I owned the Qutest. I added a LPS (linear power supply) with improvement (but not night and day thou). I bought a Mscaler. Added a LPS too (better but not great). I improved everything but when i replaced this expensive setup with the Pontus II, i regained the emotion, the naturalness. I also prefer the laid back presentation. Chord is forward. Some try to call it 3D but it's just forward. My system is composed with a pair of Usher Be-10, sanderssoundsystem magtech amps and preamp and an Aurender streamer. Adding the DDC Aries to the bunch improved the focus and clarity, using I2S output. I listen music with emotions, not frequencies. My speakers go deep and high with transparent amplification. DAC is the soul of a system, amps are the heart and speakers the voice. With Chord, no soul but good circulation. Not enough for me...
Exactly what I thought! Tried the Chord Dave with Mscaler at SoCal CanJam and damn, idk what game Chord guys are playing but count me out... tried the Holo May & Pontus II on normal amps and they were absolutely magical.
I have b & w 706 s2 speakers which are shouty/forward . I mostly listen to streaming music only using my iPad linked to amp. Can the addition of Pontus in my setup help in reducing the shoutyness ?
I appreciate your review. Thank you for taking the time to put together an in-depth report of your impressions. Overall, I would agree with your impressions but would add that the Qutest and Pontus II, from my own listening, provide two different perspectives on conveying the same music. The Pontus II has a more balanced presentation of all elements of the music while the Qutest seems to focus on emphasizing the primary components of music. Also, my impression is that the Qutest provides a level of tonal quality that is almost artificially Technicolor in its intensity. The tonal quality of the Pontus feels less intense, but also more natural to my ears.
I love this guy.He explains the differences very well.In the ends it is up to our ears which one we will prefer.I wish there was a 1 month trial for all these high end DAC's ☺
Thanks Terry….Very helpful. I have a Pontus II shipping today from China. You confirmed that I made the right choice with your extremely detailed review. For the level of my system, budget and my sound preferences…you have put a smile on my face for what's in the package that I have coming my way! 👍🏼🙂
Thanks to your reviews I bought a Qutest last year,sounds great in my system,when I'm ready to move up from it,I'll get the Dave. Keep up the good work.
Great honest review! I have owned the Pontus 2 , but now own the Venus 2 . I found all you said about the Pontus 2 very accurate. The Venus 2 will surprise you compared the Pontus 2 , punchy base more detail in mids and highs but still has natural tone with greater separation and soundstage. Should give the other dacs you mentioned some competition. I also own the Kinky Studio EX-m1 with sparkoslabs op amps, looking forward to you reviewing the EX-m1+
Darren. I have the Pontus IiI (formerly had the qutest), with Hermes and enjoying them both. I have been looking for a new integrated and the ex-m1+ is right near the top of the list with atoll in300 Sig and possibly a used moon etc. How are you liking the ex-m1? Would you buy it again? Happy? I see some value in the power output as I have 85db speakers ...
Nice review Terry and surprising about the chord DAC 🙂 I've got a friend coming over on Sunday he is the Australian distributor for denafrips. He's bringing over a Terminator plus for me to audition. I happen to own a denafrips ddc Gaia, so where going to put both of them together on Sunday in my rig and see how it goes. With my new Diablo 300 and the Lumin U1 and Wilson Alexia's we should be in for a fun day.👍🎧🙂
I have now qutest with unison research s6 and buchardt s400 an it's magic 😉 My room is prepared and I think this is most important thing. Qutest is forward dac but warmth of tube and buchardt u shaped soundstage is really good matching setup.
I have had both DACs. Went from qutest, to qutest plus lps, to Pontus II. The qutest with an lps is a very solid offering and if I were into electronica or hip hop, I would have kept that combo....I now have a Pontus II plus Hermes DDC and very happy. I am mostly a rock, blues, jazz guy and in that Pontus II brought me into the emotion of the Music more (without the DDC), and I found the Pontus have a better, more natural feel and non fatiguing. The DDC brought streaming to the next level, bringing another 50% ...surprisingly so. Streaming is much better to me. The net: you must get an lps if you own a qutest, and if you do you can't go wrong with either....Pontus II wins for rock/acoustic/blues/jazz.
@@beslemeto who told you natural (I take it you mean live unamplified acoustic music) sounds soft? Have you ever heard the violin close by? A brass band? Baroque music? A full blown jazz trumpet? All these absolutely do not sound soft, warm and fuzzy..
@@razisn All the reviews i have watched claim that R2R DAC's sound natural.I guess softness is offered by some of them and it is not related to the chip...
Thanking you Terry for this video presentation, and even more so for the nod to Lyn Stanley! I instantly went to my Qobuz account and am enjoying a very nice quality recording, again THANK YOU for pointing out some great music and the musicians behind them!
Thanks honest review I own a pontus II using their Athena pre amp with the Kinki EX-M7 and im very satisfied even on bass:) sure the higher models plus ddc are better but sometimes you need to make some compromise on price / value. and Pontus II is there at the top
Well well. You're not one to magnify the Denafrips hype! And that's appreciated. First time I've seen this review. I was torn between buying a Qutest or a Denafrips (Ares or Pontus). I settled on the Pontus dac. I like how you mention that in some sense, it can be more satisfying to have a more forgiving Dac that can present less-than-pristine recordings in a musical way.
Chord qutest is sitting there with a friend trying to get the stereo to sound like a cello. The Pontus 2 is listening to your favourites, inviting people over getting drunk and enjoying the music.
Terry,please try the Qutest via optical input!You will be amazed! Watts recommends because of the galvanic isolation.The Δ in dimensionality and naturaleness is noticeable!
Another great benefit of the Pontus II is the i2s input connection. Can be used as an external dac to play SACD's to another level of performance. Hdmi to i2s connection.
I had the Qutest, but heard something in the top end that sounded artificial to me. Ended up with Pontus after having the Ares for about six months. Denafrips really hold their value on the used market.
Terry, I appreciate you, sir. You are the only one that has said that the Chord is better than the Denafrips. You did it with class and you said what you heard. I'm currently looking for a replacement DAC, so I'm taking it all in. When I hear one person straying from the pack, it makes me do even more investigating. Thank you for your time and effort.
I am just always honest, I dont aim to be brutal honest because there is no merit in that, but in this instance Chord FPGA DAC's have stand out strengths and characteristics as does the Pontus II, you can build a great sounding system around both you just might go a different route with the rest of the gear to do so
Thanks for your excellent review and your honnesty. I have the chance to have the both of them, Pontus II and Qutest, and well, it's a bit complicated, i would say that personnally i prefer the musicality of the Pontus II over the Qutest . The Pontus II is slightly on the warm side , but still giving a sense of deptht which is very impressive to my ears . The qutest will provide you to my ears, more energy , and then comes one of the important factor, that s the synergy ....in one system the one or the other will take the lead, and the qutest with an extern power supply, will give you more , but at the end of the journey, i ve seen that if you have the Lintons for example that i have or the Harbeth that i also have, its quite different and the pontus , even it s great , would not be the best match for Lintons , there is the denafrips Ares II, will provide more space but less coherent . Very nice journey . On the other hand the Pontus II will pair very nice with the Harbeth M30.2 XD for example , just the perfect match . Another point synergy with ...amplfiers , also very important and going to several directions, but as far as the Pontus II , you ll never be deceived . The qutest is also a very nice dac . Personnaly my preference goes to the Pontus II but both are a bunch for the money .Thanks again !
@@zoranveljkovic3368 Hi Zoran , I would personnally go for the ...Qutest , the Aries is very very good also, but if you put an externe power supply to the qutest, it is no match and it goes very well with the Lintons to my ears .
I have b & w 706 s2 speakers which are shouty/forward . I mostly listen to streaming music only using my iPad linked to amp. Can the addition of Pontus in my setup help in reducing the shoutyness ?
If you listen to Qutest through Roon with the -Headroom Management function turned on, the stiffness disappears. You can listen to music all day without getting tired.
Hi all. Let me put in my five cents. Personally, I choose Chord, and here's why. I like this kind of technical stuff, but I don't listen to music that often, maybe once a week, maybe once a month if I'm not at home. The sound of Chord Qutest and Pontus are very similar for me. Pontus is slightly less neutral. As an interesting device in terms of weight and price, there is something old-school. Qutest, on the contrary, is small and high-tech. With almost the same sound, it's easier for me to have a Chord brick. Imho, Chord is unpretentious and will live longer. The sound quality of Pontus is very dependent on the details, and I'm afraid that over time, if at least one of the details fails, it will greatly affect the sound, then you have to repair, look for details, master, I myself don’t understand this, who knows how it should sound. I have no doubts about Chord. I will add that I listen to music mostly with headphones. If I preferred to turn the loudspeakers louder, then I would probably choose Pontus and amplifiers of a similar class. (Sorry for my English, not originaly) :)
I am a Denafrips Pontus II owner for over a year now. I would like to share my experience with it also. I have shared my thoughts on another website also, therefore, the text might seem familiar to some. Audio equipment sound is relative. Therefore, when we comment on a DAC, we are actually commenting on our audio system. I have a very modest system build around a pair of Elac Navis ARB-51 active speakers. It sounds somewhat like a studio monitor which enables me to understand nuanced source differences. I don't have a preamp even; I control volume using HQPlayer.
