Different R2R DACs
Several months ago, I bought a used Hono Spring Level 2 DAC to see how R2R would compare against my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I like the Brooklyn+ a lot, but, given the other components in my system, I'm thinking about building in a bit more warmth (without losing significant detail). I'm not looking for sweetness or holography. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly unimpressed by the way the Holo Spring Level 2 smeared the music. I returned it within two weeks. Perhaps the unit I bought was defective (though I bought it from a highly reputable seller of used equipment), but it started me wondering how much of the hype surrounding the newer generation of R2R DACs was just that, hype. However, I keep seeing so many glowing reviews of reasonably priced R2R DACS from Denafrips, Aqua, Lampizator and others. So I'm wondering whether I should give them another try. Unfortunately, where I live the only real (suboptimal) option is to audition by purchasing one DAC at a time. Before I start down that road again, I thought I would ask the collective brain of Audiogon about how much of a difference I might expect, as against the Holo Spring level 2, from a new Denafrips Pontus II or used Terminator II, a used Aqua La Voce or Lampizator, or some other R2R DAC under $5K. I don't require require resolutions greater than 24/192 (beyond which I discern no difference). I do like the option of MQA decoding, but it's not a deal breaker.
The rest of my system (source components aside), at present, include a Parasound JC2 BP preamp, a pair of VTV Purifi mono amps, and Harbeth C7ES-3 speakers.
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I bought a Denafrips Ares 2 after sampling the Chord Cutest ( as good but not better IMO), the Mytech Liberty (seemed slow and slightly muddy) and the Burston Conductor ( just not my cup of tea). I have generally found my other chip based dacs a little bright and harsh in comparison to the Denafrips that includes iFi iDSD BL, now used nicely with headphones, a Marantz dac in my NA7005, and a Project dac which sounded plain awful, didn't work correctly and failed to last a day?
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@david_ten i hope you get your send button unstuck! 😁 as for @worldwidewholesales - i just want to see the list of the 100 dacs a/b'd and also understand their process for doing this 😉 |
People seem to be weting themselves over the new Holo Audio R2R DAC's. The Spring 3 KTE and May L2 or KTE are getting rave reviews. Stereophile gave them Class A reference status. * Quite a discussion over on PS Audio's forum site: https://forum.psaudio.com/t/holo-audio-spring-3-dac-impressions/24921/99 * This UK based review was impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhf9GpGC55w * Stereophile: https://forum.psaudio.com/t/holo-audio-one-of-the-best-dacs-ever-john-atkinson-seems-to-think-so/22913/545
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@m-db Yes, industry accomodation pricing must be nice! There’s not much money in reviewing, however, so when you consider the overall comp package (accomodation pricing included), I understand why many reviewers do it essentially part-time. I’ll be getting the Sonnet Morpheus and Hermes today and putting it through its paces. Even at full retail, it’s a bargain proposition if it can do what it’s purported to do. Holo/Denafrips have been getting all the attention as the best bargain R2R DACs, but when you add in a good streamer and consider how hot the used market is for them (they trade at minimal discount)...the Sonnet starts to look like the better bargain. Proof will be in the pudding.
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