DAC better than Denafrips Pontus II

I’ve the new SMSL VMV D2.  Solid, very nice performing dac.  In my setup, it just ‘breathes’ music.  Run direct, the transparency is amazing.  Musical as all get out, with lots of low end punch.  The new Sting lp will set you back in your seat.  The Giacomo Gates covers of Gil Scot Heron tunes is rich, robust and powerful, with nicely fleshed details.  Brian Wilson’s Pier Pressure is layered and tastefully nuanced and rhythmically propulsive in a harmonically boisterous and very beautiful manner.  There is more separation and smoothness than my Dac3, more refinement and focus.  Run thru the Denafrips Athena or Hestia is similar, just a tad richer, Athena offering a bit more spatial separation.  It’s a very poised dac with a confident presentation, it’s fast. I’ve had it a bit over a week now so it may still settle a bit.  Not much not to like.  Don’t have a way to try the I2S yet, but the Roon nuc usb and the Rotel Tribute digi seem well suited.  It’s got a couple Noratel transformers and some sort of hybrid output stage I believe.  It’s a nice dac with a sweet treble.  Sounds great thru the Hyperion or the Mystere amps pushing some ZU DWs or 1sc ProAcs with a T9i Rel.

I have a Pontus II, and, IMHO I think it is pretty hard to beat in the under 2k range.

Imo, RME and Qutest are the best Dac. Their measurements as good as top Dac Dave but price only 1/10. 

Is that a serious post? 
 

yep they measure perfectly but sound like shot. 
 

not really cause I had the RME and it was really good. Not NEAR as good as my current. Measurements cannot tell you everything playing test tones! 

I have a Qutest, tweaked with a used M-scaler (from here) and a LPS for each.

I went this route because I mostly listen iTunes, and the M-scaler can upsample the files in the music library I already have! Plus I can get music on Bandcamp, in ALAC files, for a great price when I want new music. 

I still wonder how a comparable ladder dac sounds with Hi-res, and I know more $ can buy better sound and Hi-res files, but I have no desire to change what I have. 

I've heard great things about the Pontus II.