When I first received the Elacs it sounded glorious even with a spare Topping D10, very warm, rich and sweet sounding. But after a few days of burn in the speakers opened up. Overtime it started behaving more like a studio monitor and made the flaws of the D10 obvious - a weak mid-range. So started looking for a good quality audiophile DAC with warm presentation and good mid-range body and fell into the youtube reviewer trap!
From first hookup I knew Pontus was not a good DAC. The only obvious difference from my previous cheap DACs is it has more bite and grip in the high frequencies, and at the bottom, exactly opposite of what I expected. Nevertheless, in the region I come from, it is not easy to resale audiophile products, especially personally imported products like the Pontus. So, I had to make it work.
Immediately I moved to the NOS mode and it sounded worse than anything I ever owned. The sound lacked resolution, soundstage was small, claustrophobic and there was significant high frequency roll-off, the worst part the sound was gritty and unrefined with a hard mid range.
What I came to learn later that all Denafrips DACs have DSPs inside that do God knows what, reviews by GoldenSound on RUclips has more to say about it. To summarize with Pontus II, you will get -
1. A NOS mode that is a total abomination 2. A OS mode that sounds like similar to other DACs from China 3. Sound is a little gritty, unrefined in any mode I do not know how to call this better by any stretch of imagination. If you plug this device to any speaker, amplifier where there is any room for "aggressive expansion" the increased bass, treble and grittiness of Pontus will sound better. That is why I said at the beginning why a DAC’s sound is relative. BTW I do not know of any device in the world that will sound good in the NOS mode!
Some define Pontus as analog sounding; I feel like crying when I hear that. I have heard some good LPs and cassette decks; standout quality of an analog system is it will never give you listening fatigue. But Pontus is very fatiguing after a while, especially if you have a transparent system like me.
After over a year of usage, Pontus have become even more open in the bass and treble region, the OS mode is now unlistenable, and NOS mode still have the same problems as stated before. But HQPlayer upsampling helps to some extent fix the problems of the NOS mode, but in addition, I have to cut off high frequencies with a low pass filter in the HQPlayer pipeline settings to shave off some of the bright top end of Pontus. There is another review from Terry who has done an excellent job of preparing a demo of how Pontus actually sounds. Listen to the Piano section of that video at ruclips.net/video/Qj2rEgiGCBU/видео.html BTW my system - 1. Elac Navis ARB-51 Active Bookshelf Speaker 2. Denafrips Pontus II R2R DAC in Non-oversampling (NOS) Mode 3. ASUS Fanless Mini PC PN41 with Signalyst HQPlayer, upsampling at 88.2/96 KHz using Sinc-Mx filter 4. Audioquest Yukon XLR Cable 5. Evo3 IsoPlug Mains Noise Filter 6. HiFi OCC Copper USB Cable 7. Sound Addicted Subble Isolation Feet Now Elacs are connected to the balanced output of the Pontus
I would suggest looking at your source as the cause for grittiness to the sound, there was no grittiness at all feeding into the Pontus II I2S - try a a converter and def dont use USB from a computers motherboard
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you for your reply. I think I did not use appropriate words to make myself clear 😃 By grittiness I meant lack of refinement in the upper midrange and high frequencies. If you listen to carefully in your sound demo it can be heard. BTW I thought also that PC source can be the problem. So, I replaced it with reclocked optical/coaxial source to have no improvement at all. BTW appropriate HQPlayer upsampling helps considerably to improve the refinement that is in lowering the grittiness.
I think I2S is the better way to connect to this type of DAC and of course its not perfect, I said so in this review, its tuned to sound a certain way to overcome iits short comings all more affordable HiFi and probably more expensive is designed like it
It majors on boldness if you want more resolution from R2R you have to spend more that is what the comparison with the Aquarius confirmed. Boldness is not how analogue sounds thats non explained well. Its softer at the top end like most R2R DACs that makes them appear smoother sounding and that is the bit people attribute to analogue.
Love your vids, thank you. Genuine well intended comment - some elocution lessons would be a good investment. e.g. "Thick base", "I think" etc. - with a TH, not a F.
To be honest I agree with you, I have a very strong accent from where I grew up which effects my pronunciation of words, however so long as people can understand what I am referring i think that is most important but I dont disagree with your criticism.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem - i have been guilty of my own criticism at times depending on where I lived; I even developed a Welsh accent at one point! ;o) As you say, the content of what you say is the most important and you certainly nail that. My comment was only to help make you 'sound' (ironic!) better educated - ergo more credible. Keep up the good work!
funny because I got the Qtest, (got a good deal, 1000$) and it is fine and relaxing, but never satisfying. It always sounds a little too thin and you are never impressed. I am looking to upgrade the PSU, in hope it will fix it, but it is a persistent annoyance. other then that I have no significant complains about the Qtest, very good output stage, exceptional usb implementation hope a good PSU will fix it.
Thank you so much for the review of the Pontus II - especially throwing in your comparison to the Qutest. These are the 2 DACs I’m considering. Thank you as well for the Lyn Stanley referral - really like it! Question - I have my REL T7x deep in the front corners of my room - noticed yours are near your beautiful TAD bookshelves - specific reason to place them there vs in the actual front corners?
Very good review and - to be honest - I am very happy that you mentioned that the Qutest could sound harsh at times., because I felt the same but in a lot of reviews it was descriped as the go to DAC of you like the analogue sound. I tried the Ares 2, but was quite disappointed with it's bass performance but also delighted with it's very natural tonality. So now hope that the Ponuts will be more satisfying. Were you also able to compare the Pontus to the Musician Audio Pegasus you reviewed a couple of moths ago, because price wise they are closer that Pontus/Aquarius?
Having listened to the pontus 2 and venus 2 I would say that the sound was very detailed and the soundstage really holographic! But... slow and muddy, annoyingly smooth on the treble. After the fourth test track I didn’t find myself wanting for more. It seems to be the case for the majority of r2r dacs. It’s a no go if one is into electronic music or metal. The aquarius seems more balanced overall though I haven’t auditioned it.
@@backrack01 Yes unfortunately. I really like what they tried to do but it doesn’t work for all kinds of music. The Terminator plus is a different ball game. . I suspect it might be one of the best on the market
@@vagomaniac so you've heard the t+? I was considering the t2 just to be done with it but its strange... I'm having a hard time finding comparisons between the t+ & t2. Definitely not easy finding user experience with electronic/ hip hop.
@@backrack01 No I haven’t auditioned the Term+ but alpha audio has a recording comparing the sound of pontus venus and terminator, and the difference is very obvious! It’s a lot more expensive though. I mostly care about the natural presentation of the physical instruments so I’m leaning towards an AKM design. Bryston dac 3 is the most balanced and the price is not ultra high…
Hi Terry. Great review. It is worth it to change from Pontus 2- Iris DDC combination to Venus 2 Dac? My system includes: Naim Supernait 3 integrated amp with Hicap DR, Proac’s D20R speakers and Auralic Aries LE streamer with Sbooster power supply. Witchhat phantom speaker cables and Chord interconects.
Love the tad evolution behind you. But the system I heard them in showed some absolutely horrible and weird sounding bass coming from those panels. The setup was a full T+A
Nailed it Terry, you've answered most of the pertinent questions and bringing is the Qutest made it all make more sense (for us Brits especially) being a DAC we all know and love. I've succumbed to my intrigue and ordered a Pontus 2 to try, I have a Qutest but for me the acid test is going to be high frequency extension / focus and detail I.e. how much do I sacrifice and is the exchange worth it? Worst case the Qutest stays and the Pontus goes or vice versa. What I can say is its bloody hard to upgrade from the Qutest without spending significantly more money, or compromising in certain areas (O have tried twice already) hoping the Pontus is an upgrade and not a side grade but it may be more of the latter (damn it lol). Yes the Hugo TT2 is mega and my dream DAC its just bloody expensive even used its going for £3k plus, the Terminator 2 is parallel to it but cheaper slightly, still £3.5k. So the question remains, how do you move up from the Qutest with no compromise without spending £3k plus? Spoiler, the Venus is a mushy overly warm DAC hence we can sidestep that one... is there anything else in that £2k sweetspot or do we just need to suck it up and save for a TT2 or Terminator 2? Thanks for another fantastic review 👍
The Holo Audio Spring Level 3 (also an R2R Dac) is still the Dac to beat around that price point. "A British Audiophile" (on youttube) recently rated it above the Pontus II.
