yeah… i mean I can see that too. I mean I’m totally open to trying more DACs in the future…
it just seems much harder or much more expensive to get an real appreciable differences in some cases. But then it’s like, the Phonitor ‘e’ really surprised me with how ‘different’ it sounded… and it was not at all something I was expecting even after trying the RNHP… so I’m definitely open-minded to being completely wrong about things and just trying stuff.
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I do wish reviewers would state base lines for comparisons.
Saying something does X better is somewhat meaningless, without a base line.
Also wish they would say how they tested, I believe the D90 exposes the 44XX filters, so which one was he using?
I don’t really watch him so I can’t comment on his reviews, but yeah I get what you mean, personally if I am going to say I prefer something better, I do give a reason to why that may be
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Yeah that’ a good point, in the D90 review… he only mentions general experience with AKM based dacs in the past… so it would be very useful to know what AKM dacs he is referring to…
I just watched that one.
The language was inline with what I perceive as differences with higher end DAC’s, spatial representation, air, presence etc.
But you have to compare to something, it’s one of the things I like about most of the reviews at SBAF, Because the community is relatively insular, they tend to compare to known references.
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Another factor with delta sigma chipsets that’s just as important as the chipset model is how they’re implemented.
Circuit layout and designs are what differentiates the end results. It’s kind like how solid state amps can have immeasurable differences. THX-Neve-Phonitor. They all use relatively similar components, but it’s how they’re implemented in the design that gives you those differences.
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Very correct, I could care less what chip its using if it’s implemented really well
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One theory I have, again just based on my limited experience, is that less expensive DAC designs have gotten good enough… and replicated (copying well known designs and implementations)… that any differences in the sub $1k Delta Sigma DAC market is more or less mute, especially from a lot of the popular Chinese brands… or smaller startup like JDS Labs an Gashelli Labs.
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Thoughts like this are the product of a wise and open mind.
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Giova, you and I seem to be on the same growth curve audio wise. I agree with this. I would have returned my D90, if I hadn’t already sold the D70.
I’m holding off on R2R dacs until I hear your impressions. Thank you for taking the plunge for us!
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I’ll do my best to give my layman impressions. lol.
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Some guy named MON on this forum sent me off to look at Soekris based DAC.
In my opinion, DACs today in the audiophile world are the one true gift from the gods. If a $100 dollar amp, or a $100 dollar headphone or a $100 dollar speaker gave us proportionally the same value in audio that we get from today’s crop of $100 DACs, not many people would spend more than $500 dollars on their systems.
I don’t for one second doubt that an Ares II sounds awesome or that MON’s new DAC feels like wiping with Charmin Extra Soft after spending your entire life wiping with news papers.
It’s just that for a layman like me that can only correctly identify a high qualify lossless in an a/b with a high quality 320mp3 80% of the time, that I’m better off putting the money of my system into the things that I can absolutely hear a difference on and that I love how they sound.
I need a DAC and I know that next year there will be something better and cheaper than whatever I can buy today, because in the DAC world there is that kind of progress. I’ve bought into the R2R world and maybe I’ll wind up with a Soekris 1321 as all I want is a DAC and I’m really liking what I see in this one. The 1521 is mucho nice, and the 1421 is still awesome only giving up balanced, but the 1321 is what I need since I only need a DAC.
One day I may have what today is considered a top end sounding DAC, hell five years from now we’ll all have one! But the high end audiophile community will have moved on to something more unubtanium for me, and I’m okay with that.
BTW: whatever crap came out of my mouth today, I reserve the right to change my mind a minimum of 5 times on what I ultimately buy in a couple of months.
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100 dollar dacs are pretty awesome tbh, the topping d10 is just sweet for the price, really can’t go wrong. When you get a pretty high end system higher end dacs start to make more sense
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I found the D50 sounded a bit clearer with the same setup compared to Denafrips Ares II, especially in the completion of the piece of music and also a bit more present and close to the singer, but that’s all a matter of taste, it is important that the rest fits the setup.
In his video you can hear the nuances of individual Dacs.And that is also the case with the low-priced Dacs.Sure you have to ask yourself what you get in the end price-performance ratio or sound-performance ratio? What is more important? It would be interesting to hear the same video again with the D90 to be able to really judge. But that would only refer to his setup. As soon as another amplifier or speakers are attached, the Denafrips Ares II can score better than the D50 or D90, for example in front of your eyes, the same game is the same with the headphones and preamplifier. When I connect my Beresford Capella preamplifier to my Cambridge against the Fostex Hp A3, both Dacs have their strengths and weaknesses. I would prefer a mixture of them but not feasible In the end, the Cambridge stays tuned and forego the proximity of the singer because the rest simply dissolves better, and because of the Cambridge hardly any discoloration of the sound like the Fostex as an example. systems like that you can also notice how strong a Dac is. If I put the Beresford Capella away and leave the Schiit Vali 2 on, I would actually prefer the Fostex if the little something wasn’t missing. Everything resolves super what I’m missing is the no remaining punch where the Fostex is missing. And if we come back to the D 90 from the specs alone, in my shortlist it would definitely be worth listening to it. It reminds me strongly on the Matrix Audio ipro mini 2s which has an ESS chip and the D90 the newer Akm where I assume that the D90 certainly sounds warm. The Matrix Audio in comparison is personally too cold for me and does not pick me up. The D90 could do that. Apart from the ear, the emotions should also be there. When I put on the headphones, I want to be picked up and not just sit stupidly. The head has to go with it or the leg.
Yup… funny how when you compare both (in the video above) you’re like “yeah, Ares II definitely sounds more natural”
…and then you find this and realize, hmm, the D50 sounds more like the actual song, lol.
Do note you are listening through a video lol
Lol yes. There’s the Focusrite, imperfectly recording everything. And the mics, imperfectly recording everything too, and the speakers, imperfectly reproducing everything too. And the wiring, lol.
But still, comparing two youtube videos, assuming youtube equally destroyed both 
(playing five seconds of the recording, and five seconds of the original) the D50 output and the original on youtube sound really similar.
What I hear is, the Denafrips Ares II is really messing with the sound to make it sound better than the original. I hear more peaks, more dynamics than the original. More really high treble too I think.
Honestly, with his setup, if my goal was to hear truth, I’d keep the D50, and if my goal would be to have fun, I’d buy the Ares.
Yeah the ares ii is for actual enjoyment, not critical accuracy. To get critical accuracy in an r2r is pretty pricey lol
Oh shite that’s an R2R too lol, yeah nevermind. 
Really impressed to hear… really not much difference between the youtube videos and the D50, by the way. Add that to Amir (ASR) who compared the D50 and the “Objective DAC” and did not hear a difference… yup, I want a D50S even more now (to each their own, but I’m searching for “truth” in audio).
According to ASR it’s a Mola Mola Tabanqui DAC and a Benchmark HPA-1.