
D300 is an awesome device, just as A300 is.
good choice, low cost and gets the job done.
Awesome review! Now I'm all the more happier that i ordered this dac! Intuitive thinking i guess😃
I ordered this DAC based on your review. Can’t wait!!!
Great choice!
Thank you so much for your great reviews and sharing your knowledge with us. Still looking for my R2R DAC solution and this may be the one.
A depth of a scene is outstanding. I want this DAC )
Nice. Really enjoyed the comparison part! Cheers
Great review, hopefully your next review is the Denafrips Pontus 2.
pontus has many admirers.
I am between this one and Pontus 2.I think this one is even better than Pontus 2.Once i see comparison between them i will decide which one i will get :)))).One thing is for sure for now and that is Pontus 2 has much better build quality, but this Ladder has good build quality as well.For me the sound is more important :)))
I couldn’t tell whether you thought the Ladder or the Gustard had a more mellow sound. Would be good to know as looking at the Gustard but don’t want bright or cold sound.
I think he was saying the Ladder had the more mellow/polished sound. But it's not clear if the DACs are equal in other respects.
Thanks for another great review.
Would love for you to review the PecanPi streamer/dac
And, the Orchard Audio mono block amps too !
There are a few reviews now for Gustard R26, Ladder Schumann, Denafrips Venus/Pontus II, Musician Pegasus etc. All are great DACS and each reviewer has their own favorite. Some are comparing the Gustard R26 to Denafrips Terminator + level quality, others compare it to Pontus, which is further down the hierarchy. What we need is 10 hifi reviewers sat in a room doing A/B comparisons on all of the above to reach a consensus. Otherwise separately we get 10 different opinions played on 10 different systems. Ultimately I doubt any one person is ever going to be lucky enough to have all the DACS lined up ready to try in their system, so pick one you like the reviews of, and go for broke. If you don't like it sell it on. That's what 99.9% of average Joe's do.
Great review, how does this compare to Gustard latest R2R dac?
I did mentioned it in this video.
@@Tharbamar I couldn’t quite understand your comparison to the Gustard R26. Can you please comment here on it.
Thank you
@@cameronrector178 He said it's more polished and mellower. Hope that helps. Cheers
@@andrea585ny Which lol ? The Gustard R26 is more polished or is he saying the Ladder Schumann is?
@@cameronrector178 Oops!😆 I think he's saying the Ladder is more polished and mellower. The iiwi channel here on YT gives a good breakdown of the Ladder. His description doesn't say that it's mellow but very detailed and spacious. SoundNews breaks down the Gustard but I haven't watched his vid yet. Happy hunting!
He needs to review this one most reviewers audio reviews that review this product just talk about how amazing it is and actually keep it I can't believe it's it's pretty affordable for being made in Germany
RME ADI-2 DAC FS Ultra Fidelity
Good review and music, now I wonder how this DAC is compared to the Musical Fidelity M6x DAC.
Amazing, as always! I think your sample showed exactly what you said in the video, compared to the ares ii this seem to have even more separation between sounds (I imagine that a deeper/wider soundstage too) and the attack of the notes from the musicians feel with a more real (impactful) quality... Now I just wonder if the Ladder Schumann is the better buy compared to the Denafrips Pontus ii. Thanks so much! ❤
I was wondering the same thing as well. I was considering Pontus 2 for a long time.Pontus 2 for sure has a better build quality, but it is heavier and bigger. It is only 200 bucks more expensive than Ladder.I would love to hear some comparisons.If Pontus 2 sounds even better for me it justifies its 200 bucks more!And the other DAC in my mind is HOLO Spring 2 Level 2 which is considered to be better than Pontus 2!
@@beslemeto i have the pontus and man its a great dac, price /value is top. i2S better than usb so you should use that but i would advise to listen dont buy based on review.
@@Hypofx If i had the chance i would listen, but where? Those Chinese DAC's are not presented at any Hi-Fi store i guess.The only way is to buy from Ebay with return policy, but again they don't sell Pontus there.By the way did you pay VAT for your unit when arrived in your country? Thanks!
yes how about pontus vs schumann??
@@beslemeto yes its true, so there is a small risk, but believe me Denafrips like a TANK, support is good too especially if you go to Vinisheaudio Alvin is a great guy, and i did not regret the Pontus its a beauty
Hi , thanks for the review. Could you please register the music sample with JBL speakers ? Thanks
Very nice! Although is there some hiss on the recording?