@@connorduke4619 Thanks for chiming in, my concern with Holo Audio in general is that they are pure NOS and many reviewers have described their sound as very smooth which to me means they lack leading edge attack and detail. It therefore isn't the type of profile I'd go for. I'm more what Terry described, ultra greedy 🤣 detail and musicality without too much compromise. It is probable that the real step improvement is the TT2 or Terminator 2. I have thrown my hat in the ring with the Pontus 2 and will try it and see, I may love it, maybe not, but it was just too tempting not to try. Metrum Pavane, or Aqua La Voce are options, however both enter Terminator 2 territory and probably aren't as good. Both are different to the Hugo TT2. There is a bit of a dead spot in that £2k or under region. If Musician Audio did their research, they would have lowered the price of their latest DAC to fill the gap and I would have gone for it... however they are left competing just under the T2 which is likely much better for a little extra 😉
@@MusicLover-01 Interesting, many fall for the (for anywhere near the price) almost unparalleled holographic presentation of the Holo Audio May. The leading edges are ok for me on this demo, although I can appreciate YMMV: ruclips.net/video/dKNYZxTGSM8/видео.html
Good review! My first exposure to Terry.... is there someplace where his listening system is described? I think it's good to know as much as possible about the reviewer's other components and room in order to calibrate to the system characteristics that a person is familiar with. Thanks in advance for any pointers!
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks, and love your room! It's larger than mine, and it helps knowing that as you describe the sound you are hearing from various components.
I'm back with a question. 1) I have the very nice RME adi-2 fs dac hooked up to my Oppo 105D player. Like all cd/sacd players, one cannot hook up an external dac to use to play sacd disk's. But wait 😀 one can ( not with normal cd/sacd players ) but with the Oppo HDMi out to 12S in to ext dac. RME adi2 does not have I2S in ! the Denafrips Ares II has not! but the Musician Pegasus has so has the Denafrips Pontus II....So to play sacd with an ext dac...RME and Ares II is out. leaves the Pegasus and Pontus II ( and obviously others as well ) You have reviewed the Pontus II inc the Aquarius and the Pegasus in another vid. Okay here it comes, have you compared the Pontus II vs Pegasus ? ( both have I2S input ) The pontus II is twice the price. In case you have or have an idea, is it worth spending 2x the money of the Pegasus just for the I2S input ? The RME is about the same cost as the Pegasus so even cost wise. Is it worth ditching the RME and go past the Pegasus and going with the Pontust II ? ( this will be my long term dac ) Asociate equipment is the Willsenton R8 Int amp and the Magnepan LRS and Triangle Comete EZ 40th Anni speakers. Sorry for the long story.. Would be greatfull for your input..regards from New Zealand.
I just can't help but think this guy is a footballer 🤣 something about his look SCREAMS footballer to me, like you would for sure run into him in a pub a couple pints deep watching the match with his colors on
@@MusicLover-01 the pontus has this upper mids shouty, the ares doesn’t have the shouty mids but it looses a little bit of detailed.. the qutest is more flatter sound but no digital glare like other dac chip based
@@kortam6065 Hi Robby, thanks for your reply, very interesting observations. I share your experience with Qutest, very flat and controlled and detailed, it sounds gorgeous to me. I will certainly pay attention the Pontus 2 to see if it is shouty in my system, although pleased that the double edged sword is lots of detail! My system is extremely sensitive to non linear irregularity hence I'll see if I get this result for sure.
@@MusicLover-01 yeah! Its system synergy.. the pontus that i had was paired with pass labs pre and amp with a kef reference speakers.. might be to much neutrality
I know this is an old review, but the better comparison would've been the Denafrips Terminator (a more leveled priced item) against the Musician Aquarius??? I'm betting the Terminator would've have easily bested the Aquarius.
Terminator is twice the price of the Aquarius and I didn’t have one available - these two are closer in the price than the terminator is to the Aquarius
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ah, yes, I should have said the Venus ($3,085) would have been a more appropriate comparison to the Aquarius; but I understand you can only compare what you have, and what your wallet allows or what a vendor may provide for review. Apologies. BTW, I ordered a Pontus because both the Venus ($3,100) and Terminators ($4900, and $7,600) were too rich for my wallet, so I mean no digs.
I’d love to see how the Aquarius compares with Denafrips most closely priced unit, the Venus II. Even the Terminator II for giggles. That said if I were looking at something in the T2 price range I’d look to Rockna instead.
There are a few other publications doing big Denafrips DAC comparisons, one website is comparing them all I cant think of the name of the site at the minute sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem interesting. So far yours is the only direct comparison I’ve seen with Denafrips which is part of what makes the comparison so interesting :)
Al final siempre tengo la sensación de que es una cuestión de finura y detalles, pero esto se supera con el camino de los ecualizadores analógicos, Muchos dacs he visto y disfruto más con eq analog, mucho mejor, ajusto el sonido a mis preferencias, ¿se trata de eso? creo que si, jjejejjej, solo mi opinión.
Phase is a misnomer used for decades by people who should know better. Even Paul McGowan (PS Audio) admitted it, even though his older remotes say phase. It's actually POLARITY
There is a difference www.google.com/search?q=phase+vs+polarity&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB774GB774&oq=phase+vs+p&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i512l9.6040j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I really enjoy your channel with your experience and clear description of products but I assumed you were from the UK by your accent and the equipment you review. So why the Dollars and American bias?
Have you reviewed the Kinki amplifier shown above the DAC in your video? I have been reading as many reviews of them as I can because I am about to order one.
There are reviewers who claim the exact opposite: the Chord would smooth out bad recordings and be a tad too gentle and robb some music off the aggressiveness. So hifi is still as inconsisent among different people as it always was. Unreliable. Thanks for the review!
There is no way they would say that about this dac, that is not whar R2R dacs do, none of the ones I have listened to do, they all round off the music edges for a more pleasing "musical" sound. NOS R2R dacs have a bit more bite to the sound, but that is not always a good thing it depends on the dac
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hi Terry, I think we have some miaunderstabding. I just found it funny that two major reviewer (audio journey from Germany and some orher guy whose name I forgot) claimed the opposite. It would make bas recordings more bearable. We are talking about the Chord Qutest. In my own experience entry R2R DACs like the Denafrips Ares sound very organic, calm, a bit euphonic, dark timbre, diffuse but major staging. It has to do, in my opinion, wirh less time smearing effects but the resistors are simetimes not even precise enough to come up with the 16 bits (more is not necessary anyway in consumer ways). This is why I have to laugh regarding high end audio claims. Hyping so called high res (marketing gag, please study the physics), then again hyping R2R which physically can only deal wirh maximum redbook standard. For my taste, r2r is the nearest digital can bring me to the smooth and logical analog sound.perfect.
But anyway I do not expect us to agree. Thanks anyway for the review. I found your comparison betwenn the passive and active ATC SCM 50 especially interesting. Best wishes
What you have said about the R2R dacs is pretty much what I said, they round off the edges of the music to make it smoother but that can come at the cost of precision and definition and drive sometimes too - it all depends on so many factors I wouldn't ever rule one thing in or out or draw a line and stand by it as tomorrow you might hear something that ruins that whole mindset and then pride kicks in. Best to be open minded all the time
@@PursuitPerfectSystemmy first statement was just that certain reviewers said the CHORD would make bad recordings sound listenable. I found this curious. Nothing more, nothing. Because I am critical I can afford to be open minded ;) Best wishes.
Thanks for your great review. I was thinking to add Pontus II to my system, Rotel and Whafedale 4.4. USB connection produce 384 khz PCM, would there be a huge improvement to my system, if I were to add Pontus II to my system? May I have your opinion please? Thanks!
Hi Todd the snag of using the Pontus with a tube system is its balanced / best off the balanced outputs a lot of tube gear is single ended designed - however I have thought for a while R2R DACs with tube gear and the right speakers can be a great way to go. I calibrated dirac for a customers system last year which was a Denafrips Terminator big Line Magentic Tube amp and Klipsch Forte speakers and I really did love how that system sounded for the music I listen to. Lots of factors at play as always but I wouldn't rule it out for sure but the Chord is more treble / detail prominent in its white filter mode
Interesting comparison I listen to a lot of harder electronic music and metal so having a high energy dac with extra bass slam is important to me. Quetest appears to be a great fit but I’d be worried that it would be too unforgiving for this kind of music. What would you choose?
very good review, as usual, according to your standards. There is TAD ME1 for some time in your room, are you planning to share your thoughts about it?
hi terry.i heard the chord dave the other day on a speaker test and it sounded great. .in your opinion is the dave better sounding than the ps audio dac?
I’m going on a blind choose between this and the Gustard x26 pro because it’s impossible to listen to them before the purchase.. somebody else stated that the Gustard is a better dac compared to the qutest, with the same pros but not as edgy, easier to listen to.. so I suppose it to be overall better than the Pontus!! Have you ever heard the Gustard?
I feel this somebody has not used the Qutest with a proper LPS. Or the ifi Elite. Neither have I, but the typical 5€ SMPSs in the line even without a dac connected introduces harshness to a hifi system (this i really know!), so that I‘d be careful with the term „edgy“ associated to the qutest. Most testers are not saying which psu was used with the Q.. but those commentators who have used different psus univocally say its a different animal with better ones. But how good?
