The performance of the Denafrips Iris and Ares II is phenomenal!

Alvin:

Per your request, here is a few pictures I took earlier of my initial setup. This area is were I have my 2-channel set-up and my gaming / casual TV viewing area. I like to keep it separate from the home theater I built out last year downstairs.

The 2-channel set-up consists of the equipment on the second shelf and the Polk Legend L800s. From left to right: I use my iPad Pro to play either high-res from the Qobuz App or Apple Music. The iPad is on a Satechi iPad dock/base that takes the iPad USB-C into the dock, then I use the docks USB-A out to the Iris’s USB-B input. From the Iris, I connect to the Ares II via the Coax output, and from the Ares II to the PrimaLuna Evo300 Tube Integrated Amplifier via RCA (the only inputs the PrimaLuna uses). From the PrimaLuna, I use some custom speaker cables I made from Canare 4S11 cable to make an 11-gauge speaker cable, and utilize the 4-ohm tap out of the PrimaLuna to the Polk L800s. The turntable is a AudioTecnica, nothing fancy and it connects to the phono stage I had installed in the PrimaLuna when I ordered it from Upscale Audio. So that’s my first 2-channel system I’ve put together and as I mentioned, I’ll look to upgrade to the Iris / Ares II to the Gaia / Venus sometime this year.

The other gear in the picture is separate from the 2-channel set-up. The top shelf holds a GoldenEar SuperCinema 3D XL which gives me my L/C/R, there is a small GoldenEar ForceField 3 8” sub (with built in 1,000 watt amp) to the right of the L800 that compliments the SuperCinema 3D XL, and out of sight to the side of where I was sitting is a pair of GoldenEar Aon2s that I use as surrounds for the 5.1 channel fed by the Sony AVR. Gaming, there’s the PS5 and the TV is a XR-65A80J OLED. Works well as the PS5, Sony AVR, and OLED, all being Sony, “play” well together.

Lastly, the equipment rack is one I put together out of live edge Cedar that was sourced locally, works pretty well.

The Iris and Ares II purchases were my initial step into the DDC / DAC combos. They are so impressive, I think I’ll be upgrading to the Gaia and Venus II for my final configuration of this system in the next few months. The performance of the Denafrips Iris and Ares II is phenomenal! I don’t have a lot of flowery words to describe the sound, other than to say the clarity in which everything comes across is superb, very engaging, making it easy to spend hours listening. I’ll move the Iris / Ares II to my office and purchase a Hestia and Hyperion to go with them and a pair GoldenEar Triton Five speakers I have for my second 2-chnl system. As you can tell, I find the Denafrips gear to be very impressive, providing performance well above their price points.

I do like the Denafrips products and do plan to to support your business in the future.

R/Ed B. @ USA

PRODUCT INFO:

https://www.denafrips.com/dac

WHERE TO BUY?

https://www.vinshineaudio.com/shop