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

[rothosand]

Another comparison of the Terminator has been made on Audiostream, this time with the Lampizator Atlantic DAC (equipped with all possible options...), by Alex Halberstadt :

https://www.audiostream.com/content/lampizator-atlantic-dac

 

Quote

While I had no comparably-priced DAC on hand to compare to the Atlantic, I did receive a very heavy box containing the DENAFRIPS Terminator, a DAC from China that's recently developed a rabid online following (review forthcoming). Like the Atlantic it's a ladder DAC, but there the similarities end. A quick comparison showed that the Terminator makes music with a cooler tone but even bigger dynamics, a deeper and taller soundstage, and a more detailed, textured sound—while sounding as organic as the Atlantic. On the other hand, the Terminator doesn't offer the Atlantic's volume control, remote, possibility of tube rolling, and weighs more than both of my road bikes combined.

 

[tipunch]

Another review of the Terminator:

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

[TubeLover]

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

[rafa]

4 hours ago, TubeLover said:

 ...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.

Absolutely agree 100%.

 

If Denafrips wants belong to highend manufacturers has to be present at HighEnd Audio Show in Munich and AVS in Warsaw.

Then many maybe interested to test them.

[Cazzesman]

I think it is pretty big dollars to display your gear at some of these shows.     An Australian Speaker maker in Melbourne told me it was a massive outlay to play the Show game.    Aside from the display Space, you have the flights, product transportation, advertising, accommodation, etc, etc.    He said you have to do it for the right reasons.  

 

Last time he took his gear OS it was to get some worldwide distributors, which worked, so mission accomplished.    It's not always about actually moving product.  You pay just to get your name out there but as he said there is a big risk you might get lost in the stampede amongst a 1000 other competitors regardless of how good you might be.

 

Perhaps Dena hasn't reached those lofty heights as yet and is happy for the word of mouth sales.    Their worldwide distribution is still very simplistic so perhaps the time is not right.  The other issue is they might not have is the ability to produce in large amounts.     If I remember correctly one or two manufacturers on CA had trouble meeting demand once word go out and everyone wanted a taste.     

 

Just a few thoughts.

 

Regards Cazzesman

[butifull01]

I have Terminator, Golden Atlantic, d1-Six, Formula xHD, Spring Lv.3 KTE, Trinity DAC, and etc.

 

The my DACs comparison test result is here :

 

Trinity DAC >>> Formula xHD > d1-Six >> Terminator > Golden Atlantic

 

As my thought, Terminator is better than Golden Atlantic.

 

Terminator's sound balance is excellent.

 

And its sound resolution is same to Formula xHD.

 

Terminator is the best no. 1 DAC among DACs whose price is under $ 10,000.

 

Highly recommended

[mav52]

3 hours ago, butifull01 said:

I have Terminator, Golden Atlantic, d1-Six, Formula xHD, Spring Lv.3 KTE, Trinity DAC, and etc.

 

The my DACs comparison test result is here :

 

Trinity DAC >>> Formula xHD > d1-Six >> Terminator > Golden Atlantic

 

As my thought, Terminator is better than Golden Atlantic.

 

Terminator's sound balance is excellent.

 

And its sound resolution is same to Formula xHD.

 

Terminator is the best no. 1 DAC among DACs whose price is under $ 10,000.

 

Highly recommended

 

You list the Spring Lv.3 KTE, how did this $2500 dac compare.

[butifull01]

I have Terminator, Golden Atlantic, d1-Six, Formula xHD, Spring Lv.3 KTE, Trinity DAC, and etc.

 

The my DACs comparison test result is here :

 

Trinity DAC >>> Formula xHD > d1-Six >> Terminator > Golden Atlantic

 

As my thought, Terminator is better than Golden Atlantic.

 

Terminator's sound balance is excellent.

 

And its sound resolution is same to Formula xHD.

 

Terminator is the best DAC among DACs whose price is under $ 10,000.

 

Highly recommended

 

 

 

Spring Lv.3 KTE is good DAC, but Terminator is much better than Spring.

 

Spring Lv. 3 KTE has weakness at sound texture, stage imagination, dynamics.

 

Spring can't compare to BEST DACs.

 

But Terminator is enough to compare my Best DACs.