@@gioponti6359 this somebody is the channel goldensound, and if you know his channel you would never ask to yourself if he test his gear at their fullest potential.. trust me, you felt wrong!! Edit: ok, maybe edgy is not the right term, but he clearly states that the Gustard is the better dac compared to the qutest
@@Iuglus not sure, he has never mentioned the use of any 3rd party PSUs, so I assume the standard SMPS has been used. in my personal experience any other (SM)PSU in the same circuit influences the sound of the system potentially rather dramatically, and even in a somewhat less consistent way than one would like PSU types to be. so i read /see tests abit with a pinch of salt. Am sure the somewhat warm midbass hump reported here for the denafrips may largely be removed with better cabling and fuse. sounds controversial, but well, things depend on ancillaries.
We cannot say anything before we hear them both and compare them!I guess Pontus is the winner for now since all the RUclips Audiophiles are very satisfied of its capabilities!
@@beslemeto based on the reviews you could say the same for the Gustard.. a user from a Facebook group swapped his terminator for the Gustard after hearing it, so I guess it’s just a a matter of taste
@@18yearsoldnot qutest is more accurate, clear and detailed. Ares is more of a fun sound in the sense theirs more decay and probably coloration but it sounds nice. Less detailed than the qutest but not miles away. There's some comparison videos on you tube if you search. I got the pontus to get the clarity, detail of the qutest and the tone of the ares, and its laid back sound.
@@cantfindanamefree thanks for the info! I have the ares 2 already so will probably give the qutest a miss and get the mojo 2. I do feel however that the qutest may have way more value than the ares if you oversample and tweak the EQ via Audirvāna or roon.
@@18yearsoldnot I guess the downside of denfrips is I had to take a punt on ares and pontus where as chord you can demo quite easily. I do think the pontus is good and worth considering.
Terry, am looking to replace the Metrum Musette DAC in my headphone system. The natural choice would be the Metrum Onyx with DAC3 modules at +/- £3000. The issue is that for less money I could have the Denfrips Pontus II AND the Denafrips Iris DDC. Thoughts please?
Best thing to do John is demo, demo and demo some more, its the only way to work out whats going to be the next step for you. DAC changes might change how you build the rest of the system around it,
@@oohtob6685 Hmm, for that level of detail you might need to go on their website and go through the ordering process. Or just send them an enquiry directly.
I don’t get this love for the qutest, I’ve heard it in multiple different systems and rooms including twice in my own home for a weekend each time, each time it has sounded the same to me, lifeless, dull, no soundstage, no bass, no top end, I actually preferred the standard dac in the node 2i over it, anyway ended up going to an nd5 xs2, the built in dac there is far superior to the qutest
In your opinion does the Pontus II sound full and not thin? Currently got the ares and thinking of upgrading to the Pontus to make my b&w 702 s2 sound more warmer. Will the Pontus add more midrange n midbsss? Running the 702 full range. Thank you
It's getting more and more difficult to find products that are not made in C hina, even well known brands, although assembled in the UK have been bought by Asian companies.
The Qutest underperforms being used out of Optical and set to 3v output. 2v out is the correct sound signature being less brash and Optical input offers the lowest noise. Combined with an LPSU or a portable batt supply its a killer DAC. Also my valve amps dont have balanced XLR so alll the engineering that goes into Pontus II fully balanced circuit (and almost certain downgrade for using rca's) is totally wasted in me. As is XLR in the home environment anyway!
I think you will find that people use linears and batteries with the qutest because of me and the videos I was making 6 +years ago about topic so I am pretty clued up on this
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Nothing personal was meant, just an opinion shared. I wish i had time to run a youtube channel dedicated to testing and talking about hifi, so im envious more than anything!
"Thick" bass/bloom is NEVER a good thing; in fact, it represents a serious coloration. If we do not have superior LF performance (whether DAC, Preamp/Power, Loudspeakers or cabling) SQ throughout the audible spectrum suffers --greatly. pj
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Uhh, no. No high-resolution system "benefits" from poor LF resolution/articulation, (i.e. transparency). In fact more and more premium Hi-Fi (amplification manufacturer's primarily) are seeking circuit design with -3 db. LF bandwidth to under 0.1 Hz. (that's zero-point-one Hertz) and others seeking even greater/lower numbers. Today, it's very clear that extended bandwidth (at both ends; LF/HF) is paramount to ultimate signal accuracy/transparency. Summing up, if we mess up a components LF performance (product, acoustics etc.) we'll never experience ultimate clarity/definition from the signal --particularly from the vocal-range and up. LF definition is paramount to wide-band, crystal clear clarity, definition, air/ambience and sound-staging. pj
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Lol. I'm well aware of that. The point being such ultra-low LF 'bandwidth' is critical to circuit performance/SQ within the audible range. For the most part, it's a "new" discovery but the top circuit researchers/engineers know its impact upon SQ: specifically LF resolution-transparency (i.e. amplification circuits LF -3 db. point/spec.) pj
@@wric01 your 'argument' is rooted in your ignorance. Not being able to purchase American made soap for example is not implicit of having to shell out big bucks for China made electronics. You can shove your China made junk! CAPISCI?
I owned the Qutest. I added a LPS (linear power supply) with improvement (but not night and day thou). I bought a Mscaler. Added a LPS too (better but not great). I improved everything but when i replaced this expensive setup with the Pontus II, i regained the emotion, the naturalness. I also prefer the laid back presentation. Chord is forward. Some try to call it 3D but it's just forward. My system is composed with a pair of Usher Be-10, sanderssoundsystem magtech amps and preamp and an Aurender streamer.
Adding the DDC Aries to the bunch improved the focus and clarity, using I2S output.
I listen music with emotions, not frequencies. My speakers go deep and high with transparent amplification. DAC is the soul of a system, amps are the heart and speakers the voice. With Chord, no soul but good circulation. Not enough for me...
DDC Aries ? you mean the IRIS ?
Exactly what I thought! Tried the Chord Dave with Mscaler at SoCal CanJam and damn, idk what game Chord guys are playing but count me out... tried the Holo May & Pontus II on normal amps and they were absolutely magical.
I have b & w 706 s2 speakers which are shouty/forward . I mostly listen to streaming music only using my iPad linked to amp. Can the addition of Pontus in my setup help in reducing the shoutyness ?
I appreciate your review. Thank you for taking the time to put together an in-depth report of your impressions.
Overall, I would agree with your impressions but would add that the Qutest and Pontus II, from my own listening, provide two different perspectives on conveying the same music. The Pontus II has a more balanced presentation of all elements of the music while the Qutest seems to focus on emphasizing the primary components of music. Also, my impression is that the Qutest provides a level of tonal quality that is almost artificially Technicolor in its intensity. The tonal quality of the Pontus feels less intense, but also more natural to my ears.
I love this guy.He explains the differences very well.In the ends it is up to our ears which one we will prefer.I wish there was a 1 month trial for all these high end DAC's ☺
Thanks Terry….Very helpful. I have a Pontus II shipping today from China. You confirmed that I made the right choice with your extremely detailed review. For the level of my system, budget and my sound preferences…you have put a smile on my face for what's in the package that I have coming my way! 👍🏼🙂
Thanks to your reviews I bought a Qutest last year,sounds great in my system,when I'm ready to move up from it,I'll get the Dave. Keep up the good work.
Yeah its an excellent dac
You might want to try Terminator plus too. I have DAVE+MScaler. Checked out T Plus, found they have different strength and hard to pick only one.
So glad I got the Qutest. No reason to upgrade anytime soon.
Yeah fpga is the sweet spot in dac technology to my ears. And there's something to the short signal path also.
@@jos5067 I'm all for that idea
@@jos5067 Is there a V2 coming?
Great honest review! I have owned the Pontus 2 , but now own the Venus 2 . I found all you said about the Pontus 2 very accurate. The Venus 2 will surprise you compared the Pontus 2 , punchy base more detail in mids and highs but still has natural tone with greater separation and soundstage. Should give the other dacs you mentioned some competition. I also own the Kinky Studio EX-m1 with sparkoslabs op amps, looking forward to you reviewing the EX-m1+
Darren. I have the Pontus IiI (formerly had the qutest), with Hermes and enjoying them both. I have been looking for a new integrated and the ex-m1+ is right near the top of the list with atoll in300 Sig and possibly a used moon etc. How are you liking the ex-m1? Would you buy it again? Happy? I see some value in the power output as I have 85db speakers ...
That's great. I too have the Venus II and Kinki EX-M1+ combo!
I also added Hermes DDC, which improves the detail a little more.
THANKS TERRY …WE APPRECIATE YOUR HUMOR 🤗 and YOUR REVIEWS 😍😍😍
A very articulate and to the point delivery, Terry. Impressive...
