Article: Review | DenaFrips Pontus DAC

[jacquesr]

Is this the album with the trumpe?

[JoeWhip]

3 hours ago, orosie said:

LOL....people can be so fragile these days.

Not fragile at all, just calling out a condescending comment for what it is. I am not butt hurt at all.

[gmgraves]

8 hours ago, JoeWhip said:

Sorry my friend, I don’t hear that at all. No need to be condescending.

I’m not being condescending at all. If I come across that way, above, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intent. I’m just acknowledging that different people look for different things in their music presentation. Honestly, I’m glad you found the sound that suits you!
Also, What I described is what *I * hear when listening to the latest Yiggy when compared to the Pontus.

[gmgraves]

18 hours ago, JHG said:

Nice review George!  Would you tell us what input on the Pontus you were using as well as the source?

Thanks,

Jim

I have a number of digital sources, so it would be easier for me to tell you the sources that I don’t use (i2S)!

My Mac Pro running Audirvana uses USB (AudioQuest Diamond for those interested in that sort of thing), my Oppo 205 is connected via coax SPDIF, my Logitech Squeezebox Touch (used only for Internet radio) is connected via Toslink, and my Otari studio DAT recorder/player via AES balanced XLR.

[gmgraves]

4 hours ago, skatbelt said:

 

While I more or less agree with the content, it is indeed a condescending response.

 

The bold 'from memory' statement about a comparison with the Vivaldi and MSB DAC also makes that I cannot take this review and it's conclusions very serious. Too bad and not at all necessary to convey enthusiasm.

 

I merely referenced my memory of the Vivaldi and the MSB. I also stated that one should take that memory with a grain of salt. I did not use either in the review proper. I used recordings with which I am intimately familiar and compared DACs to which I had immediate access. I don’t see how the mere mention of impressions of two DACs that I have heard in the past (along with a clearly stated caveat) invalidates a review where conclusions were reached using other DACs to which I was making direct comparisons!
 

[PeterG]

14 hours ago, alvin1118 said:

 

Yep, there is no US dealers. Our quasi-direct sales business model doesn't have enough margin to begin with, hence, it's not possible for us to have proper distribution network/dealership for that matter. Let alone the return policy. My apologies sir.

 

The good news is, we are lining up two potential service points in the USA (specifically, WA and SC) to provide repair / warranty services. We certainty hope this strengthen the confidence level of DENAFRIPS & Vinshine Audio products.

 

Cheers! 🙂

 

Thanks, Alvin.  It certainly sounds like you're providing great sound and great value, so I understand if you can't do dealers or returns.  I hope someday you're able to do something with restocking fees like Schiit, Head Amp, total DAC, and others.  For many people these formulas are the difference between being happy to buy something sound unheard, and having to stick with something else.  I've bought 3 highly reviewed products on this basis--kept two of them, paid several hundred dollars to return the third.

 

I look forward to your continued success!  

 

 

[bbosler]

1 hour ago, gmgraves said:

I used recordings with which I am intimately familiar 

 

 

Quote

With the rest of the ensemble playing, one can tell that there is a bass “continuum” playing from within the ensemble, but with all of the other DACs, you can’t parse what the bass player is playing. One is merely aware that the there is a strummed bass in the mix someplace. With the DenaFrips, the bass line is clearly audible

 

It would be very useful if you could share these recordings or let us know how to obtain them. This specific example is something we could listen for with our equipment and have something to compare your experiences too. Without the recording it is much less useful.

 

that said, I appreciate your passion and your willingness to hang it all out there , 

[Exocer]

Happy Yggdrasil A2 Unison owner here. I find the review to be very interesting and although my source is wildly different than yours I would like to demo either this or a Venus at some point. This would be my first NOS DAC. At the time I purchased my Yggdrasil I was also eyeing the Holo Spring 2 KTE. Have you heard this DAC in your system?

 

Some of your descriptions of soundstage seem to be characteristic of what I've read about a "NOS" presentation. Some prefer that, others prefer the OS presentation.

[gmgraves]

4 hours ago, bbosler said:

 

 

 

It would be very useful if you could share these recordings or let us know how to obtain them. This specific example is something we could listen for with our equipment and have something to compare your experiences too. Without the recording it is much less useful.

 

that said, I appreciate your passion and your willingness to hang it all out there , 

I would be happy to do that, but those recordings, though made by me, don’t belong to me. I can play them for my own edification, but they belong to the person or persons for which the recordings were made. It would be a copyright infringement to release them to others. Granted, these recordings were mostly made for use by the musicians themselves, and were never meant for release, but still, that fact does not give me the right to distribute any of them and I won’t violate that trust. Hope you understand.

