Denarips and Vinshine split

@classic8 I looked at used prices for the Venus II and have seen a item in Black Finish sold for approx' $2K earlier this year.

The LAIV Harmony has also been seen sold used for similar monies.

If new models is not critical for the items to go on a shortlist, this could be an attractive offset to a shortened Warranty Period.     

@pindac Yes, I have similar thoughts.  Some reviewers claim the Laiv Harmony comes close to the Terminator II; if so it would seem the Harmony is a better value because apparently there is a big difference between the Venus and Terminator. Another consideration for me is that Denafrips units play native DSD vs the Harmony which converts to PCM - in practice do not know if this is an issue or not.

@pindac Any new thoughts regarding LAiV Harmony vs Venus II 12th-1? I noticed the Pontus II 15th uses the same resistor ladder as the Venus, and the main difference between the units is the clock.  So I wonder how different the sound would be between Pontus II 15th vs Venus II 12th-1 vs LAiV Harmony? Denafrips has a 10% sale through August 10, so wondering if the Pontus II 15th is the best value right now?

After a recent Thread I have been reading, I became familiarised with the notion that Clocks or Clocking Methodology does have an Impact on the End Sound and have concluded any Digital Source user (myself included) will benefit from learning more about the influence a particular Clock Type can have.

This is a new area of consideration for myself and one not yet investigated by having putting in place dedicated experiences to learn where End Sound is effected for detectable improvement where the Clock design is concerned.

As an extreme example but a bonafide report, a $13K Clock was added to a $3K Transports Signal Path. The Transport although not being seemingly attractive for the End Sound as a basic model, was transformed to a very attractive performer with the addition of the Clock   

I would prefer to encourage an individual to go down the route of seeking out more info, about the differences to be expected from different Clocks.

It does look like this is the area now that has a significant influence on the End Sounds being produced and may prove to be the deal winner, when a correct marriage is discovered.   

Yes, I am also learning, and I think you are correct. Many users have reported sound improvement using external clocks and DDCs.  Maybe the Venus II 12th-1’s superior clock justifies the price differential.  It would be interesting if Denafrips released a Venus II 15th.