Nice review Terry and surprising about the chord DAC 🙂 I've got a friend coming over on Sunday he is the Australian distributor for denafrips. He's bringing over a Terminator plus for me to audition. I happen to own a denafrips ddc Gaia, so where going to put both of them together on Sunday in my rig and see how it goes. With my new Diablo 300 and the Lumin U1 and Wilson Alexia's we should be in for a fun day.👍🎧🙂
I have now qutest with unison research s6 and buchardt s400 an it's magic 😉
My room is prepared and I think this is most important thing.
Qutest is forward dac but warmth of tube and buchardt u shaped soundstage is really good matching setup.
Thank you for the review - and the record recommendation. Really enjoyed it on the Denafrips T+ and ATC Active 50s:-)
Thanks Terry , you are one of the better reviewers . Your reviews are very well done , i appreciate them !!!
Thanks Branko
I have had both DACs. Went from qutest, to qutest plus lps, to Pontus II. The qutest with an lps is a very solid offering and if I were into electronica or hip hop, I would have kept that combo....I now have a Pontus II plus Hermes DDC and very happy. I am mostly a rock, blues, jazz guy and in that Pontus II brought me into the emotion of the Music more (without the DDC), and I found the Pontus have a better, more natural feel and non fatiguing. The DDC brought streaming to the next level, bringing another 50% ...surprisingly so. Streaming is much better to me. The net: you must get an lps if you own a qutest, and if you do you can't go wrong with either....Pontus II wins for rock/acoustic/blues/jazz.
electronic music need perfect natural sound too... so i dont understand why people could say this..
@@lextr3110 Because R2R DACS sound kinda soft and natural which leads to take the energy from the electronic music. ☺
@@beslemeto who told you natural (I take it you mean live unamplified acoustic music) sounds soft? Have you ever heard the violin close by? A brass band? Baroque music? A full blown jazz trumpet? All these absolutely do not sound soft, warm and fuzzy..
@@razisn All the reviews i have watched claim that R2R DAC's sound natural.I guess softness is offered by some of them and it is not related to the chip...
@@Elpi2001 Absolutely not!These DAC are built like tank!Inside and outside!
Excellent review! I appreciate the song recommendations too! I always like to hear new talent especially and audiophile artist….
Thanking you Terry for this video presentation, and even more so for the nod to Lyn Stanley! I instantly went to my Qobuz account and am enjoying a very nice quality recording, again THANK YOU for pointing out some great music and the musicians behind them!
Great review as always, thank you!
Thanks honest review I own a pontus II using their Athena pre amp with the Kinki EX-M7 and im very satisfied even on bass:) sure the higher models plus ddc are better but sometimes you need to make some compromise on price / value. and Pontus II is there at the top
Well well. You're not one to magnify the Denafrips hype! And that's appreciated. First time I've seen this review. I was torn between buying a Qutest or a Denafrips (Ares or Pontus). I settled on the Pontus dac. I like how you mention that in some sense, it can be more satisfying to have a more forgiving Dac that can present less-than-pristine recordings in a musical way.
Always the truth on this channel thanks for noticing, I don't tell people what they want to hear, I tell them what they need to hear
Chord qutest is sitting there with a friend trying to get the stereo to sound like a cello. The Pontus 2 is listening to your favourites, inviting people over getting drunk and enjoying the music.
Terry,please try the Qutest via optical input!You will be amazed!
Watts recommends because of the galvanic isolation.The Δ in dimensionality and naturaleness is noticeable!
Another great benefit of the Pontus II is the i2s input connection. Can be used as an external dac to play SACD's to another level of performance. Hdmi to i2s connection.
I had the Qutest, but heard something in the top end that sounded artificial to me. Ended up with Pontus after having the Ares for about six months. Denafrips really hold their value on the used market.
Terry, I appreciate you, sir. You are the only one that has said that the Chord is better than the Denafrips. You did it with class and you said what you heard. I'm currently looking for a replacement DAC, so I'm taking it all in. When I hear one person straying from the pack, it makes me do even more investigating. Thank you for your time and effort.
I am just always honest, I dont aim to be brutal honest because there is no merit in that, but in this instance Chord FPGA DAC's have stand out strengths and characteristics as does the Pontus II, you can build a great sounding system around both you just might go a different route with the rest of the gear to do so
Just wait till it breaks, Chord is notorious for QC issues and cusomer care
@@SSchithFoo Thanks for the reply, I had no idea Chord had QC issues.
Great job Terry!
Cheers and thanks Terry,, 🍻😎👍
Great review.thanks.😊
Solid review mate. Makes a lot of sense.
oh man, bummer this came out right after mine, I would have loved to include your 2 cents :(. Great vid!!
This is why I bought the Chord quest.
That Kinki looks great on the rack.
🤗THANKS TERRY …for suggesting LYN STANLEY …sampled on Qobuz…but now listening on Apple 🍏 Music 🤗😍😍😍
Thanks for your excellent review and your honnesty. I have the chance to have the both of them, Pontus II and Qutest, and well, it's a bit complicated, i would say that personnally i prefer the musicality of the Pontus II over the Qutest . The Pontus II is slightly on the warm side , but still giving a sense of deptht which is very impressive to my ears . The qutest will provide you to my ears, more energy , and then comes one of the important factor, that s the synergy ....in one system the one or the other will take the lead, and the qutest with an extern power supply, will give you more , but at the end of the journey, i ve seen that if you have the Lintons for example that i have or the Harbeth that i also have, its quite different and the pontus , even it s great , would not be the best match for Lintons , there is the denafrips Ares II, will provide more space but less coherent . Very nice journey . On the other hand the Pontus II will pair very nice with the Harbeth M30.2 XD for example , just the perfect match . Another point synergy with ...amplfiers , also very important and going to several directions, but as far as the Pontus II , you ll never be deceived . The qutest is also a very nice dac . Personnaly my preference goes to the Pontus II but both are a bunch for the money .Thanks again !
HI Francisco ... I have amp Exposure 2510 and speak. Linton 85 ... which DAC is better for my sistem... ares 2 or qutest...Thank you
@@zoranveljkovic3368 Hi Zoran , I would personnally go for the ...Qutest , the Aries is very very good also, but if you put an externe power supply to the qutest, it is no match and it goes very well with the Lintons to my ears .
Francisco...Thank you so much
LPS + Qutest !!!
@@zoranveljkovic3368 My pleasure !
I have b & w 706 s2 speakers which are shouty/forward . I mostly listen to streaming music only using my iPad linked to amp. Can the addition of Pontus in my setup help in reducing the shoutyness ?
If you listen to Qutest through Roon with the -Headroom Management function turned on, the stiffness disappears. You can listen to music all day without getting tired.
Hi all. Let me put in my five cents. Personally, I choose Chord, and here's why. I like this kind of technical stuff, but I don't listen to music that often, maybe once a week, maybe once a month if I'm not at home.
The sound of Chord Qutest and Pontus are very similar for me. Pontus is slightly less neutral. As an interesting device in terms of weight and price, there is something old-school. Qutest, on the contrary, is small and high-tech. With almost the same sound, it's easier for me to have a Chord brick. Imho, Chord is unpretentious and will live longer. The sound quality of Pontus is very dependent on the details, and I'm afraid that over time, if at least one of the details fails, it will greatly affect the sound, then you have to repair, look for details, master, I myself don’t understand this, who knows how it should sound. I have no doubts about Chord.
I will add that I listen to music mostly with headphones. If I preferred to turn the loudspeakers louder, then I would probably choose Pontus and amplifiers of a similar class.
(Sorry for my English, not originaly) :)
How many of you after the "Lyn Stanley is an audiophile" stopped the video and went to listen to a couple of her songs? 😆
I'd love a review of the Venus 2 especially against a Holo Audio KTE May. Considering one or the other and would love to hear your thoughts.
I am a Denafrips Pontus II owner for over a year now. I would like to share my experience with it also. I have shared my thoughts on another website also, therefore, the text might seem familiar to some.
Audio equipment sound is relative. Therefore, when we comment on a DAC, we are actually commenting on our audio system. I have a very modest system build around a pair of Elac Navis ARB-51 active speakers. It sounds somewhat like a studio monitor which enables me to understand nuanced source differences. I don't have a preamp even; I control volume using HQPlayer.
When I first received the Elacs it sounded glorious even with a spare Topping D10, very warm, rich and sweet sounding. But after a few days of burn in the speakers opened up. Overtime it started behaving more like a studio monitor and made the flaws of the D10 obvious - a weak mid-range. So started looking for a good quality audiophile DAC with warm presentation and good mid-range body and fell into the youtube reviewer trap!
From first hookup I knew Pontus was not a good DAC. The only obvious difference from my previous cheap DACs is it has more bite and grip in the high frequencies, and at the bottom, exactly opposite of what I expected. Nevertheless, in the region I come from, it is not easy to resale audiophile products, especially personally imported products like the Pontus. So, I had to make it work.
Immediately I moved to the NOS mode and it sounded worse than anything I ever owned. The sound lacked resolution, soundstage was small, claustrophobic and there was significant high frequency roll-off, the worst part the sound was gritty and unrefined with a hard mid range.
