Article: Review | DenaFrips Pontus DAC

[sdolezalek]

Was this a Pontus review or a Pontiac review? 

[sdolezalek]

On 12/16/2020 at 12:33 PM, matthias said:

 

No real man buys a Cayenne. Period.

 

Matt

My wife might beg to differ.  I've personally progressed from a 911 Carrera4 Targa to a Panamera Turbo S to a Cayenne (it's more practical on the farm) and as much as I loved the 911, it remineded me of a great pair of headphones (light, crisp, incredibly detailed, bass when needed, but tiring after a few hours).  In comparison, the Panamera Turbo (even though Porschefiles hate it) was like sitting in the front row at the symphony or in front of Chris'  Wilson Audio Alexia's at full throttle -- you just couldn't believe almost 5,000 lbs could hold a curving road, or press your skull into the headrests, or hold onto a icy patch that way.  And you could drive it for 12 hours straight and still get out fully relaxed.  That is the one good thing about the Cayenne -- I can fall asleep in it better that either of the other two. ;-)  

 

By comparison to the Panamera, my M5 and M6 and even my Tesla S seemed like blunt instruments -- lots of bass, lots of speed, far less finesse.  Only a Tesla D with Ludricrous mode that I borrowed for a week has come close.  But, most of those differences only became apparent over months and years of owning these cars; if I had just taken them for a 24 hour test drive, I might have reached completely different conclusions.

 

Which actually brings me back to the original subject of this thread:  When I hear people describe the Pontus or any of the other Denafrips DACs or for that matter any R2R DAC I hear a lot of the same things said as when people describe why they still prefer analog -- more air, more reverberance, perhaps even conceding a bit of euphonic distortion...compared to what others describe as the clinical precision of the delta-sigma DACs.  I've found that depending on my filter choices in HQPlayer, I can actually simulate some of those same differences.  But I have also found that when I go for the "analog/R2R sound" I tend to prefer it when I first walk into the room and for an hour or two thereafter (like the 911), but when I want a sound I can live with for hours and days on end, I choose the leaner, more subtle style that makes little impression at first, but an hour or so into a listening session you find that you have become completely lost in the music (the way my Panamera made me feel - but lost in the drive).  

 

Are there long term R2R afficionados who would strenously disagree? 

[sdolezalek]

2 minutes ago, Blake said:

 

 

Yes, to the point where I might get a hernia. 

 

Ah yes, but if I remember correctly, you've gone all in for the Termintor-Plus and you've been selling off your (overly clinical/detailed, weak on bass) Sennheiser 800/800S collection... ;-)