Just about to pull the trigger on Pontus 15th ...

@lanx0003 yeah I understood your question & concerns but I ended up babbling on about my situation. My experience with impedance matching has only been with preamps & amps as far as close calls & definite issues from mismatches. I have a 10k input & a 12k input amps. I've been as close as an 8x's difference between the 2 & didn't notice any meaningful issues. I've had preamps in that 5k range & probably higher depending on frequency where noise & brightness occurs. Stuff like my old PAS preamps caused issues with all my modern day solid state amp. 

I've run my MTK kit preamp which can be as High as 1800ohms sound quite nice with my 10k amp. Not exactly the same situation between dac & preamp though. Maybe someone else will chime in with something similar to your exact question. 

@mattw73 Thank you for sharing. If your preamp has an output impedance of 50k ohms, it should not have any matching issues with the Denafrips DAC, whether using RCA (625 ohms) or XLR (1250 ohms). I was referring to my own preamp, which has only a 10k ohm output impedance and might have some issues since the ratio is less than 10. I was surprised to hear that the RCA input of the Pontus does not perform well.

@lanx0003 I wasn't aware of the Denafrips output Z but that is indeed pretty high for a dac, source, of even most modern tube preamps. 

I only received the unit a couple days ago on Monday..which was quick considering I received an email it was being shipped from China at midnight on Thursday. But since I've been concentrating on "breaking in" the Pontus I haven't given it the rounds on multiple preamps I own. I initially plugged the Pontus into this old Assemblage L1 one tube preamp that's been upgraded to the gills with high end parts & bypass caps thru in thru. I just had to mention this unknown preamp because I find it stupid good & it makes me question some more expensive pre's I have. But anyway, I haven't a clue of any of its specs. I only used it for maybe an hour & didn't notice any frequency, noise, or other issues I've encountered with impedance mismatches in the past. 

I've been running the Pontus with an Icon Audio LA4 MKiii Sig tube pre ever since; as I was thinking this is the preamp I'll be trying to pair long term. The LA4's input Z is spec'ed at "Greater than 50k ohms".  I've been inside this preamp but didn't take notice to what's going on after the input jacks or volume pot reading. I haven't detected any issues of mismatch but I've been focusing on other things when listening to the 15th. I also have only used the single ended outputs on the Pontus. 

I honestly don't think I've ever experienced a mismatch between a source or dac & preamp before. I've definitely encountered it between preamps & amps in the past. I've actually seen a YouTube reviewer & a commentor somewhere else complain that the Pontus was kinda bright...lacking some bass. Makes me wonder if they were maybe having mismatch issues? 

I do have some other issues with this dac I can complain about & share. First off the unit has 3 feet..which are kinda rough & definitely able to scratch things due to this Dac's hefty weight. She is solid. The dac comes with these little rubber pads to push into the bottom of the feet. My pads don't stay in..2 of them fall out whenever I lift the dac to move it. Not an issue when it gets to its final resting place. But I guarantee they will fall off & get lost at some point..pretty crappy for a $2k device. 

This next issue is a little bigger & one I haven't gone to the next step to fix. The RCA outputs on the rear. None of my regular sized RCA cables will push all the way in for a proper fit. It just won't push in all the way like something is blocking it..the grounding clasps of the connectors is only getting maybe a quarter way on. I found some Blue Jeans connects I had from back in the day. Ones I never really liked as the have the long connectors/longer cinch with a shorter pin. So the rca connectors on their Pontus are not going to work for me. I'm going to have to address this with Frips people. Another pain in the ass & unacceptable for a $2k device. I've only experienced this RCA jack issue once before..with a Chinese manufactured brand. I had to replace the jacks..the plastic inside the jacks weren't evenly bored out. Lame. 

My 3rd issue is a sound quality one..though this is with the rca coaxial input. Now I use a Neotech NEVD-2001 cable. Not overly expensive but I'll just say that after experimenting with digital cables cheaper & more expensive I highly recommend this Neotech model. It's proper good. You can buy the cable itself from a couple different sellers but the Neotech manufactured cable comes with some impressive connectors. I wish I could find them for DIY cables. 

Also I've only used the Pontus with a streamer & it's coaxial input. I've tried probably 12 different streamers over the last couple years under the $1600 mark..looking for a budget standout. The Zen Stream & Primare Prisma NP5 are the 2 I've held onto. I've only used the Zen Stream with the Pontus. I have 3 12v power supplies..an Sbooster, IFI Elite, Super Farad 3. Farad sounds the best with the Zen but I use it elsewhere now so I've settled with the IFI PS with the ZEN. 

Granted this dac hasn't broken in. But with coaxial input I'm not impressed. Veiled & dark. Some decent depth & stage but overall sound is meh. I chalked it up to break in period. But this morning I figured I would tried a USB cable. Completely different dac. The blanket was lifted. Everything from top to bottom, inside & out is better. Clarity & high frequencies. Dac at least is showing some good promise. Now I've never had issues using the coaxial on the Zen Stream in the past & honestly it's my output of choice on it. But I will try the Prisma later. I think it sounds better anyway but I also know that the coaxial output on the Prisma is a little hotter. I've had to dial back the input on it with my pro audio dac. So maybe the Denafrips just needs more juice going into it's coaxial. But so far the coaxial & USB input seems like 2 different dacs. 

The USB allows the dac to use its superior clocks if I understand things correctly. But I don't recall the Zen ever sounding that bad with other dacs & coaxial connection. It could be this "break in" that I've been warned of..& that I shouldn't even critically comment on this dac til at least a couple weeks of heavy usage. USB sounds good. But I'll comment more in a couple weeks if interested. I need to see about these RCA jacks. I'll take a closer look at it when I get a chance..pop the top on this joker & see what's doin'. If I keep this thing long term I'll probably invest in a streamer with i2S output instead of a DDC. I'll have to see how this plays out. 