What I came to learn later that all Denafrips DACs have DSPs inside that do God knows what, reviews by GoldenSound on RUclips has more to say about it. To summarize with Pontus II, you will get -
1. A NOS mode that is a total abomination
2. A OS mode that sounds like similar to other DACs from China
3. Sound is a little gritty, unrefined in any mode
I do not know how to call this better by any stretch of imagination. If you plug this device to any speaker, amplifier where there is any room for "aggressive expansion" the increased bass, treble and grittiness of Pontus will sound better. That is why I said at the beginning why a DAC’s sound is relative. BTW I do not know of any device in the world that will sound good in the NOS mode!
Some define Pontus as analog sounding; I feel like crying when I hear that. I have heard some good LPs and cassette decks; standout quality of an analog system is it will never give you listening fatigue. But Pontus is very fatiguing after a while, especially if you have a transparent system like me.
After over a year of usage, Pontus have become even more open in the bass and treble region, the OS mode is now unlistenable, and NOS mode still have the same problems as stated before. But HQPlayer upsampling helps to some extent fix the problems of the NOS mode, but in addition, I have to cut off high frequencies with a low pass filter in the HQPlayer pipeline settings to shave off some of the bright top end of Pontus. There is another review from Terry who has done an excellent job of preparing a demo of how Pontus actually sounds. Listen to the Piano section of that video at ruclips.net/video/Qj2rEgiGCBU/видео.html
BTW my system -
1. Elac Navis ARB-51 Active Bookshelf Speaker
2. Denafrips Pontus II R2R DAC in Non-oversampling (NOS) Mode
3. ASUS Fanless Mini PC PN41 with Signalyst HQPlayer, upsampling at 88.2/96 KHz using Sinc-Mx filter
4. Audioquest Yukon XLR Cable
5. Evo3 IsoPlug Mains Noise Filter
6. HiFi OCC Copper USB Cable
7. Sound Addicted Subble Isolation Feet
Now Elacs are connected to the balanced output of the Pontus
I would suggest looking at your source as the cause for grittiness to the sound, there was no grittiness at all feeding into the Pontus II I2S - try a a converter and def dont use USB from a computers motherboard
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you for your reply. I think I did not use appropriate words to make myself clear 😃 By grittiness I meant lack of refinement in the upper midrange and high frequencies. If you listen to carefully in your sound demo it can be heard. BTW I thought also that PC source can be the problem. So, I replaced it with reclocked optical/coaxial source to have no improvement at all. BTW appropriate HQPlayer upsampling helps considerably to improve the refinement that is in lowering the grittiness.
I think I2S is the better way to connect to this type of DAC and of course its not perfect, I said so in this review, its tuned to sound a certain way to overcome iits short comings all more affordable HiFi and probably more expensive is designed like it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem agreed 100% "it's tuned to sound a certain way to overcome its short comings"
It majors on boldness if you want more resolution from R2R you have to spend more that is what the comparison with the Aquarius confirmed.
Boldness is not how analogue sounds thats non explained well. Its softer at the top end like most R2R DACs that makes them appear smoother sounding and that is the bit people attribute to analogue.
Love your vids, thank you. Genuine well intended comment - some elocution lessons would be a good investment. e.g. "Thick base", "I think" etc. - with a TH, not a F.
To be honest I agree with you, I have a very strong accent from where I grew up which effects my pronunciation of words, however so long as people can understand what I am referring i think that is most important but I dont disagree with your criticism.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem - i have been guilty of my own criticism at times depending on where I lived; I even developed a Welsh accent at one point! ;o)
As you say, the content of what you say is the most important and you certainly nail that. My comment was only to help make you 'sound' (ironic!) better educated - ergo more credible.
Keep up the good work!
i heard the new Mytek Liberty 2 last week, it will give the Pontus 2 a run for its money
funny because I got the Qtest, (got a good deal, 1000$) and it is fine and relaxing, but never satisfying. It always sounds a little too thin and you are never impressed. I am looking to upgrade the PSU, in hope it will fix it, but it is a persistent annoyance. other then that I have no significant complains about the Qtest, very good output stage, exceptional usb implementation hope a good PSU will fix it.
I might buy a chord dac to modify
Build a really nice quiet power supply
For it I like your reviews m8 canny cockney
Thank you so much for the review of the Pontus II - especially throwing in your comparison to the Qutest. These are the 2 DACs I’m considering. Thank you as well for the Lyn Stanley referral - really like it! Question - I have my REL T7x deep in the front corners of my room - noticed yours are near your beautiful TAD bookshelves - specific reason to place them there vs in the actual front corners?
That soundwaves joke made me spit out my moonshine all over the keyboard.
I hope it was Climax moonshine
What happens in the future when all those caps dry out. Off to the E waste recycling centre. Might still buy one though.
Very good review and - to be honest - I am very happy that you mentioned that the Qutest could sound harsh at times., because I felt the same but in a lot of reviews it was descriped as the go to DAC of you like the analogue sound. I tried the Ares 2, but was quite disappointed with it's bass performance but also delighted with it's very natural tonality. So now hope that the Ponuts will be more satisfying.
Were you also able to compare the Pontus to the Musician Audio Pegasus you reviewed a couple of moths ago, because price wise they are closer that Pontus/Aquarius?
Having listened to the pontus 2 and venus 2 I would say that the sound was very detailed and the soundstage really holographic!
But... slow and muddy, annoyingly smooth on the treble. After the fourth test track I didn’t find myself wanting for more. It seems to be the case for the majority of r2r dacs. It’s a no go if one is into electronic music or metal.
The aquarius seems more balanced overall though I haven’t auditioned it.
Venus 2 was still to smooth sounding for techno/house etc?
@@backrack01 Yes unfortunately. I really like what they tried to do but it doesn’t work for all kinds of music. The Terminator plus is a different ball game. . I suspect it might be one of the best on the market
@@vagomaniac so you've heard the t+? I was considering the t2 just to be done with it but its strange... I'm having a hard time finding comparisons between the t+ & t2. Definitely not easy finding user experience with electronic/ hip hop.
@@backrack01 No I haven’t auditioned the Term+ but alpha audio has a recording comparing the sound of pontus venus and terminator, and the difference is very obvious! It’s a lot more expensive though. I mostly care about the natural presentation of the physical instruments so I’m leaning towards an AKM design. Bryston dac 3 is the most balanced and the price is not ultra high…
slow and muddy? strange how people can hear things so differently
Pontus ll or METRUM ONYX thanks
Great review
i bought the Ares ll. i was going to trade up, but considering my Amp and Speakers cost $2k all in, so probably not worth it.
Hi Terry. Great review. It is worth it to change from Pontus 2- Iris DDC combination to Venus 2 Dac? My system includes: Naim Supernait 3 integrated amp with Hicap DR, Proac’s D20R speakers and Auralic Aries LE streamer with Sbooster power supply. Witchhat phantom speaker cables and Chord interconects.
I don’t know as I haven’t tried it but I would assume it will give you more resolution to the sound but beyond that I am sorry I don’t know anymore
HI...nice review. I saw your preamp very attractive, what brand is that? as you know, do there have other brand with the white dot lcd display?
Love the tad evolution behind you. But the system I heard them in showed some absolutely horrible and weird sounding bass coming from those panels. The setup was a full T+A
Nailed it Terry, you've answered most of the pertinent questions and bringing is the Qutest made it all make more sense (for us Brits especially) being a DAC we all know and love. I've succumbed to my intrigue and ordered a Pontus 2 to try, I have a Qutest but for me the acid test is going to be high frequency extension / focus and detail I.e. how much do I sacrifice and is the exchange worth it? Worst case the Qutest stays and the Pontus goes or vice versa. What I can say is its bloody hard to upgrade from the Qutest without spending significantly more money, or compromising in certain areas (O have tried twice already) hoping the Pontus is an upgrade and not a side grade but it may be more of the latter (damn it lol). Yes the Hugo TT2 is mega and my dream DAC its just bloody expensive even used its going for £3k plus, the Terminator 2 is parallel to it but cheaper slightly, still £3.5k. So the question remains, how do you move up from the Qutest with no compromise without spending £3k plus? Spoiler, the Venus is a mushy overly warm DAC hence we can sidestep that one... is there anything else in that £2k sweetspot or do we just need to suck it up and save for a TT2 or Terminator 2? Thanks for another fantastic review 👍
The Holo Audio Spring Level 3 (also an R2R Dac) is still the Dac to beat around that price point. "A British Audiophile" (on youttube) recently rated it above the Pontus II.
