I’d like to thank the OP for the thoughtful and well-written review of Denafrips’ latest. I’ve been thinking about the Denafrips for quite a while, since I’m a big R2R fan. My previous favorite DAC has been a 24-year-old Monarchy DAC based on the Burr-Brown PCM-63K converters (R2R conversion, passive I/V conversion, and 6DJ8 amplification).
A Review of the Denafrips Pontus Gen 15 DAC
(Disclaimer: I have no commercial or financial affiliation with Denafrips or any of its associated enterprises except as a customer. I'm not in any way an electronics expert, so my technical knowledge is pretty basic, probably just enough to be dangerous. My approach to audio is musical rather than technical.)
My journey with standalone DACs began a bit over 10 years ago when I was curious to see if one would improve the audio performance of my Cambridge Audio universal disc player. There were a number of steps (and missteps, for that matter) along the way, but I eventually wound up with an AMR DP-777 which was my introduction to R2R ladder DACs, though, to be honest, at first I was unaware that this DAC actually fell into this category. To me, it sounded particularly nice. Since I liked that one so much, I imagined that upgrading to a more modern ladder DAC would give me even more, so the next step, based on its glowing reviews, was a Sonnet Morpheus, which I lived with for about two and a half years. Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent DAC, but in my system, there still seemed to be room for improvement. That's when I got curious about Denafrips DACS, having read and watched so many very complimentary reviews. I figured that the Venus II-12th would be a logical next step considering my price range, and one was offered for sale by the good folks at TMR Audio. I wasn't able to jump quite quickly enough though, and it sold before I made up my mind act. In the end, that turned out to be my good fortune, because the Denafrips Pontus Gen 15 became available, and I was able to buy a brand new one for significantly less than the used Venus would have cost.
According to the vendor, this latest version of the Pontus, the Gen 15, has been upgraded to Venus II-12th level but at a lower price point. (As I understand it, the Venus II-12th has been discontinued now, pending the release of a newer version, the Venus Gen-15, slated to hit the market soon). Because I was offered the Pontus at an irresistible price, I threw caution to the wind and jumped at it. And am I ever glad I did!
To be fair, I've never heard what a really high-end DAC sounds like--I'm talking the ones with the 5-figure price tags like a DCS Rossini or Chord Dave--and I imagine those would require accompanying components of similar quality to tell their tale. My system is modest by those standards, but I've spent a number of years evolving it, and I'm happy with what I've achieved so far. (I'll list the components at the end of this review).
The recent addition of a streamer, and a CD transport really put my system to the test, revealing some shortcomings with the Sonnet DAC. It just couldn't seem to exert enough authority over the music: vocals sometimes exhibited glare, high frequencies could get shrill, and when the music got dense, the sound became grainy and harsh. I tried a number of remedies for this, including experimenting with different connections, adding filters to the ethernet and USB cables, and adding a linear power supply to the streamer, but the results were still less than satisfying. There are a limited number of connections the Sonnet DAC offers--just 1 each RCA digital, optical, USB (or ethernet via a different module for I2s input, which is a very unusual way to make that connection), and AES/EBU. Also, the Sonnet cannot decipher DSD. My particular configuration dictated that the transport could only be connected via AES/EBU, all the other inputs being occupied, so I could not take advantage of the I2s protocol. That was one of the reasons the Pontus Gen-15 was such an appealing option: it can output I2s via HDMI, which has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for my CD transport.
Because, as I said in my disclaimer, I'm not an electronics expert, I can't offer much meaningful commentary about the Pontus Gen-15's design, except to note that it has 2 very substantial (and HEAVY) toroidal transformers, and an encapsulated linear power supply. The DAC itself weighs in at a hefty 13.3 Kg (a bit over 29 lbs), so it's clearly designed to an industrial standard. The full specs and photos of the DAC's insides are available on the Denafrips website if you want further details.
What I want to focus on here is how this DAC actually sounds, and to get right to the point, it's absolutely amazing. Of course any brand new component will take some time to find its true voice, and Denafrips advises about 2 weeks of continuous use to accomplish this. However, right out of the box I could tell that I was going to experience something special even though there was some initial glassiness and thinness about the sound that needed time to even out. Now that's been accomplished, and I'm very impressed with what this DAC offers. Its signature sonic characteristic is clarity, which, according to what I had heard and read, was what the Venus DACs were noted for. To some that term might imply a thinness or brightness or hardness of tone, sacrificing musical appeal in favor of detail. This is absolutely not the case here, because along with its extraordinary precision, the new Pontus renders music with balance, weight, presence, and composure. Along with these qualities, I'm also hearing an appealing richness, a quality best conveyed by the word “musical.”