[ted_b]

Butifull01, can you describe how you tested the dacs?  What front end was used, and what sample rates or bit rates were listened to?  I ask because so many dac comparisons try to do single variable tests (i.e change dac only, everything else the same) and IMHO that is soo wrong.  Many dacs shine in only very specific environments.  I use the US baseball analogy of trying to compare pitchers striking out batters.  Some use very high speed fastballs, while others use changing velocity curve balls.  To ask one to use the other would be foolish (and unsuccessful)

 

For example, the only way I was able to rate the Holo Spring Lv3 KTE so highly was to use NOS mode, HQPlayer, I2S (via SU-1) and some very good HQP upsampling techniques.  I'm sure other dacs shine in completely different environments.  So...I wonder how you tested these dacs, and did you allow each of them to use their best strengths?  Thx

[butifull01]

I recorded Terminator and Best DACs' sound.

 

Original musics' format is 16 bit / 44.1 KHz

 

Recorded musics' format is 24 bit / 96KHz

 

Here is the comparison test data link :

 

http://gofile.me/6xyUW/CaWlkDljB

[luisma]

On 3/15/2018 at 5:26 AM, roberto2 said:

 

I have made a test of the USB input using two 20cm Curious Cables coming from my Sotm sms-200 Ultra and a Sotm tx-usbhub in between powered by a Sotm sps-500. The USB input is very good and adding my tweaked Singxer makes a little but noticeable improvement in AES or i2s. The difference between HDMI and AES does not seem to me so great. 

But may be someone else would find it bigger in another context. 

 

Anyway the Terminator is the first DAC that I own that has an USB input of this quality. All my previous DACs (Mytek 192, Dangerous Source, Audio-gd Master 7) were clearly improved by an USB/AES converter. With the Terminator the difference is not so big. 

So basically due to the quality of the inputs it doesn't matter if you use USB or I2S or AES as inputs and the SQ difference should not be that much, and yes ideally you would like to go with I2S whenever possible correct?

 

How about the output, will the balanced output to an amp will be preferred over the unbalanced RCA one?

 

 

[Blakcloud]

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.

[TubeLover]

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

[butifull01]

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%

 

 

[bibo01]

On 5/13/2018 at 11:38 PM, butifull01 said:

I recorded Terminator and Best DACs' sound.

 

Original musics' format is 16 bit / 44.1 KHz

 

Recorded musics' format is 24 bit / 96KHz

 

Here is the comparison test data link :

 

http://gofile.me/6xyUW/CaWlkDljB

How are organized the files inside this 2 GB file?

What A/D did you use? 

[butifull01]

1 hour ago, bibo01 said:

How are organized the files inside this 2 GB file?

What A/D did you use? 

 

I don't have expensive recording components.

 

I have SONY PCM-D100. (PCM : 24bit/192KHz, DSD 64 recording is possible)

 

I just recorded them in midnight.

[bibo01]

3 minutes ago, butifull01 said:

 

I don't have expensive recording components.

 

I have SONY PCM-D100. (PCM : 24bit/192KHz, DSD 64 recording is possible)

 

I just recorded them in midnight.

Thanks.

How are the files named inside the download file?

Was it recorded through the microphone or connected to DACs' outputs?

[butifull01]

20 minutes ago, bibo01 said:

Thanks.

How are the files named inside the download file?

Was it recorded through the microphone or connected to DACs' outputs?

 

No~

 

Just recording files that is used PCM-D100

 

I wrote Terminator DE, but it is no meaning. DE means to just informs my files

 

http://cafe.naver.com/digitusupremo/1285

 

 

[bibo01]

1 minute ago, butifull01 said:

 

No~

 

Just recording files that is used PCM-D100

 

I wrote Terminator DE, but it is no meaning. DE means to just informs my files

 

http://cafe.naver.com/digitusupremo/1285

 

 

Sorry if I insist,  we have an English problem.

Was microphone used or Line-IN?

[butifull01]

31 minutes ago, bibo01 said:

Sorry if I insist,  we have an English problem.

Was microphone used or Line-IN?

 

I use microphone

 

I'm sorry.

 

I can speak English very well.

 

I'm Korean.

[bibo01]

I can speak English very well, but I am Italian  eheheheheh

...that's why I used "We".

 

Anyhow, would it be possible to record again the same DACs through Line-IN, instead of mic?!

Thanks for your help.

[bibo01]

9 hours ago, butifull01 said:

 

I use microphone

 

I'm sorry.

 

I can speak English very well.

 

I'm Korean.

If you are re-recording through Line-IN, you should guarantee repeatability of your Sony device.
You would need three repeated acquisitions of the same DAC with the same signal.
If you like, I can provide you with the signal.

[Ralf11]

any comparisons of the the Denafrips Ares?

 

$600 (!!)

[Blakcloud]

On 5/28/2018 at 12:48 AM, TubeLover said:

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

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.

[TubeLover]

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