@@connorduke4619 Thanks for chiming in, my concern with Holo Audio in general is that they are pure NOS and many reviewers have described their sound as very smooth which to me means they lack leading edge attack and detail. It therefore isn't the type of profile I'd go for. I'm more what Terry described, ultra greedy 🤣 detail and musicality without too much compromise. It is probable that the real step improvement is the TT2 or Terminator 2. I have thrown my hat in the ring with the Pontus 2 and will try it and see, I may love it, maybe not, but it was just too tempting not to try. Metrum Pavane, or Aqua La Voce are options, however both enter Terminator 2 territory and probably aren't as good. Both are different to the Hugo TT2. There is a bit of a dead spot in that £2k or under region. If Musician Audio did their research, they would have lowered the price of their latest DAC to fill the gap and I would have gone for it... however they are left competing just under the T2 which is likely much better for a little extra 😉
@@MusicLover-01 Interesting, many fall for the (for anywhere near the price) almost unparalleled holographic presentation of the Holo Audio May. The leading edges are ok for me on this demo, although I can appreciate YMMV: ruclips.net/video/dKNYZxTGSM8/видео.html
Pontus is the best DAC for the money!What more resolution this guy is talking about?Pontus has %101 resolution...
@@beslemeto Thanks OMR, it is certainly worth a try. I suspect it needs a good long burn in period to open up fully also.
The Pontus II sound quality is even better with a Denafrips DDC (Iris 12th, or Hermes, or Gaia).
Especially with streaming source Apple Music.
i would like to hear how the Pontus compares to the Pegasus?
Good review! My first exposure to Terry.... is there someplace where his listening system is described? I think it's good to know as much as possible about the reviewer's other components and room in order to calibrate to the system characteristics that a person is familiar with. Thanks in advance for any pointers!
I agree, you will find lots of references in the channel but my room changed recently ruclips.net/video/_hTofpjheGc/видео.html
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks, and love your room! It's larger than mine, and it helps knowing that as you describe the sound you are hearing from various components.
I'm back with a question. 1) I have the very nice RME adi-2 fs dac hooked up to my Oppo 105D player.
Like all cd/sacd players, one cannot hook up an external dac to use to play sacd disk's. But wait 😀 one can ( not with normal cd/sacd players ) but with the Oppo HDMi out to 12S in to ext dac. RME adi2 does not have I2S in ! the Denafrips Ares II has not! but the Musician Pegasus has so has the Denafrips Pontus II....So to play sacd with an ext dac...RME and Ares II is out. leaves the Pegasus and Pontus II ( and obviously others as well ) You have reviewed the Pontus II inc the Aquarius and the Pegasus in another vid. Okay here it comes, have you compared the Pontus II vs Pegasus ? ( both have I2S input ) The pontus II is twice the price. In case you have or have an idea, is it worth spending 2x the money of the Pegasus just for the I2S input ? The RME is about the same cost as the Pegasus so even cost wise. Is it worth ditching the RME and go past the Pegasus and going with the Pontust II ? ( this will be my long term dac )
Asociate equipment is the Willsenton R8 Int amp and the Magnepan LRS and Triangle Comete EZ 40th Anni speakers. Sorry for the long story.. Would be greatfull for your input..regards from New Zealand.
I just can't help but think this guy is a footballer 🤣 something about his look SCREAMS footballer to me, like you would for sure run into him in a pub a couple pints deep watching the match with his colors on
Having owned both i prefer the qutest any day..
Nothing wrong with that 😀
Why did you prefer the Qutest out if interest?
@@MusicLover-01 the pontus has this upper mids shouty, the ares doesn’t have the shouty mids but it looses a little bit of detailed.. the qutest is more flatter sound but no digital glare like other dac chip based
@@kortam6065 Hi Robby, thanks for your reply, very interesting observations. I share your experience with Qutest, very flat and controlled and detailed, it sounds gorgeous to me. I will certainly pay attention the Pontus 2 to see if it is shouty in my system, although pleased that the double edged sword is lots of detail! My system is extremely sensitive to non linear irregularity hence I'll see if I get this result for sure.
@@MusicLover-01 yeah! Its system synergy.. the pontus that i had was paired with pass labs pre and amp with a kef reference speakers.. might be to much neutrality
I know this is an old review, but the better comparison would've been the Denafrips Terminator (a more leveled priced item) against the Musician Aquarius??? I'm betting the Terminator would've have easily bested the Aquarius.
Terminator is twice the price of the Aquarius and I didn’t have one available - these two are closer in the price than the terminator is to the Aquarius
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ah, yes, I should have said the Venus ($3,085) would have been a more appropriate comparison to the Aquarius; but I understand you can only compare what you have, and what your wallet allows or what a vendor may provide for review. Apologies. BTW, I ordered a Pontus because both the Venus ($3,100) and Terminators ($4900, and $7,600) were too rich for my wallet, so I mean no digs.
I’d love to see how the Aquarius compares with Denafrips most closely priced unit, the Venus II. Even the Terminator II for giggles. That said if I were looking at something in the T2 price range I’d look to Rockna instead.
There are a few other publications doing big Denafrips DAC comparisons, one website is comparing them all I cant think of the name of the site at the minute sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem interesting. So far yours is the only direct comparison I’ve seen with Denafrips which is part of what makes the comparison so interesting :)
@@mjw25a1 thank you 😀
Chord is wonderful.
Al final siempre tengo la sensación de que es una cuestión de finura y detalles, pero esto se supera con el camino de los ecualizadores analógicos, Muchos dacs he visto y disfruto más con eq analog, mucho mejor, ajusto el sonido a mis preferencias, ¿se trata de eso? creo que si, jjejejjej, solo mi opinión.
Phase is a misnomer used for decades by people who should know better. Even Paul McGowan (PS Audio) admitted it, even though his older remotes say phase. It's actually POLARITY
There is a difference www.google.com/search?q=phase+vs+polarity&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB774GB774&oq=phase+vs+p&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i512l9.6040j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I really enjoy your channel with your experience and clear description of products but I assumed you were from the UK by your accent and the equipment you review.
So why the Dollars and American bias?
I am from the UK the price of Denafrips products seemed easier understood in dollars
Have you reviewed the Kinki amplifier shown above the DAC in your video? I have been reading as many reviews of them as I can because I am about to order one.
Not yet will be soon, I need to test it with other speakers more, not just £20k special ones.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you am looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
There are reviewers who claim the exact opposite: the Chord would smooth out bad recordings and be a tad too gentle and robb some music off the aggressiveness. So hifi is still as inconsisent among different people as it always was. Unreliable.
Thanks for the review!
There is no way they would say that about this dac, that is not whar R2R dacs do, none of the ones I have listened to do, they all round off the music edges for a more pleasing "musical" sound. NOS R2R dacs have a bit more bite to the sound, but that is not always a good thing it depends on the dac
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hi Terry, I think we have some miaunderstabding. I just found it funny that two major reviewer (audio journey from Germany and some orher guy whose name I forgot) claimed the opposite. It would make bas recordings more bearable. We are talking about the Chord Qutest. In my own experience entry R2R DACs like the Denafrips Ares sound very organic, calm, a bit euphonic, dark timbre, diffuse but major staging. It has to do, in my opinion, wirh less time smearing effects but the resistors are simetimes not even precise enough to come up with the 16 bits (more is not necessary anyway in consumer ways). This is why I have to laugh regarding high end audio claims. Hyping so called high res (marketing gag, please study the physics), then again hyping R2R which physically can only deal wirh maximum redbook standard. For my taste, r2r is the nearest digital can bring me to the smooth and logical analog sound.perfect.
But anyway I do not expect us to agree. Thanks anyway for the review. I found your comparison betwenn the passive and active ATC SCM 50 especially interesting.
Best wishes
What you have said about the R2R dacs is pretty much what I said, they round off the edges of the music to make it smoother but that can come at the cost of precision and definition and drive sometimes too - it all depends on so many factors I wouldn't ever rule one thing in or out or draw a line and stand by it as tomorrow you might hear something that ruins that whole mindset and then pride kicks in. Best to be open minded all the time
@@PursuitPerfectSystemmy first statement was just that certain reviewers said the CHORD would make bad recordings sound listenable. I found this curious. Nothing more, nothing. Because I am critical I can afford to be open minded ;) Best wishes.
Thanks for your great review. I was thinking to add Pontus II to my system, Rotel and Whafedale 4.4. USB connection produce 384 khz PCM, would there be a huge improvement to my system, if I were to add Pontus II to my system? May I have your opinion please? Thanks!
Very interesting.Do you think the Pontus would be overly warm and lacking detail in a tube system vs Chord?
Hi Todd the snag of using the Pontus with a tube system is its balanced / best off the balanced outputs a lot of tube gear is single ended designed - however I have thought for a while R2R DACs with tube gear and the right speakers can be a great way to go. I calibrated dirac for a customers system last year which was a Denafrips Terminator big Line Magentic Tube amp and Klipsch Forte speakers and I really did love how that system sounded for the music I listen to. Lots of factors at play as always but I wouldn't rule it out for sure but the Chord is more treble / detail prominent in its white filter mode
Interesting comparison I listen to a lot of harder electronic music and metal so having a high energy dac with extra bass slam is important to me. Quetest appears to be a great fit but I’d be worried that it would be too unforgiving for this kind of music. What would you choose?
