Thought I’d share: Nicely done and practical DAC review

Everyone is commenting on Darko, but this review is by John Grandberg.  Or am I missing something?

@abnerjack good catch. It really didn’t read like it was written by Darko. But I agree with @mapman’s original point, it’s a very helpful and well written review.

One comment involving the headphones focus of this review, it’s great for that application.  But the sound from these dacs might be experienced very differently played through speakers in a room.  Headphones take all those variables out and leave only the gear and your ears.  One of the attributes of better dacs is the kind of soundstage presented versus lesser engined and spec’d products.  A frequent comment by reviewers of the Denafrips PontusII is the realistic way music occupies space in the listening room for a dac at that price point.  Not sure you can fully get a sense of what these three dacs can do in that area from listening through cans.

kn

@knownothing My impression was both a HeadFi and home system were used to evaluate the DACs, but I agree totally that headphones in general cannot reveal the finer points of imaging/soundstage like a big rig can.  Not even close. 

agree with both comments 

headphones cannot be used to judge how soundstaging/imaging would be presented in an actual listening room, properly set up

denafrips pontus' significant strength is its imaging ability, along with providing a nice dose of midrange/midbass warmth

I will never buy anything from Denafrips as the name bothers me. What the hell is a Denafrips? Schiit doesn't bother me and I do buy their stuff including a Bifrost 2/64 (got the upgrade) that some feel sounds pretty much like the YGGDRASIL+ which I have not heard. Why? The name...I refuse to compromise my name issues.