Denafrips Pontus 12th Anniversary

Just USB.  I’ve been using the Ultrarendu.

I've got it, letting it break in to eventually head to head it against a border patrol dac se, to see what I like better.

 

I've only had it for 2 days, so take this with a grain of salt.  1st day, it's completely unlistenable.  No extension in the bass, everything sounded flat and harsh.  2nd day, still sounded bad, then all the sudden, it didn't.  It sounded wonderful, and I was up listening to music all night.

 

I, as well, couldn't find any meaningful data on what, or if, anything was actually upgraded (gold screws inside maybe?).  I have no experience with the Pontus ii, but I had the original Pontus on a long term loan from a friend, and early impressions are that this 12th is better.  More top end air, and easily as pleasant sounding.

 

I can keep you updated once I break it in, if you like.  Don't know if this helps at all.

Impressions...

 

I like OS with the slow filter.  Phase button set to on.  Nos sounds good, but less spacious.  

 

Balanced sounds considerably more open than single ended.

@fastcat95 , i've been hesitant to give listening impressions, because I can not guarantee what I'm hearing now, is what the unit will sound like tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to be irresponsible toward any potential buyers, and give out bad information that is not representative toward the final product...

 

...but, I also acknowledge, that if I were on the other side, interested in a device, I would want to know what it sounded like, even if, and especially, if it changed over time.  So, let me do that.  I'll give a week in impression.

 

Like I said, day 6 was when I started to feel like the unit was sounding coherent.  Tonally, it changed ever so slightly that day and through the night, going from slightly emphasizing the leading edge, to having a mostly balanced sound, with a great balance of snap, space, and decay.

 

Soundstage is gigantic.  Like bigger than anything I've heard through my system.  And that space is filled with precise locations of singers, drums, instruments in recorded space, and emanates from dead silence.

 

Energy wise, it's more relaxed than energetic, without sounding boring.

 

Tonally, it's pretty well balanced, top to bottom, probably more well balanced than any DAC I've listened to.  Bass has terrific weight without sounding bloated.  Midrange has begun to fill out, making instruments feel dense and material, and the highs are almost great.  There's a touch of hardness in the transition between upper mids to highs.  On tracks like Somebody, by Depeche Mode, atmosphere is lovely, piano is gorgeous, Martin Gore's voice, which sits right in that upper mid/high range, sounds a little out of joint.  I hope further run in sorts this out.

 

The overall sound is very spacious, slightly dark, but not fat, thick, or bloated.  There's plenty of extension and air in the highs, and the bass is full and tight.  Mids have gone from tidy but slightly withdrawn, to well balanced with excellent texture, just from day 6 to 7.

 

As it sounds, right now, it's one of the most listenable DAC's I've ever had.  More over, again based on how it sounds right now, it would be one of the easiest DAC's to recommend to anyone.  It ticks all the audiophile checkboxes, soundstage, depth, air, extension, a you are there experience with music, while having a tonal character that doesn't come with any noticable deficiencies.  It's dense without sounding fat or thick, pleasant without sounding boring, and sounds wide open whituout sounding thin or clinical.  The sound is very, very even, and very easy to listen to.

 

 I'll probably wait another week to give a listening impression, but if there are any dramatic changes in the coming days, I will note them.

 

I hope it simply continues to settle in at this point, because it is very good as I write this.  If that changes for any reason, I will let you know.

 

p.s.  I have settled on OS mode, sharp filter, phase set to on, via USB.  NOS sounds pretty good, but alot of soundstage magic dissapears while using it, while not adding enough to make up for that loss.  Slow filter initially sounded good, but made music sound a little indistinct, and off time.  No pops or clicks in any mode, NOS or OS.

 

 

About 7 dats in, and the break in process is everything it was reported to be.  Through day 3-5, it swung from good to unlistenable.  Day 6 it stared to sound consistent, and this morning, now day 7, it sounds very coherent, with a rich but open sound from top to bottom, with only the slightest hardness in the upper treble.

 

No pops and clicks through usb.

 

I think it has finally found it’s final sound, at least I’m hoping it has, because it sounds really good now.  If I don’t notice any other changes, I plan on giving it another week so the unit has a chance to iron out the last of its wrinkles, and assuming (hopefully), no more big changes in sound occur, I just plan to spend that week listening for any issues the unit might have, but as of now, I haven’t discovered any.

 

After that, I plan on head to heading this unit against the Border Patrol SE, and I’ll keep the one I enjoy more.

@christianb5s4 I'd love to try the aes input, or any other actually, but lack a player with those outputs.