Great review friend, just starting learning about dacs and would like to own either the R26 or the Schumann Ladder going by your reviews in that price range. If you had to choose one which would you keep forever?
Either of those are great choice, may be I would stick with Schumann for simple DAC function alone personally, thanks
Hello,
Thank you for the video.
The Ladder sounds really wonderful on your system,listened to it with the Ifi hip dac 2 and Iem's.
Been looking for an affordable R2R Dac for a long time,Spring 3 or Audio Note would be my favourites but not available at the moment.
Gustard R 26 was also on my list but is out again in terms of functionality there is probably still lacking.
Is the Ladder really the best currently if you want to stay at around 1500$?
Yep is has great balanced sound, which I think is great price and sound quality.
How would you compare it to the similarly priced Gustard R26
He says it in the video man
@@robk5745 he did refer to it but doesn’t clarify which is the warmer/more refined DAC
Nice review. Does the Ares 2 also use the field transistor digital chip?
Yes
Great sound!!! & no sub (?) ...very nice sounding speakers playing a very nice sounding source through an obviously very nice sounding amplifer. No weak link in the chain here
No sub in sound sample.
@@Tharbamar then, very good speakers !!
What are your thoughts on Mogami W2534 Starquad with Neutrik Black/Gold XLR connectors. Seems like you couldn’t go wrong using this 99.9% of the time.
Hi tharbamar,
how much is the output impedance (xlr)?
Always look forward to your videos. I'd love to see some Verity and / or Marten speakers, and Accuphase products. Cheers!
Thank you.
J'ai suivi votre conseil concernant le denon pma 2500ne et je suis entièrement satisfait du rendu sonore les timbres son sublime et l amplificateur possède une réserve de puissance phénoménal
Now I’m stuck with either this Ladder, the Pontus or R26. I listen with headphones
Thanks for the reivew. How would the SMSL SU10 DAC compare?
@ 4:45 Serious question tho, would it not make more sense just to use an EQ?
That would be your call to EQ or go with true sound signature. Thanks
I'm trying to sell my Chord hugo tt2 and M scaler to buy this. Did a direct comparison with my friends Schumann Ladder and the chord sounded a bit too "studio" like in comparison. Tonality of voices and instruments was slightly more realistic and satisfying on Ladder and also lush, big sound stage. Detail retrieval was as good as the chord stack. The thing the chord did slightly better was instrument and layer separation and tighter bass. More space around the instruments. Incredible value with this Schumann though.
I'm still enjoying it everyday.
@@Tharbamar here in Australia the Hugo tt2 and M scaler together retail got $17K Aud and the Ladder retails for $1890. Impossible to argue with that. I got them both for $13K new about 2 years ago.
Chord is over price for what’s inside IMHO.
@@Tharbamar I'm not sure what is considered high end components or not but even if we considered the Hugo Tt2 without the M scaler, it's still a considerable chunk of money. Approximately $9000aud VS $1900aud for the Schumann. To be fair the TT2 is also a headphone amp, has Bluetooth and can also work as an amplifier which it did a pretty good job of powering my Harbeth Shl5+ speakers when I tested it. Either way I think the Chinese are coming and companies like chord might have to rethink their marketing and products/prices. Don't get me wrong, I love the chord gear but the Schumann really did put my TT2 and M scaler on show a few weeks back when I compared the two. I was lucky enough to sell my Dac and M scaler yesterday for a reasonable price and I'm now waiting for the Schumann to arrive. I ordered it as soon as the funds came through without hesitation. Both the TT2 and Schumann are FPGA based chips.
Where is the Canare 4s11 speaker cable?
At 3:29 you said "Out of the box [the sound] was muffled and congested." According to what you said you then hooked up "a few different amplifiers" and tried two different sets of XLR cables. So when, after how many hours -roughly- did it "break in" then? Guess the proper term might be "settle".
This Ladder Schumann is on 24/7, it has over two months of usage. All of my comments are based on that other than out of the box comment.
Most of R2R DAC takes about 500 hours to fully settle, it can be done by leave it on 24/7.
@@Tharbamar Thanks for taking your time to answer.
