Just...WTF?!
- Apr 12, 2023
- 1 min read
I've bought an Ares II 12th Anniversary Edition as an emergency DAC to tide me over until I decide which TOTL DAC to go for next. It arrived from Singapore yesterday. This is the second Ares II I've owned, the first took a month of burn in before sounding good. I left the new one playing a Roon stream for 4-5 hrs last night, popped my headphones on and sat stunned for the next 3 hours, listening to CDs on my AudioLab CDT and streamed files from Roon. It sounds amazing. Unbelievably good. I don't even have the superlatives to articulate my experience.
Just...WTF?!
Streaming chain:
Roon Nucleus > Ethernet > Ubiquiti Switch > Optical > Media Converter > Ethernet > Pi4 Ropieee > USB > Denafrips Iris > I2S > Denafrips Ares II 12th > RCA > LTA MZ3 > ZMF VC and Arya Stealth
CDT chain:
AudioLab 6000CDT > SPDIF Coax > Denafrips Ares II 12th > RCA > LTA MZ3 > ZMF VC and Arya Stealth
The FPGA update is a game changer. For real. The Ares II was already a 'bang for buck' champion; it's just been elevated into the stratosphere. I really can't believe what I am hearing. Stunning.
Main System Metrum Acoustics Ambre • Metrum Acoustics Adagio • Metrum Acoustics Forte • NVA Cube 1 Headphone System Linear Tube Audio MZ3 • Sundara • Arya Stealth Edition • Vérité Closed Ltd Cables NVA TSCS • Blue Jeans • DH Labs • Periapt Power Farad • Tomanek Sources Roon • Tidal • Qobuz • AudioLab 6000CDT
Credit: John @ UK
PRODUCT INFO:
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Wtf was also my reaction but in quite oposite way listening to ares 15th. The 15th version: NOS has boosted, forward highs, boosted bass and imaging while seems to be good is incoherent. This dac does not sound anymore like good r2r. While chasing for nonsense performance atributes as imaging and soundstage depth denafrips screewd up the dac. Simple as that. Maybee those atributes are not nonsence for sombody but it has to be done right. Here it is not.