DENAFRIPS Terminator and Schiit Yggdrasil Evaluation and Comparison

@cjlover   @gdhal  @zoophaugus   Thank you for your kind words!  Also nice to hear that you liked reading it and that it may have been helpful. 

As stated upfront in the comparison, I have the A board in the Yggy. I cannot imagine Mike and Jason implementing the B board if it didn't perform better than the previous one. I'm waiting for more owner feedback before going forward with it because it is a ~$600 (including shipping) cost to me. Once I get it installed and in system, I will post an update. [@ Hal : I'm hopeful that the finding you pointed to, in your post, will be a non issue or much less of one.]

I've had the DENAFRIPS Terminator feeding the T+A PA 3100 HV (on loan) for a number of days now and one standout finding with this pairing within my system, for lack of a better descriptor (and understanding) at this point in time, is "The Absence of a Black Background." The best way to describe it is that the space is Completely Clear, which to me is a major difference in perception than 'Black.' With the Pass Separates I still perceive the background as black. Just another twist in findings due to components and system synergy.

Update on the AXPONA Denafrips demo.  The Venus is in the house (thank you Alvin) and I was able to set it up to play in parallel with the Terminator.
I can do real-time switching between the two for comparison so the demo will work.  Having all four models in the chain will take a little more coordination but it should work fine.
I am expecting the Pontus and Ares soon.
Vinh Vu
Gingko Audio and Danacable

Another update on the Denafrips demo at AXPONA. I am expecting the Ares and the Pontus this week and am planning on a dry run on Saturday afternoon March 31 in Farmingdale NJ. I can hook all 4 DACs and playing them simultaneously for comparison but I think pairwise comparison between two DACs is more effective and practical (it gets too confusing with more than two). I can also compare the Denafrips with any other USB DACs with a passive level-matching device.
PM me if you are interested in participating in the session.
Vinh Vu
Gingko Audio and Danacable

Update on the Denafrips demo at AXPONA.

I got all 4 Denafrips models running in my system, hooked up to the preamp inputs to allow for real-time switching among them. To ensure that the comparison is as valid as possible:

·         Each DAC is connected to the server with a USB cable

·         Selection of music tracks are done via an IPad user interface

·         Fast switching between preamp inputs is done via a remote to minimize delay

·         Volume levels are matched by using an SPL meter measuring a pink noise track

·         If the two DACs have different output levels, use a high-quality passive attenuator to dial down the higher level until the SPL meter reads the same for both DACs.

·         The inputs of the preamp are set up for the DACs without knowledge for the test audience

·         Although not quite a double-blind test, this allows for a fair comparison between the DACs.

Using Roon, the music tracks can be synched perfectly but I found that quick successive switching back and forth between many DACs is too confusing, especially to others in the audience. I found that the best approach is a pair-wise comparison between two DACs, repeating a familiar musical passage on one and then the other. That way, the audience hears the musical performance as a whole and each person can zero in the aspect of the sound he/she is focused in to look for differences without losing the perspective of the whole musical performance.

The demo dry run is scheduled for 2:00 PM Saturday, March 31, in Farmingdale NJ.

Send me your email if you want to participate in the session and I will send details about the logistics.

Promises to be a fun event! And you can legitimately claim to be at the true world premiere introduction of the full line of Denafrips R2R DACs. Bring your own DAC and if we have time we can do a head-to-head shootout under the same controlled conditions described above.

Vinh Vu

Gingko Audio and Danacable

The dry run of the demo was a successful and fun event for everyone involved. The process I had planned on went without a hitch, the feedback was plentiful and helpful, the food was good, the music was great, and the company was even better. What I got out of the meeting were:

- All four models have a similar Denafrips "house sound" that was enjoyed by all
- Even though it was a blind test (none in the audience knew which model was playing until the end when they have already formed and written down their opinion), the results were as expected, with one (explainable) exception - everyone picked the Terminator as their favorite and the models' performances were commensurate with their price points, except the Venus, which sounded a little constricted (less open-sounding). That is probably due to the fact that the Venus had the least number of hours of break-in as compared to the other models (I have had the Terminator for almost 2 months and the Ares and Pontus were review samples). So the Venus needs some more break-in time before AXPONA.
- For the demo at AXPONA, a pairwise comparison between the Terminator and whichever model has the most interest from the audience - e.g., its price point is right - playing the same musical passages in quick successions would be best to show their respective performances.
- The system sounded right with all genres of music and is primed to show off well at the show.

Thanks to all participants, who came from NJ, NY, PA, and MD (whose representative drove 3 hours each way to attend the event, thank you Richard).   AXPONA here we come!
Vinh Vu
Gingko Audio and Danacable