Nice review. The Gustard R26 for just a little more cash is a better deal IMO.
Why do you think that? Did you compare them against each other?
@@beslemeto The reviewer didn’t give any conclusive indication in the video as to which was the warmer/more polished of the two and didn’t clarify in the comments either.
@@flemdoghd For Gustard i know it is more polished and softer sounding DAC.This Ladder is said to be even more spacious,more detailed and richer sounding than Musician Pegasus which really gets the attention.The question is is Ladder comparable or even better than Pontus 2.We have to wait and see if someone compares them.For now this Ladder DAC gets my attention.350 bucks more than Pegasus though!
Nice set-up....what did you do with your other media cabinet....?
I’m using it as TV stand, thanks
Hello again! I'm sorry, but could you please answer my question below as to how you feel the SMSL DO200 compares, since I know you really liked that one. As a matter of fact I bought that one based upon your review (my very first DAC!) PLEASE tell me what how you think these 2 compare. Thank you! Oh, also too... If you don't mind please how do you feel the Denafrips Ares II compares to these 2? I'm VERY interested because the SMSL was about $500 and the Ares II is about $850. Thanks!
Personally it will be decided based on paring components, DO200 is comparable in everything that Ares II can do and more but Ares II have slightly more expensive sound quality in my system, thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank you kindly Sir! 👍
Thanks for the review. But I've a doubt about what you mentioned about FPGA dacs, as far as I know FPGA can be used to create digital logic circuits, they can not be programmed to generate analog audio signals. FPGAs are used to do the signal processing in digital domain and then use delta-sigma or r2r technology to do the actual analog conversion. Even the Chord dacs are Delta-Sigma dacs with FPGA processing. There no pure FPGA dacs, all the so called FPGA dacs either has to be a Delta-Sigma or R2R. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Pure digital amplifier is neither delta-sigma, nor R2R. It uses a floating point math up until it will be possible to digitally generate PWM signal out of 8-6 bits PCM data. Actually, people say that ESS uses the same technique inside their chips, but after the math send 6-bits data to a delta-sigma converter rather than using two switches and LC filter. May be their chips are not so fast to generate that PWM, may be they don't want user to use LC, who knows.
PS And of course that math can be burned in an fpga
@@sc0or thanks for the info. I also have heard about digital Amplifiers but regarding DACs, afaik FPGAs can't convert digital PCM or PDM data stream to an analog audio signal. afaik FPGAs can be used to create custom digital gates based circuitry not analog circuitry.
@@akilasupun We stay in a digital domain all the time. Triggers, registers, and gates inside an FPGA can implement a digital math algorithm with no issues. And sure, an FPGA outputs a digital signal. DAC-on-Chip has an additional converter, which in case of R2R is a set of registers and resistors, and in case of "pure digital" is a complementary pair of switches followed by an LC filter. The only signal that does not need math is DSD (because all math was previously made during analog to digital conversion). It's ready to be sent into a filter directly.
(this is why DSD typically sounds better, and I'd recommend to purchase a good PCM-to-DSD software converter, and convert all your media library to DSD if you wish)
Aren't cables just wire?
Unless there are electronics in them?
One small detail, the Denafrips Ares II is about half the price of this DAC review at $700US. Not entirely a equal comparison. Maybe if it was compared to something more in the same price range like the Denafrips Pontus II, I bet the result would be different.
I had them all, Schumann outperform Pontus II with all firmware version, Pontus II is slightly better in background darkness otherwise it will give them run for the money.
Please review Pontus 2 sir :)
Decent bass👍
I have pretty much wrote off Musician Audio’s Pegasus, too many negative feedback and cases of bad after sales service and support. Now I am 😂deciding between Gustard R26 or the Ladder Schumann. What are you recommendations? Users, please share your review about these 2 decks?
After sale services are about the same, both great DAC if you like more resolution Ladder Schumann is a bit more than R26.
@@Tharbamar thank you for taking time to reply, I appreciate this very much.
Would you say the Aquaris is still a superior performer over the Schumann?
Again great review, thanks!
For someone listening to classical (solo piano, chamber music, symphones)and Jazz, what would be the better choice, timbre wise, the Schumann or the R26?
Not trying to sound condescending here, but my best advice is to always improve your speakers first by buying the best you can before you consider laying down over a thousand dollars on a DAC. Upgrading your speakers will give you the best bang for buck when it comes to improvging overall tonality quality & instrument reproduction.
