DENAFRIPS Terminator and Schiit Yggdrasil Evaluation and Comparison

I have an iFi iDSD PRO and will be writing an in-depth review soon. I compare it to my AMR DP-777se, the AMR CD 77.1 (hot-rod’d with a TDA 1541 double crown dac chip, Jupiter Copper Foil Paper in Wax output caps and Bendix 6900 output tubes), the iFi iDSD BL, and an old-school Museatex Bidat (still one of the best) thrown in for fun. I own all of he dacs mentioned except for the iDSD PRO. I’m also going to compare it to the latest PS Audio Direct Stream.

I will say that the PRO is impressive and what it does with DSD has shown me first hand just how superior DSD can sound (I have about 700 DSD albums) when it is not converted to PCM although at 705khz it remains close to how untouched DSD sounds.

big price difference 

Upgradability should be a consideration between the Terminator and the Yggy. The Terminator is a mature product without a true hardware upgrade pathway. The Yggy is a modular design that permits hardware upgrades when better receiver chips Analog Devices Multibit chips, and other digital or physical hardware becomes available. 

Hey everyone, just curious what you guys thin of Marv/Purr1n's take on the terminator on S-BAF.

He actually at one point states that the Soekris 1421 dac for $900 is better which clearly shows terminator lacks value. On my discord some users only really value Marv's opinion and feel that all other online opinions about the terminator that are positive are wrong and written by people who don't understand audio.

Now I am not trying to start any confrontation here, I own the terminator, but just curious what you guys think.

@audiofun Did you ever write up that review on the iFi Pro iDSD?  How does it compare to your AMR DP-777SE?  I've been out of the hifi game for several years but have been bitten by the bug again after deciding to try the First Watt SIT-3 amp and being enamored by it.  I was looking at used/new DACs up to around $3k and considered the AMR, Luxman DA-06, McIntosh MDA-1000, MHDT Orchid (+ upgrades), Berkeley Alpha DAC 2, Schiit Yggdrasil A2. 

I have an iFi on the way and settled on it for its very high value and flexibility, especially considering that I won't need a transport and the cables to go with it, but of course I still wonder about those other DACs.

I like a sweet, organic, dense sound but detailed and transparent with realistic imaging, transparency, and 3D soundstage.  Not so much into big bass slam, in your face dynamics, or crystalline highs (though I do enjoy what a good super tweeter brings to the table).  My bedroom system, which I still have, runs an MHDT Havana that's modified with all top shelf capacitors (Duelund, Jupiter, Black Gate, etc) and other components.  I really enjoy it and settled on that over the BADA 2, PS Audio PWD2, etc. 5+ years ago.