musician aquarius r2r dac any good?

On second thought, I left out some pertinent info about my Pontus II + Hermes setup that's needed to make more sense of it.  I'm not using USB. I'm using AES/EBU from a streamer and the I²S connection between the Hermes and Pontus II.

Pontus II + Hermes DDC with OCXO clock is in your price range. I’ve shared my thoughts in another recent thread, so I won’t go off about it here, but the combination, in my system, is far greater than the Pontus II alone and the price is still not that high. It makes the Pontus II alone sound comparatively unfocused and unappealing to me.

Side note of interest: according to some online data I found, OCXO (in the Hermes reclocker) is approx 50-100 times more frequency stable than TCXO technology (in the Iris reclocker). I’m not suggesting that the Hermes clock replaces the duty of the Femto clock in the Pontus II, but my opinion is that it adds magic and the premium for using both devices is certainly worth it, at least in my system.

@viethluu I totally understand what you are saying. I want vertical movements must as much as you.

I think I need to be really clear about my point. I haven’t heard the Denafrips Venus II, but from my internet research and my resulting supposition, the Pontus II + Hermes via I²S is the same price as a Venus II, but I propose that it is really a better sounding setup. There many user experiences described out there on the internet. I feel that my experience transcends those described by Venus II users. Therefore, consider the Pontus II + Hermes via I²S. I don’t see anyone else talking about this particular value play, which sits at the same price as a Venus II.