Denafrips Terminator Plus vs T+A DAC 200

I have no experience with Denafrips Terminator series, but I can tell you the T+A 200 series are really good. And since you are familiar with the T+A house sound, you will know what to expect. I have the similar T+A HA 200 (headphone amp + DAC combo) and the T+A MP 200 (streamer / transport) on my headphones rig.

I understand this is not exactly what you asked, but I am chiming in nonetheless. I suspect the Terminator will sound different than the T+A given its completely different topology than the T+A DACs. Whether better or worse to your ears, I don’t know

I have not compared the two but have been reading reviews on the Terminator Plus. I would be curious to hear head-to-head reviews as well. I have a feeling they may be very close tonally, especially because the way Steve Huff compares the Terminator Plus to the Chord Dave is similar to the way the T+A DAC 200 compares against the Dave and Mscaler combined:

VS the Chord DAVE: The Dave is electric, alive, dynamic and uber detailed. It can wow you with sounds and it is among the best I have heard when it comes to 3D details and dynamics. The Terminator PLUS is a touch more laid back, not as in your face and not as ALIVE sounding as the DAVE. The Denafrips is more subdued, more open (soundstage is larger) and just as 3D. It is not as dynamic but again, I never tire of listening to the Denafrips. It has a natural vibe about it that makes music sound realistic and very musical in my system.

One thing my customers and I appreciate about the T+A DAC 200 is that it has a total of six DAC filters that can span a very laid, back organic sound, to a very naturally bit perfect sound to being very punchy and detail-oriented. It’s almost like having six DACs in one and enables the DAC to better adapt with the system synergy. It also means that anyone who compares the two together should comprehensively experiment with all the DAC filters for the most honest evaluation.

In full transparency, I am a T+A dealer. If you happen to be in the upper midwest, drop me a line and I can demo it for you. Happy to answer any questions on the unit. 

One thing my customers and I appreciate about the T+A DAC 200 is that it has a total of six DAC filters that can span a very laid, back organic sound, to a very naturally bit perfect sound to being very punchy and detail-oriented. It’s almost like having six DACs in one and enables the DAC to better adapt with the system synergy. 

Good point. And spot on! My T+A HA 200 has the same filters. And unlike similar filters with other DACs I have owned, each filter is audibly different than the others with the T+A. Very easy to hear the difference between the filters, and use what one prefers. The last two filters (out of the six) are NOS filters (no over sampling), which HQ Player users love.

I use HQPlayer with the DAC200. This also opens open your streaming options and setup. Quite a few streamer manufacturers allow you to use their product as a Network Audio Adaptor (NAA). This means you're pretty much using the streamer for it's (hopefully well designed) USB output. You can run HQPlayer on a computer in another room and it feeds the NAA with the music. I was looking at Lampizator, Denafrips, Bricasti, Rockna and a few others.  I never got to try Denafrips or Lampizator so I'm unfortunately no help there, but I'm happy with the DAC200 for both the sound and the functionality/flexibility. 

Thank you all for your input. I almost purchased a Terminator 2 last week. (Un)fortunately it sold just before my inquiry. But wouldn't you know the very next day a T+ went up for sale. I'm waiting for its delivery this week. I guess the deciding factor was Steve Guttenburg's review. He said "if you are a resolution 1st audiophile, you crave ultimate resolution from your digital music then T+ will make you very, very happy." That's me to a tee.