When I say “balanced,” I mean that there is an evenness of presentation across the whole frequency spectrum, not emphasizing or suppressing any specific range. “Weight” refers partly to bass response, but also to the overall fullness of the sound even into the upper mids. “Presence” is my way of describing how natural and in-the-room the music can sound when it's recorded that way, though for more expansive recordings--symphonies, say--the sense of space is unmistakable. Finally, “composure” is the term I use to define how well the Pontus Gen 15 controls the signal without becoming muddled or harsh when things get loud or dense. As noted above, this all adds up to exemplary clarity and abundant detail, but in no way fatiguing.
The Pontus Gen 15 has also endowed my system with significantly more precise stereo imaging. I have to be a little equivocal here, though, because the room where my system resides--the living room--doesn't offer much flexibility in how I can place the speakers and other components to maximize this characteristic. Specifically, I don't think I'll ever be able to get that room to impart much spatial depth to the music, and even the lateral (i.e. left/right) image could stand improvement, but within these restrictions, the improvements are noticeable. In a well-appointed, dedicated listening room, I feel quite sure this DAC could perform to a level that would satisfy a discerning audiophile.
With its array of inputs--HDMI for I2s, RCA and BNC digital, plus optical, AES/EBU and USB--the unit is capable of accommodating a pretty complicated system. It has XLR and RCA analog outputs, though Denafrips suggests you do not use these simultaneously, as it may affect the sound. There is a digital filter for fast or slow roll-off, accessed via the buttons on the front of the unit, and a choice of oversampling or non-oversampling processing, accomplished via a dedicated button. One odd little quirk is that the oversampling mode is the default--in this mode the LED indicator is OFF and in NOS mode, it's ON. To me that's kind of backwards, but these things are, I guess, subject to the whims of the designers. One other issue worth mentioning: while the DAC has a sensor for a remote control, a remote is not supplied, and Denafrips doesn't seem to have one available for this DAC, despite the fact that a whole page of the owner's manual is dedicated to it. Hopefully, one will be made available soon. We listeners can be pretty lazy about having to get up and physically push buttons to change inputs or turn the unit on and off. Also, as far as I can tell, apart from the OS and NOS modes, this DAC doesn't support upconverting files to higher densities (e.g. from 44.1 to 192 or 384), it only renders the signal it receives. It can, however, receive files formats from sources all the way up to DSD 1024.
Here's a description of how I'm using this DAC in my system: it's connected to my integrated amp via XLR. The CD transport is connected via HDMI (I2s), my streamer via the USB connection, my DVD/Blu-Ray player via optical, and the Roku box (yes, this also serves as the home theater system) via optical cable to a reclocker which then connects to the DAC via RCA digital cable. (I am particularly impressed by how good the TV sound is, both broadcast and streaming.)
There are a few classical CDs I like to use to test out my components. The first is a 1995 disc featuring a large suite of dances from Prokofiev's “Romeo and Juliet,” recorded live in Davies Symphony Hall by the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas (RCA 68288). This recording contains just about every orchestral instrument and effect you could imagine, from soupy romantic strings to blaring brass to a hammered steel rail, and yes, even mandolins on one track. It's a sonic study in dynamic range, timbre, and ambiance. The next disc on the list is also the San Francisco Symphony, this time it's their Grammy-winning 1992 recording of Orff's “Carmina Burana” under Herbert Blomstedt (London 430-509). One track in particular, the baritone solo, “Estuans Interius” (track 11), is how I like to test stereo image. The voice should be precisely placed just a bit left of center and slightly recessed. The third CD on this list is the New York Philharmonic's remastered 1958 recording of Stravinsky's “Rite of Spring,” (Sony SMK 47629) conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Instead of looking for touchstone moments here, it's best to just let this performance wash over you. The sound quality is astounding, the performance thrilling.
With the Pontus Gen 15 DAC, these CDs all put their best foot (feet?) forward. The innate sweetness of the romantic passages of “Romeo and Juliet” really comes though, and the hammer-on-steel-rail (track 5) startles with its immediacy and realism. The scintillating dynamic climax that ends Act II (track 23) will give you chills. On the “Carmina Burana” recording, Kevin Macmillan's voice is placed exactly where I want to hear it, and the DAC's ability to render dynamics and detail makes “The Rite of Spring” truly exciting listen to.
You'll probably have to spend a lot more money to find a DAC that ups the Pontus Gen 15's game. What I can say about it from my own experience is that it easily bested my Sonnet DAC whose original price was about 50% higher. For my system, this has been a major step upwards, and I give this DAC a very high recommendation indeed, especially at its comparatively modest price point. It's available directly from Denafrips, or from one of their two American distributors, Audioman58 here on Audiogon (whom I recommend--very easy deal with very fast delivery), or Tek Audio Specialists in Texas.