@@AmbientWanderer indeed, great advice.thanks...but I've done that so..😉
I’m trying to pick between this and the r26 too my friend. Have the ares 2 but I’m not super impressed so I need the step up. Leaning towards r26 since it has lots of filter options and a great factory pre amp!
@@quinto34 then if you are 100% happy with your speakers then i realy can't see how a DAC is going to improve tonal charitiristis with said instruments. You might get a bit more calirity, but i really think the differences would be very minimal.
Maybe better amplification? But i'd assume you're using decent enough amplification already?.
Maybe an even better & cheaper option would be to play around with EQ? there is a lot of snobbery around EQ in the Hi-Fi cummunity, but don't let that put you off. If you take the time to learn about it and implement it properly , it can be extremely rewarding a lot of fun!
BTW may i ask which speakers you're currently using ?
@@AmbientWanderer I listen to solo piano music a lot and I love my speakers, Harbeth SHL5+40th..tonality is great in general, but I'm lookin for a better soundstage depth-wise and even more natural treble (for some piano recordings) .I used to own other DACs and it does make an audible difference on my system.. I own a RME ADI2 DAC and used fiddle with the EQ but its not for me, even the HD800S sounds best un-eq-ed for my ears..
I know it costs about 1/3 of the price, but I know you reviewed and really liked the SMSL DO200. How would you say this DAC compared to that one? Thank you! 😊
With a asking price of $1399, you should be comparing it to the $1703 DENAFRIPS PONTUS II instead of the $799 DENAFRIPS ARES II. Not to forget, DENAFRIPS offers free shipping, so the price difference is even smaller between the PONTUS II and the Ladder.
Shipping is free for Ladder as well. You buy it from Aliexpress anyway...
How does this unit compare to the Oncé Peridot DAC?
How does this DAC compare with Chord Qutest?
Hey everyone I hope you are having a wonderful time…… that much I understand! After that?
Dac came today. Music is playing but crackling. Any suggestions? No manual to check set up
It must be defective unit, try to get a replacement.
@@Tharbamar yeah seller will send a replacement unit. Someone else on forum said he experienced the same problem with the crackling. My concern is long term reliability and warranty support. Are you using it as your main Dac? How long have you had it in your system if so.
I’m still using it every day, I leave it on all the time. Never had noise issue with mine.
@@Tharbamar glad to hear it 👍
I really don’t pay too much attention to subtle differences between different DAC. I enjoy music not the DAC. All DAC sound different.
Yep that’s what everybody should be doing.
awesome
nice seing u again
Hi! What kind of amplifier did you use in this video?
Just read the description 👍
Okay high end sound at a reasonable price but -- Americans are buying from China. The seller has no presence in US which has led some audio enthusiasts to be very reluctant to purchase this equipment. If problem, the seller is reluctant to allow return, from what I've read.
I guess thats depends on where they bought it from, I've been using more than a year without any issue.
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.
Unfortunately Amazon buyers wrote that it will break down after a while…
Mine is more than a year old perfectly functioning.
@@Tharbamar Thanks for sharing...
Denafrips clone?
I have my ladder connection with rca cable what mode would I use?
I really believe this DAC is good. But now I have a little problem. Whether Schumann or Pegasus. These devices are so closely related to Denafrips in terms of production, and it is no longer possible to understand who is developing or copying them, who is responsible and what future prospects one of these manufacturers has.
So for me there are exactly two future-oriented brands: Denafrips and Holo.
China cannibalizes its best products. That is "amazing".
Schumann!
@@beslemeto you won't see any updates for a "Schuman". Believe it or not.
How much did you get paid for this review?
r2r is unnecessary. Just to make it work as well as others it needs hugely expensive components. moneygrab.
What a waste of time and effort. All dacs sound the same.
Lol. How many dacs have you heard?
Lol you sir are retarded if you believe this
When it comes to chipsets I agree by 100%. Use an early, barely 24 Bit capable 2002 Philips TDA15xx or latest AKM AK449x, no audible difference. When it comes to output stages of DAC devices I disagree.
Than, why did you watch this video?
I wish, I could have saved a few grand.
W4S DAC2v2se Es9038PRO femto clock ⏰️ 👌