 

@ozzy62 I'm glad the DAC is moving in a consensual direction.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on break in, if you'd care to share them.

 

@soix The DDC route is interesting, if only to utilize the I2S input, honestly.  Some people swear that it's an improvement.  Some have said it makes things sound too clinical.  Since I'm not certain that I'm keeping the Pontus 12th, it's not a move I'd consider yet, but I'm glad you've had success with you, and would love to hear you detail what differences you notice using the Iris, in any detail you can afford.

 

I had the day off today, spending all day listening to it, and the sound has been changing still, but not as dramatically.  Mostly in treble emphasis.  But it mostly sounds good, and for moments, amazing.

@fthompson251 yeah, I was geared up for a long break in.  I figured on 300 hours, but what’s another week and a half? :)

 

I’m at about 200 hours, and today it sounds really good.  Better than yesterday.  Bringing back memories of the original Pontus I heard, but with better top end, and firmer bass.  We’ll see what it sounds like tomorrow.

 

@fthompson251 ​​​​@soix   what I’m curious about with DDC’s, is did either of you notice a change in tonality?  Did music get brighter, darker, lose or gain density?  I’ve read from users that they unanimously agree that seperation and staging improve, but does this improvement come at any cost to density, tone, or overall balance?

That's encouraging to hear you guys.  Until has taken a turn for the better over the last couple days.  The treble has been mellowing out and mids have become more full at about 200+ hours.  Hoping the improvements continue. 

Well, 350 hours in, so figured I’d give another update.

 

it sounds really good.  The ‘continuity’ of the original Pontus (I hesitate to call it analogue) is in full effect with the Pontus 12th, but with significantly better extension up top, and tighter, more defined bass.

 

Tonally, it’s a slightly dark sounding DAC, but open at the same time.  Nothing lean here.  Tones have richness and texture, and are, mostly, well balanced.

 

Spacially, the soundstage is very well defined, and the decay of instruments fills the soundstage between speakers admirably.

 

In terms of speed, it sits at nearly a perfect balance between fast and slow.  The timing is very precise.  Almost metronome in its accuracy, through I’d say ever so slightly dragging, mostly because of a touch of midbass bloat in the tonality.

 

in most systems, mine included, the extra bit of midbass helps.  It gives a bit of extra fullness and weight, without really affecting midrange transparency, or weighing down the overall tonality, which is mostly neutral.

 

In terms of presentation, I can confidentially say that the Pontus 12th does a great job of untangling dense mixes, allowing instruments to exist in their own space, and creating a large space between them, front to back, left to right and up and down, that they occupy a believable size without competing with each other, sonically or spacially.  Again, gigantic soundstage, occupied by very believable sounds, both in size and tone.

 

I contend, at this price point, it would be hard to find a DAC that can tick so many audiophile checkboxes, while being very pleasant to listen to.

 

If I were to criticize anything, it’s that the extreme top end, can sound a little hard, as though it’s slightly closed in.  There’s plenty of shimmer and sparkle.  And it’s only in comparison to my previous Wadia 321 and the Border Patrol that I notice it, but it lacks that last bit of extension that allows it to really soar.  Perhaps this is where the Venus Ii, or a better clock, would improve things.

 

I’ve tried it with three different interconnects.  The acoustic zen matrix ii, the audience au24 se, and the more expensive than the DAC Nordost Tyr 2 xlr.  Of the three, the Audience seem to emphasize more of the Pontus 12s weaknesses, while contributing little to its strengths.  The Matrix ii add a ton of full and lively midrange energy and are fun, if a little indistinct in the soundstage, and the Tyr 2 really allow the DAC to sound open, holographic, and energetic, with a steady beat, tight and present bass, and a gigantic soundstage.

 

I might give another update in a week, at which point, the Pontus will cross the 500 hour mark, but the sound has not changed much in the last 3 days.  Overall, I purchased this DAC mostly because there was so much I loved about the original Pontus, but it fell short in top end extension.  This one doesn’t, as there’s now ample air and excitement up top that the soundstage no longer sounds vertically challenged, and can breathe in all three dimensions, maybe better than any DAC I’ve heard.  I’ll now be spending this next week, deciding if I like it more than my Border Patrol SE.

 

Hope this helps anyone looking at this dac.  Unless there are any other changes in the DAC to report, I’ll probably leave it here.  Though, I’m happy to answer anything else I can if someone @me or wants to PM, OTHERWISE, I think that’s all I got.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed.  I’ve enjoyed the input immensely.