(Please don't construe the following as a political statement--I don't intend it that way, it's just a footnote to my review in light of recent events: the future of Chinese electronics in the American market looks rather uncertain now because of the threat of punitive tariffs. This could add enormously to the price-tag of these components or even render them unavailable, though I'm sure we all hope this does not come to pass. It would be unfortunate to see these very fine electronics disappear from our markets.)
My system: Modwright KWI 200 integrated, Cambridge Audio CXU universal player, Shanling ET3 CD transport, Innuos Pulse Mini streamer with Small Green Computer LPS, Ryan R610 speakers, REL S-2 sub. The Roku box from a Samsung TV to the DAC through a Wyred4Sound remedy reclocker. Speaker and interconnect cables are Audience AU24 SE, and Morrow Audio MA4. Furman Elite-15 power conditioner with a Core Power Technologies Deep Core 1800 RFI and DC filter.
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I’m prejudiced, as an industry old-timer, so take everything I say or post with a grain of salt. My views are my own, and represent no-one else. My take is 80% of the sound of the DAC is the conversion engine, and the other 20% is the analog section (if any). Put another way, the analog section can screw up the sound of the conversion, but can never improve it. I wouldn’t be surprised if some analog sections are purposely designed to "smooth out" the sound of a rough-sounding converter ... generous 2nd harmonic distortion would do this. Some vendors obscure the nature of the conversion engine, and others make up a lot of techno-gobbledygook. Even Denafrips is kind of vague how they linearize the R2R array ... my guess is they use Dynamic Element Matching, as in the Philips TDA1541, to smooth out resistor errors (this is very fast switching between similar-value resistors to randomize errors). The favorite DAC of both Don Sachs and the team at Spatial are the family of Lampizator DACs that use exotic tubes like the 45 DHT triode as buffers. Lampizator says nothing about the conversion engine, so I have no comment, good or bad, about what’s inside. What I heard at the Seattle show sounded very good. A general comment, though, about all DACs: most conversion engines, whether R2R chips from the Nineties, modern Delta-Sigma converters, or discrete Delta-Sigma like the Mola Mola, provide a balanced output, and are designed to be used with analog circuits that are balanced. This cancels an assortment of conversion errors. It might sound absurd, but when you see a DAC with only RCA outputs, the internal signal flow is: balanced chip output, (optional current-to-voltage conversion), conversion from balanced to single-ended, a lowpass filter, and a buffer line driver for the RCA output. Some DACS that have both RCA and XLR outputs simply add an inverter op-amp to get the minus phase of the XLR output while retaining an internal single-ended signal flow (more common than you might think). Typically this is all done with dual or quad opamps, so analog section looks pretty simple. Doing it with discrete transistors takes lots of them, typically 16 to 50, because you need current sources, current mirrors, and all kinds of support circuitry that’s normally deep within an opamp. If I read the circuit of the Denafrips correctly, I see neither opamps nor transistors in the output section, and the quoted output impedance is 640 ohms single-ended or 1280 ohms. If opamps were involved, the output impedance would be 10 ohms or less, and discrete circuits would be similar. So I’m guessing the R2R resistor array is probably directly exposed to the RCA and XLR output ... but that is only a guess. If the resistor array is directly exposed to the outputs, with no buffers, the interconnect cables should be low capacitance and as short as possible. The following component needs to have an accurately balanced XLR input, as well as low distortion (so not an old-school tube preamp that is single-ended from input to output).
