Denafrips maybe have a second thought.


I ordered an ares and received shipment about a week to ten days ago. Initially it would not turn on. Then I saw lights and eventually sound. Not sure what was going on but it was a prelude to what happened next. I liked the sound very musical but when using the first coax input I kept getting this weird volume problem. when a track would start it would cut almost completely off then go back to the original volume. So I needed to send it back which I am doing but it is expensive because there is no USA support at all. I almost bought the Pontus but glad I didn't since it would have cost even more to ship it back.


I am not saying never buy one or bashing denafrips just know if something goes wrong shipping back is exorbitant

viablex1
I thought Denafrips paid for shipping if something went wrong the first 30 days, is that not the case?
I have heard the same about another Chinese made DAC that went wrong when virtually new. Fortunately this is rare. Hopefully with the Denafrips it isn’t a design issue otherwise it could happen again. The shipping cost becomes quite a factor for warranty repair but the sticker price is so attractive I am sure you are still ahead. I think everyone should have two good DACs in their setup these days so that one can double check (A-B) for problems - not every issue is obvious to most listeners so it is good to be able to check against a baseline.
I think everyone should have two good DACs in their setup these days so that one can double check (A-B) for problems - not every issue is obvious to most listeners so it is good to be able to check against a baseline.

+1 @shadorne 
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that makes sense having two units and come to find out he may actually pay the shipping not sure. I feel its kind of gray it did work then that started and you make some good points I am ahead for sure. 

I do have a holo coming and checked with them they do have a usa presence.
Viablex1, i have Ares ,No issue, I play it daily, The lights are hard to see. Its a very musical DAC.

When I owned the Ares I had no problems, probably should have kept it as it was not expensive but sounded very good.

Coincidentally, I have a Holo Spring too, which I'm definitely keeping.

Viablex1 , Denafrips warranty clearly states They pay shipping round trip not to mention top shelf customer service from the distributor Vinsine Audio
On top of this I understand Denafrips boards are easily removed , they are with the Terminator anyway , if failers occure by returning  the board if that is the case instead of the entire Dac ,.

What did Alvin of Vinshine Audio advise you don’t mention anything or did you buy it somewhere else ?
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I had the Ares and it worked perfectly and then I upgraded to the Pontus. For the exchange I had to return it back to HK, but fortunately Alvin found a buyer in US. The Pontus is far more better than Ares in every respect. 
@nakolawala 

Yes, I too would love to hear more about the Ares/Pontus comparison and maybe a brief description of your setup chain. 
Hello guys,

Our warranty coverage is comprehensive.

- Defective within 30days, we cover both way shipping fee
- Within a year, we cover one way return shipping fee
- Within 3 years, client to cover both way shipping fee

DENAFRIPS DACs are rather easy to be serviced, in most case, it can be done by swapping the board. If you’re a hands on person with electronics knowledge, the board can be replaced easily with a few screws and a little soldering. The PSU and the DAC board are modular, it’s almost plug and play (except for Ares). We will work with the client to decide mutually the best economical way forward.

All these policies are in place. You’re well covered.

Many thanks.

Sincerely,
Alvin @ VINSHINE AUDIO
Hello to all, I thought I would chime in and let you guys know that if anything goes wrong with one of these units you do NOT have to ship back overseas. The few instances I know of a Fedex truck was sent to pick up so the user never even had to take it anywhere. In other words white glove service. I can vouch for the quality of the DAC as well as the no nonsense, top rate customer service.

Cheers

Mike
Hello to all, I thought I would chime in and let you guys know that if anything goes wrong with one of these units you do NOT have to ship back oversea

I certainly did all the way to singapore, I did not have white glove service and had to constantly email to get it worked out.
I am the USA Service Center. I could not announce until it was officially announced by Denafrips.  So Im in Atlanta GA, been in the business 15 years, am at nearly every show exhibiting and if theres one thing I do well, its bend over backwards for my clients. I do not advertise , its word of mouth and referral only. So I'm the guy sending Fedex on my account to pick your unit up. Sorry you got caught in the transition Viablex, though today I start fresh moving forward with anything new that happens to come up. No more concerns about service or shipping moving ahead as Denafrips decided to make this move in support of the growing customer base.  
So Nice to meet you all and Happy Listening !

Mike

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Hi Mike, thanks for the heads up. That’s great news.
Anybody that was on the fence buying these DAC’s, this should make your decision a lot easier with less risk.

Joe
I did ship mine back to Singapore but was reimbursed so its cool. My friend went to buy one today and Mike is sold out of the Ares and the shipping on the actual vinshine site equaled almost 73,000 usd. I am guessing the shipping is just a typo?
I recently participated in an local audio club shoot-out between the $4.5K Denafrips Terminator, $2.5K Audio-gd 7, and $17K Aqua Formula.  The Singapore-sourced Terminator is in the sweet spot between these three R2R DACs.  Hopefully Trump's tariffs haven't spoiled that.     
@dgarretson 

How would you describe the sound of the Terminator compared to the Formula?

I'm considering getting a Terminator and would love to hear your thoughts.

@lordcloud 

After the shoot-out I wrote these comments for a club newsletter:

The Audio-gd 7 is sweet and warm in a pleasing tube-like way. It's a tad less resolving and extended on top than the other two. Down low, it trades ultimate articulation for increased scale, embodiment, and richness. The soundstage is big in all directions. Uncharacteristically, for all its fine qualities it betrayed a slight glare and aggressiveness in the mid-treble.
 
The Denafrips Terminator is more disciplined and neutral across the frequency range, and more resolving and timbrally correct and revealing. There is more of leading edges and trails. PRAT is tighter and faster. The bass is more articulate. Bass is leaner, but there when it needs to be. The soundstage seemed a bit smaller and inside the box, though this may have been due to variations in volume during the demo. It was interesting to compare its oversampling and non-oversampling modes. OS mode adds suppleness and mitigates the slight mechanical disjointedness of non-OS mode.
 
The Aqua Formula (with the recently upgraded USB module) combines the best qualities of the other two, but with more vivid, saturated colors and a quieter jet-black background. It has a rare organic quality that demonstrates both separation and interconnectedness within the whole fabric. The presence region is rich and expansive, but seamless with the high and low regions. This unit rivals vinyl but without the surface noise. It sounds expensive, and it is!  Another attendee called it "romantic"-- it may have a house sound that's a bit richer than life.
 
I conclude that their performances do align in order of price and illustrate the law of diminishing returns that's all too common but still draws us to the big spends. That said, I could happily live with the Denafrips, which has no discernible faults.

@dgarretson  Thank you. Good stuff! 

Can you share the rest of the system and cabling, etc.? Thanks.

@david_ten

I can’t recall the model names, but a high-end ModWright tube preamp and bi-amped ModWright amps, a Roon Nucleus digital server (with USB output), Black Cat ICs and speaker cables, G&G Discoveries power cords, and tweaks by Furutech, Herbie Dots, Black Diamond and G&G Discoveries. Speakers were bespoke full range three-way designs by VB Speakers with a customized Marchand active crossover. Both G&G and VB are members of the NJAS who sell mostly within that group. The overall level of the system was high enough for a clear window into the DACs.

@dgarretson   Thanks for the system information. It sounds like a wonderful combination of component choices. I'm always taken aback (despite knowing this well) by how unique each of our systems can be and are. 
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