DENAFRIPS DAC ---- Owner Impressions, Feedback, General Discussion, Questions and more....
Audiostream just did a quick comparison of 2 Totaldac Dacs with a Borderpatrol SE and a Denafrips Terminator. Apparently the panel preferred the Totaldacs 1-2, then the Borderpatrol 3rd and bringing up the rear the Denafrips Terminator. Don't shoot the messenger please. https://www.audiostream.com/content/great-dac |
@twoleftears You are likely correct regarding the Border Patrol DAC SE @shadorne You are likely INcorrect regarding the Devore Fidelity Super Nines At the end of the day, we should buy whatever we like but there is zero chance John Devore works on and designs a speaker over several years that doesn't get the midrange right. Zero. That is his wheelhouse. Your assertion that the speakers were flawed makes no sense. The consensus of the group was 2 of the 4 dacs sounded exceptional, 1 dac sounded great and 1 sounded not so great. I'm not saying their conclusions are right but rational people might buy in and believe the Terminator was not broken in or warmed up but to assert the Terminator was the only one of the four that actually got it right is not credible at all. I own none of the products/brands under review/comparo and I hope the Denafrips is a stellar piece since you appear to be about to buy it unheard. The only brands mentioned in this review that I have heard personally are Devore and Pass Labs and they are both fine brands and are well known for their musicality. Warm regards. |
@shadorne I give, I have no axe to grind nor do I believe it productive to debate how something sounds with someone when neither one of us has a clue how they sound because neither one has actually heard them! You have to admit though, you jumped to a couple of incorrect conclusions based on your faulty assumption of poly drivers. Stereophile seemed to enjoy what they heard at 2018 CES, which also proves nothing until we listen for ourselves. Peace. |
@shadorne I remain exceptionally impressed by those among us who know how something sounds without hearing the item in question. In the case of polypropylene drivers, I generally agree with you. I'm not a fan of those utilizing poly I have heard, but I haven't heard them all. By the way, the Devores in question use paper drivers, NOT polypropylene but you must have looked at a picture, assumed they were poly because they kindof look shiny, and determined how they would sound. I don't know if they are awesome or not as I haven't heard them nor have you. I will reiterate that I'm sure the Denafrips is a really cool DAC and I hope everyone has alot of fun with it BUT, your credibility on the Devore assertion is non-existent. |
@nitewulf Indeed might be the case re: expectation bias. The Silverback Reference was the top offering from Devore until recently, replaced by the X/Ten. Regarding the informal DAC shootout, the market has a way of sorting things out in due course. The flavors of the month come on strong and either remain in the conversation or fade back into the very crowded DAC landscape. SBAF (I still can't believe there is an audio website whose name sounds like it was created by summer camp counselors) seems to grab onto the latest Gustard or Holo this or that and then move on to the next big thing. I truly hope Denefrips sounds great and has staying power for all who are taking the leap of faith. Regards to all. |
@dlcockrum your 2 data points using the all positive reviews from 6 moons and the quasi negative review of the Schiit by Stereophole kindof proves the point. I’m not saying all of the reviews by 6 moons are invalid, they’re just all positive all the time. The measured problems JA observed in the Schiit are very real although if you like the sound you like the sound. Im certain the Denafrips is cool, many will buy and enjoy it. It will eventually be reviewed by reputable publications, I will read those with great interest. The Audiostream reported observations of the 4 dacs seemed a reasonable outcome but I have heard none of the 4. I viewed their choice of the 2 totaldacs at 1-2 predictable but the way I read it the Borderpatrol became congested during the complex passages of that particular musical selection (which happens) but they seemed to believe the Denafrips had trouble during all of their musical choices. By any measure, the fact that the Borderpatrol hung with dacs at multiples of its price is impressive. A home demo will provide the answer. I look forward to the observations voiced by fellow Audiogoners. |
@gdhal Excellent points and exactly the kind of information we should be sharing with one another. Thank you. To expand on the topic somewhat, all reviews are merely observations and there is no substitute for listening. It is nice that some reviewers do post measurements and it is also a great frame of reference for many. Im glad JA when presented with a contrary outcome in conflict with his findings revised his opinion on the Tritons. To me that actually shows some character. I’ve had a Yggy in my system and I couldn’t figure out what the fuss was about but that has been some time ago. Have a terrific day. To the original topic of the thread, its great that @bube will be making the 4 Denafrips models available for listening at Axpona. It would be better still if there were a couple of popular models from other companies that would provide a frame of reference. When launching a new brand into a market, it helps when reputable and objective community members post their general observations. |