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@lynn_olson Thanks for the in depth explanation. So if you are using this DAC it's best you go with XLR inputs. If your equipment is single ended you should probably go with something with op-amps In the output stage. What are your thoughts on the Mojo Audio Mystique X DAC's. A lot of people rave about it. I think I have seen pictures online where it was paired with the Raven at some shows. Ben from Mojo Audio talks about the Chokes in the power supply and all the parts seem to be of really high quality but it seems to be old school technology compared to the Denafrips and Holo Audio. |
If my guess is correct, each phase (+ and -) of the balanced output of the Denafrips comes from its own resistor array. Normally, in a standard chip-based DAC, the analog output section re-balances the balanced output of the DAC chip, so the XLR output and the RCA output are the same. The analog section does several things at once: sum the balanced output of the DAC chip, lowpass filter it, buffer it (add current), and then output both balanced and single-ended. If the Denafrips has the resistor array directly connected to the output jacks, without a buffer section, then the "analog section" is actually in the following component. And components are all over the place how they handle balanced and single-ended signals. Traditional tube amps have single-ended inputs, and many old-school transistor amps as well. Newer transistor amps have balanced inputs, and some tube amps as well. The Holo is completely different: it has an analog section with what looks like 50 discrete transistors on a densely packed circuit board. The complex discrete section mimics the internal complexity of a modern op-amp, so the results are more or less equivalent ... many transistors that provide a buffer and re-balancer of the resistor array. My subjective feeling is that "analog sections" of DACs are not completely transparent; being analog circuits, there is always going to be just a small residue of distortion that adds a trace of coloration to the whirring machinery of digital conversion. If my understanding of the Denafrips DACs is correct, there is no analog section at all. Those duties are passed on to the following component. This implies the sonics of the Denafrips will rely on the precision of the balanced input, as well as common-mode noise rejection (CMRR). If the following component has an unbalanced input, there is no common-mode noise rejection. You are correct the Raven preamp would be very well suited for the direct-connected resistor array, since the Raven rejects CMRR noise and distortion thanks to internal balance, and buffering is provided by the gain of the 6SN7 section and the current multiplication of the output transformer. Other preamps that are fully internally balanced would also be excellent choices. I should mention fully balanced construction costs more, especially for the volume control, which demands four sections that exactly match each other. This either means a volume control chip, or a switched-resistor array. The analog section also has to done twice, with a high degree of gain-matching. |
@lynn_olson You where saying that if you are using RCA inputs the DAC only uses half its resistors. Is this not a good thing? A layman like myself would think it’s not. |
@soix I didn't try it with out honestly, All I can say is that I knew the Hermes was beneficial before using I2s with the Venus II. I've been burning in BNC clock cables as well as the DAC since I got it so I didn't start without the clock sync. Also you have to change settings on the hermes and DAC if the clock sync cables are removed. I guess I went "all in" with all the features available with this combination. The results collectively are what i had hoped for in fact more than i expected. (All this was a part of making my final decision on going with the Terminator 15th vs another DAC-the T+ A.) I was afraid that adding a better DAC would only yield a small change in sound, what I got collectively is rather large especially as it burns in more. I think part of this is all the improvements I have made to the system over the past 2 years is very revealing now of change now, I can hear it now-when before I struggled a bit. I wish i could give you a more helpful answer to your question. |
@fthompson251 Congrats on the new DAC, and thanks for sharing your initial thoughts. Wondering what if any improvements you heard by implementing the clock synch with the Hermes? Thanks. |
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You guys are certainly tempting me. If I read the tea leaves correctly, the Denafrips DACs have no analog electronics in them ... the resistor array is directly connected to the XLR output. If you use the RCA output, you are simply using half the resistors, not all of them. More significantly, the interface between the following stage and the Denafrips resistor array will critically determine the sound, since there is no buffer stage to isolate them ... or add coloration, depending on how you look at it. Overall, this should be a good thing, because the best analog stage is no analog stage, but it does demand the following components are top quality, along with the interconnect (which should be short and low capacitance). |
Denafrips Terminator 15th. Because folks on this thread asked me to comment on it. Acquired November 29, 2024. There is very little information about this DAC so i thought I would share what I can tell you about it since I just bought one. Most of you probably have heard of the Denafrips Flagship DAC’s before, namely the Terminator + 12th-1. (They are big, heavy and solidly built-weighing in a 43 pounds, and the size of an SS amplifier.) The Plus has essentially been replaced by the Terminator 15th, they are the same except for the faceplate, but the good stuff inside is the same. (I suspect that there is also a new 15th firmware update in the FPGA but I cannot be sure) The new Design team at Denafrips has been kicking out new 15th DAC’s for a few months now, each is of the next level up from the predecessors, well except I don’t know about the Enyo 15th and Aris 15th. Not sure what the secret sauce is in them. But for example the Pontus 15th is the “old” Venus 12th-1. The Venus 15th is the “old” Terminator II 12th-1. OK so now that we have identified where the Terminator 15th is in the chain as the current top dog I can move on to what I think of it.
Preface, i can really only compare this DAC to my Venus II I had for 3 years, almost to this day in fact. I also have the internal DAC in my Legacy Wavelet II for comparison, but to my ears the Venus II was better, larger soundstage, better layered and maybe a bit more organic. The Venus II is a very good DAC, priced at $3000 for the past several years-no slouch. It has been very reliable and I trust the brand. FWIW I had very, very seriously considered the T+A DAC 200 for over a year. I was very close to making the buy but it would have cost me another $1000+ plus I don’t listen to DSD recordings or need the preamp feature to take full advantage of what it has to offer.