Yes, I agree. I would choose that DAC as well, Terrie!
very good review, as usual, according to your standards. There is TAD ME1 for some time in your room, are you planning to share your thoughts about it?
They are the CE1 and yes thats the next review video
@@PursuitPerfectSystem even better :) look forward to hear your review
Another good video but why do you quote prices in $? £ please!
Because thats what is advertised on the denafrips website so i dont make a mistake
Fantastic album.
hi terry.i heard the chord dave the other day on a speaker test and it sounded great. .in your opinion is the dave better sounding than the ps audio dac?
I’m going on a blind choose between this and the Gustard x26 pro because it’s impossible to listen to them before the purchase.. somebody else stated that the Gustard is a better dac compared to the qutest, with the same pros but not as edgy, easier to listen to.. so I suppose it to be overall better than the Pontus!! Have you ever heard the Gustard?
I feel this somebody has not used the Qutest with a proper LPS. Or the ifi Elite. Neither have I, but the typical 5€ SMPSs in the line even without a dac connected introduces harshness to a hifi system (this i really know!), so that I‘d be careful with the term „edgy“ associated to the qutest. Most testers are not saying which psu was used with the Q.. but those commentators who have used different psus univocally say its a different animal with better ones. But how good?
@@gioponti6359 this somebody is the channel goldensound, and if you know his channel you would never ask to yourself if he test his gear at their fullest potential.. trust me, you felt wrong!!
Edit: ok, maybe edgy is not the right term, but he clearly states that the Gustard is the better dac compared to the qutest
@@Iuglus not sure, he has never mentioned the use of any 3rd party PSUs, so I assume the standard SMPS has been used. in my personal experience any other (SM)PSU in the same circuit influences the sound of the system potentially rather dramatically, and even in a somewhat less consistent way than one would like PSU types to be. so i read /see tests abit with a pinch of salt.
Am sure the somewhat warm midbass hump reported here for the denafrips may largely be removed with better cabling and fuse. sounds controversial, but well, things depend on ancillaries.
We cannot say anything before we hear them both and compare them!I guess Pontus is the winner for now since all the RUclips Audiophiles are very satisfied of its capabilities!
@@beslemeto based on the reviews you could say the same for the Gustard.. a user from a Facebook group swapped his terminator for the Gustard after hearing it, so I guess it’s just a a matter of taste
I've had qutest, Ares ii and pontus ii. My preference is pontus over qutest.
How about qutest over ares?
@@18yearsoldnot qutest is more accurate, clear and detailed. Ares is more of a fun sound in the sense theirs more decay and probably coloration but it sounds nice. Less detailed than the qutest but not miles away. There's some comparison videos on you tube if you search. I got the pontus to get the clarity, detail of the qutest and the tone of the ares, and its laid back sound.
@@cantfindanamefree thanks for the info! I have the ares 2 already so will probably give the qutest a miss and get the mojo 2. I do feel however that the qutest may have way more value than the ares if you oversample and tweak the EQ via Audirvāna or roon.
@@18yearsoldnot I guess the downside of denfrips is I had to take a punt on ares and pontus where as chord you can demo quite easily. I do think the pontus is good and worth considering.
How would you say it compares to the Musician Pegasus?
how about reviewing amps under 2K?
I think the most jaw dropping R2R Dac under $10k (arguably under $40k) is the Holo Audio May at around $6k, with it's unparalleled 3D sound stage.
Terry, am looking to replace the Metrum Musette DAC in my headphone system. The natural choice would be the Metrum Onyx with DAC3 modules at +/- £3000. The issue is that for less money I could have the Denfrips Pontus II AND the Denafrips Iris DDC. Thoughts please?
Best thing to do John is demo, demo and demo some more, its the only way to work out whats going to be the next step for you. DAC changes might change how you build the rest of the system around it,
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Vinshine don't accept returns, so hard to demo the Denafrips products.
@@johnratcliffe6438 they do have some distributors and dealers that stock denafrips these days. Know there is one in the UK
Hi Terry. Any idea why people are buying direct from Denafrips and not the uk distributor Willowtree audio. Thanks.
Denafrips website (ie Vinshine Audio in Singapore) USD$1781 (=£1397) Willow Tree Audio £2,000.00. So, Willow Tree are charging £600 for what exactly?
@@billedifier8584 Thanks for that Bill. Are there any other fees added onto Vinshines. Like import taxes etc.
@@oohtob6685 Hmm, for that level of detail you might need to go on their website and go through the ordering process. Or just send them an enquiry directly.
Lyn won't be a friend for long. You misstated the title of her album. 😋
Hahaha
I don’t get this love for the qutest, I’ve heard it in multiple different systems and rooms including twice in my own home for a weekend each time, each time it has sounded the same to me, lifeless, dull, no soundstage, no bass, no top end, I actually preferred the standard dac in the node 2i over it, anyway ended up going to an nd5 xs2, the built in dac there is far superior to the qutest
No idea that is not a common experience to have with the the qutest I made loads of sound demo videos using it a few years ago
In your opinion does the Pontus II sound full and not thin? Currently got the ares and thinking of upgrading to the Pontus to make my b&w 702 s2 sound more warmer. Will the Pontus add more midrange n midbsss? Running the 702 full range. Thank you
I have 703s2. I had the same need for more midrange and warmer sound. Bought willsenton R8 and upgraded tubes. Now it's precisely what I wanted.
Is this your new listening room?
Yes
Could you please tell us if you were using any kind of a PSU with the Qutest while making these comparisons/ evaluations?
no the stock psu
Hi,I had a lps on the qutest.Iam now enjoying the sound with the stock power supply too.
WHERE IS THIS BOX MADE? If it’s made in ASIA & EUROPE, I want it. :P
It's getting more and more difficult to find products that are not made in C hina, even well known brands, although assembled in the UK have been bought by Asian companies.
maybe it might stand a chance against the old mojo
I compare it to the Qutest in the review
you told me about the highs-you told me about the lows. All the music is in the MIDDLE !! WHAT ABOUT THE MID RANGE ??? thanks, maybe next time.
The Qutest underperforms being used out of Optical and set to 3v output. 2v out is the correct sound signature being less brash and Optical input offers the lowest noise. Combined with an LPSU or a portable batt supply its a killer DAC. Also my valve amps dont have balanced XLR so alll the engineering that goes into Pontus II fully balanced circuit (and almost certain downgrade for using rca's) is totally wasted in me. As is XLR in the home environment anyway!
I think you will find that people use linears and batteries with the qutest because of me and the videos I was making 6 +years ago about topic so I am pretty clued up on this
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Cool, i didnt say you werent 😊. Like you im just expressing an opinion sir 👍
Sorry most comments feel aimed at me as its my video, even if they are meant as general comments - its just how it us when you run a channel
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Nothing personal was meant, just an opinion shared. I wish i had time to run a youtube channel dedicated to testing and talking about hifi, so im envious more than anything!
One thing is a good sound but another is a good music reproduction.
He seems bit High~ lol. Is it just me?
high on life working 7 days a week
"Thick" bass/bloom is NEVER a good thing; in fact, it represents a serious coloration. If we do not have superior LF performance (whether DAC, Preamp/Power, Loudspeakers or cabling) SQ throughout the audible spectrum suffers --greatly.
pj
Hi Peter it can be a good thing, a lot of systems would benefit from it, that is how a warm sound is created
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Uhh, no. No high-resolution system "benefits" from poor LF resolution/articulation, (i.e. transparency).
In fact more and more premium Hi-Fi (amplification manufacturer's primarily) are seeking circuit design with -3 db. LF bandwidth to under 0.1 Hz. (that's zero-point-one Hertz) and others seeking even greater/lower
numbers.
Today, it's very clear that extended bandwidth (at both ends; LF/HF) is paramount to ultimate signal accuracy/transparency. Summing up, if we mess up a components LF performance (product, acoustics etc.)
we'll never experience ultimate clarity/definition from the signal --particularly from the vocal-range and up.
LF definition is paramount to wide-band, crystal clear clarity, definition, air/ambience and sound-staging.
pj
@@peterjasz2876 no speaker can deliver bass that deep even if the amp can and if you look at how humans hear sound more bass makes more sense
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Lol. I'm well aware of that. The point being such ultra-low LF 'bandwidth' is critical to circuit performance/SQ within the audible range. For the most part, it's a "new" discovery but the top circuit researchers/engineers know its impact upon SQ: specifically LF resolution-transparency (i.e. amplification circuits LF -3 db. point/spec.)
pj
There are people who love the warmer less precise sound, it doesn't have to be accurate, they just want to enjoy the music not analyse it.
WHERE IS THIS BOX MADE? If it's made in CHINA I don't want it.
So is 90% of everything in your home, don't be a hypocrite.
@@wric01 thank you for reminding me to inspect every little item I buy from now on. Now , kindly piss off.
@@wric01 your 'argument' is rooted in your ignorance. Not being able to purchase American made soap for example is not implicit of having to shell out big bucks for China made electronics. You can shove your China made junk! CAPISCI?
Cool Sound