Denafrips R2R DAC (plays 512 DSD) reviewed as giant killer

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1 hour ago, Milt99 said:

Sigh.

Going against my previous tenet that DAC Tech is in flux right now & that the prudent thing would be invest in mid-price R2R,

I'm thinking that the Denafrips Terminator with DSD 512 capability is a solid price-performance-value proposition.

Obviously not inexpensive but looking at the design philosophy, build quality & modularity what's not to like?

I'm in much the same place as you, and considering it for the same reasons.

 

JC

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On 1/22/2018 at 10:38 PM, levinsje said:

My previous DAC was an Eastern Electric minimax supreme.

It is not in the same league as the Terminator price wise or sound wise.

The rest of my system is:

Sonus Faber Ellipsa speakers.

Coincident Dragon 211 monoblocks

Shindo Monbrison preamp

SOTA cosmos turntable/Kiseki purple heart cartridge

 

However, my brother Dave is the Senior Vice President of the LA/Orange County audio society and he also has the Terminator.

It is the best Dac he has had in his system and he had the total dac and new version PS Audio dac.

His system is at a much higher price point than mine.

Interesting comments regarding your brother preferring the Terminator to the famed Total DAC. Which model total dac did he have, the d1-tube-MKII, or the d1-dualdac? Is it possible he could comment on how he felt the Terminator was superior? This could be of great benefit to my research into my next DAC purchase. Thanks.

 

JC

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Has anyone else tried this fascinating DAC?

 

JC

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Based on extremely positive remarks not only here at CA, but in other forums, the 6 Moons review, etc. I'm more than a little surprised that there hasn't been more commentary about this DAC. Is it still mostly unknown, available in limited quantities, or?

 

JC

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What appeals me is the constancy of comments from reviewers (granted very few so far) and owners of how analog it sounds. I would normally not want to consider a non tube DAC, but this "might" be an exception.

 

JC

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Based on reviews and information from some very well invested audiophile friends, I only wished I could afford one of the TotalDAC's, in particular the tubed version. Short of that, I hoped I would find a great value that would make up the difference, such as the Denafrips Terminator. Even if you don't take it at full value, this is an immense disappointment.

 

JC

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16 hours ago, tipunch said:

Another review of the Terminator:

https://www.denafrips.com/single-post/2018/05/12/DENAFRIPS-Terminator-Jay’s-Audio-CDT-3-MK2-A-Review

 Not to intentionally knock Mr. Bluewolf, while I am very interested to see new reviews of the Terminator, I have no idea who he is, or what credibility he might have. The Denafrips Terminator is a DAC that may well interest me, but I find it odd that, as long as it has been out there,  there are literally no reviews by any prominent audio reviewers except 6 Moons. I have to except the Michael Laforgna commentary that included it in a shootout, as I couldn't really make sense or reconcile what he had to say about it. And, unlike others here, I have no dislike whatsoever for him, that comparison was simply not done well.

 

JC

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1 minute ago, Blakcloud said:

As I was researching R2R DAC's to replace my Metrum Octave Mk. II, I came across threads talking about the Denafrips Terminator. One came up for sale near me so I am about to purchase it. I just put a deposit on it and I will pick it up in two days.

 

I hope it lives up to the hype I have read here and the linked articles. I like my Metrum but I didn't think it was at the same level as the rest of my system. I originally wanted to purchase another Metrum but since the Denafrips came up for sale I figured why not? It will be paired up with my Aurrender N100H as the source. I only play Redbook quality rips of my CD's so this DAC should perform nicely for that.

 

The beauty of buying used is that it is already burned in as it is 5 weeks old. Hopefully my system will be complete with this purchase. I will give a short review after I have owned it for a couple of weeks.

I'm very eager to see what you think of it in your system. I'm also using an N100H, so very interested in how it connects and pairs with that too.

 

JC

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1 hour ago, Blakcloud said:

I thought it would take me a few weeks to make a fair evaluation but I only needed a few minutes to hear the difference. Sometimes different doesn't necessarily mean better but in this case it does. Then again it is a DAC that costs five times as much as my Metrum Octave so I expected better sound. What I didn't expect is how much better my system sounds.

 

It doesn't colour the music in any direction. It feels and sounds quite natural. Some people talk about how the bass is tighter etc but for me everything is just cleaner. It is like there was always a slight haze over the music with my original DAC. Now I hear each instrument and expands the music you are listening to. There is better separation in the music but again it may be because the clarity is much better.

 

I don't know and can't comment on how it compares to other DAC's in its price range. All I can do is comment on how the DAC sounds to me. This DAC is a keeper and I am finished with my system. No more buying anything, no more chasing a sound. The DAC was the missing piece and I am happy with what I have.

 

It seems to pair nicely with the Aurender (which is another piece I would never sell). My only complaint is the size of this thing. It is huge. I built a custom stand for my system so really don't have space for it without it looking stupid. Hopefully I will still like this DAC two weeks from know. I can be guilty as the next person who writes glowing reviews on my new acquisitions because of the newness factor and then having to swallow my words a month later.

Do you have it connected directly to the Aurender via USB?

 

JC

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On 5/28/2018 at 4:48 AM, butifull01 said:

I had Terminator's A-B comparison test.

 

1. Trinity DAC

 

2. TotalDAC d1-Six

 

3. Formula xHD

 

4. Golden Atlantic

 

5. Analog DAC

 

6. Dave

 

7. Manhattan II

 

8. La Scala MK II Optologic

 

 

I also Yggdrasil and Spring Lv. 3 KTE comparison test, but I think these test is meaningless.

 

 

Here is my result :

 

1. Trinity DAC - 100%

 

2. TotalDAC d1-Six - 80%

 

3. Formula xHD - 83%

 

4. Golden Atlantic - 72%

 

5. Analog DAC - 67%

 

6. Dave - 61%

 

7. Manhattan II - 56%

 

8. La Scala MK II Optologic - 74%

 

 

[[Terminator]] - 79%

 

 

Can you compare the Terminator specifically with the Total Dac?

 

JC

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New review just out from Audiostream!

 

https://www.audiostream.com/content/review-denafrips-terminator-dac

 

JC