[matthias]

@gmgraves

 

Please, can you disclose if you listened to the Pontus in Oversampling or Non-Oversampling mode.

 

In the case you listened in OS mode which filter did you use?

 

Thank you

 

Matt

[alvin1118]

17 hours ago, matthias said:

 

Exactly my preferences as well.

Yesterday I read the complete review on the Highfidelity page:

 

http://highfidelity.pl/@main-968&lang=en

 

If Highfidelity is right and the signature of all Denafrips DACs is similar then these DACs are not for me.

 

Matt

 

 

I should clarify that the Venus reviewed by High-fidelity was the original Venus.

The current Venus II review can be found here.

 

Cheers,

Alvin

[Rexp]

21 minutes ago, alvin1118 said:

 

I should clarify that the Venus reviewed by High-fidelity was the original Venus.

The current Venus II review can be found here.

 

Cheers,

Alvin

High fidelity are quite odd, they think CD is the pinnacle of sound reproduction, lol. 

[matthias]

1 hour ago, alvin1118 said:

I should clarify that the Venus reviewed by High-fidelity was the original Venus.

 

Alvin,

 

the complete review on HF gives the impression that it is about the Venus II, so they always talk about Venus MkII:

 

"This input supports the DSD signal to the breathtaking DSD1024 resolution, and the PCM to the equally surprising PCM1536."

 

This is not possible with the original Venus.

 

If the review is not about the latest Venus you should urge them to write a clarification.

 

Matt

[matthias]

Some interesting info about Denafrips DAC design principles:

 

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/review-listening-to-the-denafrips-pontus-dac/

 

Matt

 

 

[davide256]

On 12/10/2020 at 1:07 AM, alvin1118 said:

 

Hey Matt,

 

All DENAFRIPS DACs are upgraded with the proprietary USB solution STM32F446 MCU.

Hope this helps!

 

Cheers,

Alvin

I note that the specs page for the Pontus still says "Amanero USB Interface".  which caused me to think I should buy an Iris first... might want

to correct that on the soon side as that will be a closer for some sales.

[matthias]

1 hour ago, davide256 said:

I note that the specs page for the Pontus still says "Amanero USB Interface".  which caused me to think I should buy an Iris first... might want

to correct that on the soon side as that will be a closer for some sales.

 

Indeed, the manual of the Pontus is not updated too. Some confusion since some models with the new USB board are updated to Mk2, some not.

 

Matt

 

[gmgraves]

On 12/10/2020 at 9:17 PM, matthias said:

@gmgraves

 

Please, can you disclose if you listened to the Pontus in Oversampling or Non-Oversampling mode.

 

In the case you listened in OS mode which filter did you use?

 

Thank you

 

Matt

I listened to both OS and NOS. The two modes sound different, and I prefer the OS mode.
The Pontus has no control (that I know of and the manual certainly doesn’t mention it) allowing the listener to change the filters. Perhaps this is a feature of higher-priced DACs such as the Venus or the Terminator/Terminator Plus. Never having used any of these, I wouldn’t know.

[Blake]

The Pontus has user changeable filter options, but the filters are only applied when OS Mode is being used.  

 

 

 

[matthias]

11 hours ago, Blake said:

The Pontus has user changeable filter options, but the filters are only applied when OS Mode is being used.  

 

Thanks, but extremely inconvenient. Denafrips should offer the Pontus one extra button for the two filters.

 

Matt

[Cortes]

It's full of beautiful capacitors. What happens when one of them fails?. Who repairs it?. It needs to be shipped to Singapour for repair?. 

 

I checked Denafrips page, not a single phone/address. What happens if  VinishAudio stops business?. 

[davide256]

17 hours ago, Cortes said:

It's full of beautiful capacitors. What happens when one of them fails?. Who repairs it?. It needs to be shipped to Singapour for repair?. 

 

I checked Denafrips page, not a single phone/address. What happens if  VinishAudio stops business?. 

VinishAudio is the sole distributor for Denafrips at the moment but they are not the manufacturer.

As volume grows manufacturers tend to diversify distributors by region of the world or to replace distributors that are hard to work with.

VinishAudio not being in business would qualify as "hard to work with"

[davide256]

@gmgraves Can you confirm that your Pontus has the STM32F446 MCU USB interface for review completeness?

[Boleary3]

Pontus price is now $2,300. Guess this review caused a $700 price increase......

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, Boleary3 said:

Pontus price is now $2,300. Guess this review caused a $700 price increase......

Which currency are you viewing, USD or Singapore Dollar?

[firedog]

22 minutes ago, Boleary3 said:

Pontus price is now $2,300. Guess this review caused a $700 price increase......

2298 Singapore dollars are 1722 USD at up to the moment exchange rates