@ozzy62 @mattw73 @klipscher @curiousjim @jastralfu @2psyop

Does the high output impedance of 1,250 ohms from the Denafrips DAC ever bother you in terms of impedance matching? The Harmony DAC has an identical measurement, but the µDAC brings it down to 80 ohms. I have a preamp with an input impedance rated at only 10k so I am concerned about the matching.  Thx.

Another happy Denafrips owner here. I have the lowly Pontus II, but it sounds damn good to me.

I received an email that the Pontus 15th is on its way 2 days ago. Denafrips HQ did not ask me for any extra shipping fees. FED-X International sent me a tracking number..no mention of additional fees. I don't know if I will receive some type of tariffs bill or if Denafrips ate the any additional charges. 

The Pontus will be replacing a RME dac in my living room. But I'll be replacing other components in this room with better equipment I've had set up in a spare bedroom..the turntable room I have abandoned since finding digital streaming too convenient to ignore. I've had various dacs since the 90's & really enjoyed the RME. The PEQ functions have been invaluable in my wonky shaped living room. Between a UMIK & REW software I've been able to get the best out of most speakers using the RME Dac's bonus functions. The speakers I'll have in my living room now don't need the EQ functions of the RME. A great dac but lacks the space & depth as some other more "analog" sounding dacs I've had in the past. The RME is transparent & has some great qualities..so I'm interested to see how differently I perceive the Denafrips. 

@mattw73

Kinda was in same boat and from my understanding they ran outa of a copper wire used in the production of the Pontus 15.

Anyway mine shipped out 3/13/2025 and arrived 3/17/2025 so hopefully you get it soon. Even without burnin it’s sounds much better than the Ares ii it replaced.

The wait was worth it. @audioman58 was helpful and kept me informed of delay and just one of those bad timing situations. The popularity of the Pontus 15 and tariffs caused a surge in orders.

@2psyop the only advice I can offer is make sure you buy from A authorized dealer. Denafrops will not honor warranty or repair a unit bought from nonauthorized dealer. Sure might save a few bucks but if unit is faulty or ever needs repairs the will not be of any assistance.

"Help me out here guys, is it MM, MC, or does it run both? It’s so small that I thought it might be a step up transformer."

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/zOlhHakrKeE

Help me out here guys, is it MM, MC, or does it run both? It's so small that I thought it might be a step up transformer. 

I was nervous about buying the Denafrips long before the threat of tariffs. I just didn’t have as much confidence with buying from China a product that (for me) was the most expensive DAC I purchased to date. I have owned Benchmark, Schiit, and other lower cost DACs before but the Ares was getting a lot of positive customer feedback. The company did not disappoint me yet and the R2R configuration gave me the most organic, natural presentation of music. I just bought an analog setup and spent north of $5000, The streamer I have combined with the Pontus sound just as good as my $3500 turntable, $1500 cartridge and $1000 preamp. Also the Pontus feeds a CD transport and that sounds very natural as well across the frequency spectrum. That’s my experience.

@lanx0003 

I have the Pontus ll and I love it.  The full sized Liav DAC is somewhere between the Aries ll and the Pontus ll.  The uLiav is much closer in sound to the Aries ll in both sound and price.  If you have the budget,  I’d go for the Pontus 15. It’s using most of the parts from the Venus 12th and it’s a very nice improvement over the Pontus ll.

All the best.

I ordered the Pontus 15th from Denafrips HQ in February with beliefs that the unit would ship at end of February. I also asked them for a 5% discount for basically paying for a pre-order. Savings of $100 so I ordered the Remote. Unit still hasn't shipped. 

I emailed the other day complaining of the extended delay of shipping & increasing tariff prices/tax. They of course apologized & mentioned that they would not be asking me for any additional funds for shipping to the US. I'm not sure if the shipping company will be sending me an extra "tariffs bill". 

I pondered between the Pontus & original Laiv dac for quite awhile. I came to the conclusion that without the ability to hear either of them up front I should just go with the cheaper of the two. The reviews & demand of the 15th are good enough that I felt I could resell the Pontus without much loss if it doesn't work out for me. In the end though both dacs & including the smaller Laiv are probably all very good for the money. Probably all an easy resell as well. 

That make sense. I thought it was odd that he was charging $3700 for the Laiv Harmony. 

Vinshine prices seem to be quite a bit higher

That was in Singapore dollars.  Singapore dollars S$1349 / US$994.  In terms of duty, if the U.S. tariff takes effect, Denafrips will likely be the first to react. I recall Denafrips started collecting a 20% tariff but soon removed it. It is still not being collected, but could be reinstated any time.

Like @2psyop i enjoy my Pontus II 12th immensely.  I would buy it again.  Not having heard the Laiv I would still purchase the Pontus 15th over it given my experience.

I have a Pontus II 12th Anniversary. It’s the best sounding DAC I have had.

Looks interesting.  Seems like Denafrips would be a safer bet given the positive reviews and you can buy it on Agon.

Laiv's website says they will calculate duties, but you probably have to go through checkout to figure out what that is.  Vinshine prices seem to be quite a bit higher. 

Thank you, @tablejockey.

Audiophool "grass might be greener..." is uncurable. 

Use it when you REALLY start opening the wallet WIDE$$$.

Denafrips is solid. I use the Gen 1 Ares, but I'm an LP disciple anywho.

Just looks like hyped up marketing of the CNC case/build. Does look nice though.

Move the thread to digital.