Good morning Alvin!!
Been meaning to respond but have been tied up. Here is my short and to the point review.
I heard about Denafrips from the Steve Hoffman Forums, of which I am a member. Did some homework and narrowed my choices to the Ares and one of Schiit offerings.
I went with the Ares.
This is not to say that I would have been disappointed with the Schiit. Upon receiving the Ares, I was very impressed with the heft of the unit and the build quality. One thing that I don't think is mentioned enough, is the flexibility of the inputs. It is rare for a DAC, especially at an entry level, to have multiple coaxial and toslink inputs, with the only notable exclusion being an i2s input, which is not a deal breaker as my current setup does not require it.
Played with the OS and NOS filters and eventually settled on the NOS. As an audiophile, I listened for sound stage and the placing of instruments within that sound stage. Strange thing that after a while I stopped caring and just listened to the music. THIS is when I knew I was in possession of something truly special.
Song after song, album after album, I listened and at one point started singing along!!! The way this DAC reproduces the human voice is impressive and has helped me to connect to the music in way I haven't since my youth, when it really was all about the music.
I cannot think of a higher compliment. I will, God willing, be upgrading to the Pontus once the funds open up, but I have to say that I am in no particular rush to do so. This thing is that good!! Here is a picture of my small bedroom setup. God bless you guys/gals and keep up the good work!!!
Credit: Juan L. @ USA
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