Do hi-end DACs offer true value or diminishing return...


These two hi-fedelity recordings posted on Youtube allow one to audition the state-of-the-art, highly raved R2R DACs with values ranging from $850 all the way to $6,500. Please use headphone or, play back to your stereo system if you think your system is revealing enough. The question to ask to yourself is that the true hi-end (w/ high price tag) gears offer you true values or just a diminishing-return foolproof. In my system, I do hear the differences but, to me, the differences might not be that significant to justify the luxious spending. Maybe my system is not revealing enough.  Maybe the recording quality through the on-line broadcasting degrades.  How about you? Do you hear major differences? 

Terminator Plus ($6.5k), Venus II ($3k)

Terminator $4.5k, Ares II ($850)

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Showing 2 responses by mrmeaner

I’ve had the Denafrips Ares II and thought it was a great product, especially for the price tag and I thought wow these are a great company, I thought I want even more of this so I moved up to a Denafrips Pontus II and it was more of the same, much more. 
Is it a point of diminishing returns? Yes of course, I think everything in the HiFi world is, but at the same time the Pontus is still great value compared to many DACs out there, would I want a Terminator + ? Yes, but I’d have to change a few other components first, starting with a new MRS. 😂

@lanx0003 the Ares II can sound grainy on the top depending on the o/s non o/s selection, I found in oversampling mode it could be grainy on some tracks, the Pontus is just pure silk, I’d love a terminator but 1 I’d need to lose the wife and too I fear it would open Pandora’s box in the expensive quest to then search out new speakers etc. so for the foreseeable I’ll stick with my wife and the Pontus. 🙂