My Strategy for my system now being that I am retired, old and on a restrained disposable income. I have been adding to it with the end in mind. Final purchases for my long lasting enjoyment. New speakers, Amp, Streamer, interconnects, power cords etc. I recently placed a very expensive Audience frontRow Reserve USB between the Aurneder N200 and Denafrips Hermes DDC in place of the Audioquest Diamond. WOW. I also have added the clock sync feature between the DDC and the DAC as it’s an in Denafrips house enhancement I was looking forward to implementing. One of the reasons I chose the Terminator as well is I appreciate the R2R “house sound” more than chip based DAC’s. I knew what I was getting into.I cannot audition stuff, I don’t live anywhere near a good audio store. Anyway, I wanted to build upfront with high resolution working toward the amp/speakers end of the line. I buy new because of warranty and longevity.
I can’t tell you if this DAC is equal to, better or worse that the T+A DAC 200 I almost bought, but I can say it is exactly what I was looking for, I love it. It’s got a ways to go to fully burn int, these R2R DACs are a painful process, I know based on how long the Venus II took. I got over 400 hours on it for now.
MY listening notes:
Realistic timbre to instruments and vocalists. More natural, small improvement but better. So real sounding. Bass is deeper quick but more defined and textured. The bass is amazing, I love it! More holographic soundstage and airy around instruments and vocalists-clearer separation of voices. I am able to hear farther into the recordings. Yes, hearing things I never heard before cliche’ Gets up and Boogies! Realism, palpable presentation’I can and do listen for hours. 3-5 hours at time. Quiet, black background. soundstage bigger, hearing well outside the speakers now frequently. piano is so realistic delicate overtones, reverberations and decays smoother presentation vs Venus -really like this just not digital sounding really.
Overall as the DAC progressed quite a bit from 100 hours to 400 hours. It takes about 700 hours to be it’s best. I am completely satisfied with this DAC, It is everything I was hoping to achieve from it. |
I’ve had my Pontus 15th since June running in NOS, but just flipped to OS just last week to see which I liked best. I’m undecided which I like best to be honest. It’s not night and day different, but NOS mode is a little more organic sounding to my crappy ears I would play around when you receive your unit, see which you like more. Maybe a case of NOS for some genres of music, OS for others |
fthompson251, I hope you'll share your impressions of the new Terminator when it's up and running. Very interested to hear how it compares to your Venus II. If I remember right, my Pontus 15th took about a week to arrive. I was impressed by how fast that shipping was considering its point of origin and US customs. |
Yesterday I ordered the Terminator 15th from Audioman58 to replace my Venus II. On a leap of faith because there are no reviews but I like the Denafrips house sound and I already have the Hermes and a good I2s cable. He told me it is exactly like the Terminator + 12th plus some, I hope so! I look forward to using the clock sync feature with it. I hope to have it by the end of this week but not sure when it gets here, how long did yours Pontus take? Thanks and happy listening! |
One other detail that I should have mentioned in my review: Denafrips doesn’t include a power cord with this DAC, leaving it to the customer to supply their own. You’ll want to use a good one here, as the unit definitely benefits from it. I’m using a Morrow Audio MAP-3, which is the minimum quality I would recommend. It’s actually something I’m going to upgrade at some point. Also, a slight correction to my review, since I can no longer edit it: I mentioned the HDMI connection and the I2s protocol and said the DAC can "output" DSD, which was an error--meant to say it can accept/decode DSD streams and files. Oops.
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@cooper52 thanks for the write-up, enjoyed it. I’ve had the Pontus 15th for around 5 months, coupled with the Iris.(I originally ordered the Pontus 12th-1, I was was sent the 15th with no prior warning. This is documented in a post I made here on Audiogin at the time). I can only mirror your observations of the P-15th; it’s a thoroughly engaging DAC, and for me the most enjoyable DAC I’ve owned to date. I had and still have the DAC the Pontus displaced from my rack, a DAC that cost a lot more. At this point in time I am not even entertaining the idea of any possible DAC changes. Off topic, but after receiving the Pontus, I bought the Heaven 11 Billie mkii Tube/Class D hybrid integrated; this seems to synergise really well with what the Pontus brings to the party and compliments it perfectly to my ears etc. Anyway, congratulations on the Pontus, and continued Happy Listening 😊👍 |
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@cooper52 Thanks for the review. I'm very much looking at the Pontus 15th because of the price, because I have the Iris, and now the reviews. Not to detract from your review at all but New Record Day also gave the Pontus 15th a very favorable review and said it compared pretty well with the Holo May although less than half the price. |
@lynn_olson