Questions to Denafrips Terminator Plus owners (the break-in)


I just registered to this forum as I saw a number of people using this dac, so I might receive some useful feedback from you guys.

I have just received it a few days ago and it only has less than 48 hours in my system (playing random songs and pink noise). From my research, this dac takes a long time to fully break in and it is recommended to be left on (standby or otherwise) 24/7.

Well, those are fine... but I’d like to ask how it sounds during the break-in? Now, still breaking in, I really don’t like the sound. the Terminator Plus replaces my Ayre QB9 Twenty, and whilst I can hear some more details with the TP, the sound in general, especially vocal is not pleasing at all... full of sibilant and mid-high irritation! I can’t believe this is the sound from R2R dac (which is generally known to be liquid and warm).
So for anyone who also have (or had) this dac, how was it in your system during break in? Would it be better after 200-ish hour mark? For now, I’m so disappointed with its sonic performance.

FYI, I’m using USB and I know that best practice is to use Denafrips’ DDC (e.g. Gaia / Hermes) to feed I2S, but I don’t believe the dac requires that DDC to sound "acceptable". My source is Aurender streamer which should at least send out acceptable quality USB signal, of course, currently my old dac sounds way, way better!

Thanks
tortor
I think you will be better served asking @alvin1118  (Alvin / Vinshine) directly or over at the Denafrips Facebook page.
I didn't find the T+ overly rough sounding right out of the box, but it definitely improves with time. It took several weeks of 24/7 operation before I thought it sounded better than the Terminator it replaced. My system is on the warm side though (and my high-frequency hearing isn't what it used to be), so may not expose the kind of issues you are hearing as clearly. I have been using it with the Gaia since day 1 though. 

SonicTransporter i9 -(optical ethernet)-> Sonore Signature Rendu SE -(AQ Diamond USB) -> Gaia -(Tubulus Argentus i2s) -> Terminator+. Clock cables between T+ and Gaia are DH Labs D-750.

At some point in the last couple months, my system seemed to really gel. I've made a lot of changes to my system this year (starting with the T+ in Feb), but most of those changes were with well-broken-in pre-owned gear. So perhaps some of it is just getting used to the sound, but I'm really enjoying the way it sounds now. Even recordings that I found too strident and almost unlistenable previously sound pretty good. 

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