Cen. Grand DSDAC 1.0 (vs Pontus II)

@cd318 I used own the Ares 2, but that's not really a fair comparison with the Cen. Grande. For what it's worth, the distributor I deal with is also a distributor for Denefrips as well as Cen. Grande. 

He feels that the Denefrips doesn't compete with the Cen. Grandes with respect to the Pontus II vs Cen. Grande Standard; the same as you move up the respective lines. 

People obviously want to buy Denefrips from him; they're immensely popular at the moment, but his preferred DAC, and what he uses at the moment is the Cen. Grande Deluxe version 

I have never invested more than $600 into a stand alone external DAC, until recently I opted to get the Denafrips Pontus 12th anniversary DAC. It has taken my audio setup to another level. But if I wanted to go the DSD route, I would invest in a PS Audio model, probably used.

I have a huge CD collection and a Denafrips Pontus II and would love to listen / read a comparison between my dac and the Cen.Grand, as I am very curious about the red book upsampling to DSD...

@audiofilo123 me too. I took a punt on the relatively unknown Cen. Grande, but would look forward to reviews/comparisons as the brand gains a foothold in Western markets.

I've never heard the Pontus in the flesh, so not much use I'm afraid 🤔🥴

@painter24 buying an almost unknown piece of gear is always a risky move but also an exciting one. I bought my Pontus a couple of months before all the hype and choose it instead of a (used-but-mint) Holo Audio Spring 2 Kitsune Edition, very well reviewed.

I love the Pontus (and I will keep it for years) but I continue to be curious about other dacs:

NOS type: Audio Note, Lab12, Abbas, Metrum

DSD upsampling: Cen.Grand