So after more listening with the term II, I am liking it more than before, I think it’s started to calm down and settle in, and trying with different pairings I do enjoy it a bit more now. I still have the same qualms as mentioned previously, but I feel like they are less prominent and intrusive now. Generally so far the terminator actually does a great job of making lesser recordings pretty fun, I wouldn’t say it over exaggerates things, but it maintains more energy and liveliness in poor recordings vs other options at this price point, so it can pull off more with less compared to other options. The tonal density is fun, it’s impact is well done and has good grunt without overwhelming the rest, the boosted clarity factor makes things sound pretty clean without sounding analytical, and stage while not organic is holographic and separation is pretty nice which lends itself well to working well with music that doesn’t inherently have those aspects itself.
That being said, I’m not fully sold on this dac yet at the price it sits in. I think it really lacks the refinement and nuance that some other dacs at this price point sit in, and that does get to me. And it’s deficiency in microdynamics and treble control is off putting. If I had to explain it, it sounds like it has most of the pieces, but doesn’t quite put them together correctly if that makes sense. I do think it’s a good dac, but at like 4.5k and really not much cheaper used, there are other options I would consider first before the terminator imo.
A good comparison might be something like an aqua la voce s3 if I wanted more organicness and nuance while looking for cleanliness and clarity. I’d say that the la voce does lack in terms of impact and slam compared to the terminator, and also doesn’t have the tonal density the terminator has. But the aqua to me sounds much more nuanced and organic while remaining very clean and clear, it’s stage isn’t as immediately holographic as the terminator but is laid out more organically, with better depth and placement, a blacker background, and better sizing of instruments and the stage depending on the recording. The la voce also is a big improvement over the terminator in microdynamics and low level resolution (but the terminator does have more impressive macrodynamics), with simply more to offer (along with texture). Treble is also noticeably more articulate and well balanced offering more refinement and capability over the terminator in this aspect. Timbre is also better than the terminator on the aqua. Terminator is more forward than the aqua. Speed wise they do feel both pretty snappy, but the aqua portrays attack and decay more organically imo. I will say the terminator has more command over the low end with better extension, impact, and control in that region. The terminator also does sound more engaging and involving with lesser recordings where the aqua can sound a bit more boring.
Another good comparison I might make would be the lampizator amber 3, which I think would represent a warmer, thicker, more organic sound with good impact and bass/midrange performance. When it comes to stage, generally to me the amber can sound more immersive and involving stage wise than the denfrips, but the denafrips has more defined placement and sharper imaging, but the lampi lays things out more coherently and feels more coherent stage wise. When it comes to low end, the amber is a bit softer but still digs as deep, hits with almost as much control, and actually more texture than the denafrips. Timbre is better on the lampi overall, the midrange is sweeter and more dense on the lampi with less dryness than the terminator. Detail wise it might be on equal footing but I think the lack of microdynamics kills some of the lower level info on the term, which is not a problem for the lampi which has very good microdynamics, and almost as good macro as the term. In the treble the lampi does have a bit less extension and sparkle than the term, but has much better refinement and better smoothness while maintaining technical ability. Speed and separation wise the term does take it home here. Both have reasonably black backgrounds but neither really excel here. Generally signature wise the lampi takes on a more neutral natural signature with a bit extra warmth than that, and the termi takes on a more clean and clear signature (but not the typical dryness or leanness that comes with that sig).
An interesting comparison might be a schiit yggy a2 (even though signature wise the termi actually sounds a bit more like an a1), while I would generally say the terminator ii is ahead in most aspects, I think the yggy a2 can hit a bit harder with more impact in the bass, and generally has a more refined signature overall. Also more controlled treble overall imo. I would say the yggy a2 has more organic timbre than the terminator. The terminator is more detailed though, generally more macrodynamic (although potentially tied for microdynamics, yes that really is bothering me alot on the term), more impressive spatial recreation (but yggy is wider sounding but less depth), better speed, and a blacker stage background. Also generally better separation. It is also more impressive how more controlled the terminator can be when throwing around as much tonal weight and density as it has. Generally signature wise the term is more cleanly here where the yggy a2 is going to be warmer, smoother, and more rich overall. I would say the term is a higher tier dac when it comes to technical performance, but somehow the yggy a2 feels more refined to me overall than the terminator, which is not something I would want to say about a dac that is double the cost of the yggy
But yes still nice, has it’s quirks, can see the appeal, but at the moment still somewhat mixed given it’s price point
