Terminator II or Rockna Wavedream Edition (non signature version) which one to buy and why


Hi...

I would like some help to decide which one of those 2 good dac I should end my quest...

The terminator II (a bit down from the plus model)

or

the rockna wavedream edition (non signature version)

 

I cannot find anything comparing those exact one together on the net

So if someone did tried those two I would appreciate your personal preference....

 

I was looking for a may kte but change my mind...

and also looking for a la scala optologic but would have to find one used in good condition, I don't dig the nextel covers.... After years the nextel get sticky and fragile....  I know because I used to own a esoteric p2-d2 and it became a problem with age..

 

Thank in advance

Danthemannn

danthemannn

Hey @danthemannn 

 

DENAFRIPS Terminator II is a trickle down of the Terminator Plus. In my opinion, it's a great DAC that punches way above its asking price. 

 

Here's the Terminator Plus review might be of interest to you:

 

The reviewer compare it to various DACs.

Happy reading!

 

Cheers,

Alvin @ Vinshine Audio

 

One thing I noticed in this comparison above is that the T+ was compared to the older version of the Venus DAC, there is a newer version now called the Venus II which is an improvement on the original version, I have that one and it is very good to my ears. It is supposedly very close to the original Terminator DAC. Not T+ good I am sure but still a good DAC.

Dantheman you can check out thorough measurements of both Rockna WaveDream Net and WaveDream dac including Denafrips Terminator 2 or the plus ? over on AudioPhileStyle , member GoldenOne has done an extensive review I think will help you to decide.

I recently sold the WaveDream pair they hold their value very well , fabulous sounding though expensive.

 

Just an FYI for the OP and Denafrips owners who may not already be aware of this- I’ve found that utilizing the USB output is an absolute must. I initially discounted using USB because my unit needed a firmware upgrade which I didn’t have the capability of doing. Long story short, I recently took care of the firmware and went with a Sablon 2020 usb cabe. The difference between USB and coax is significant. 

For In_shore....

 

You said    I recently sold the WaveDream pair   what did you used after, terminator plus ?

Thank again

Yes, curious to know what @in_shore replaced the WD pairing with… but I do realize this is a year old thread… 

I’ve been absent from Audiogon , to answer Dantheman and Jriggy question the Rockna WaveDream server and WaveDream dac are beautiful sounding however I had someone bring over a DIY server for me to check out , I felt the DIY server was as good as the Rockna WaveDream Net for thousands less .
I ended up selling the Rockna Net plus at the time Holo Audio was getting a lot of attention I bought the May KTE dac then replaced it with a Merason Dac 1 I felt in combination with the DIY server I had built for me the Merason reproduced the human pitch a little more realistically ,..the fun of trying out stuff never gets old .

 

@in_shore thanks for checking in and answering! Sounds like you’ve found a good match that you like for your system.