I heard it at a show before the pandemic but the whole system was new. The system did sound very good the short time I heard it so the dac must have done most things right.
what is it you want improved over the sound you hear from your ares?
if you want the same basic sound signature, with more refinement in the treble (my problem with the ares was the sibilance) and more dimensionality and bass impact, the pontus would be the natural move - the improvement is pretty substantial
if you want more sweetness of tone and subtlety and bloom, you would head in the direction of some tubed dacs
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