Will a Moon 280D augment a Musical Fidelity/ATC combo?

I’ve heard the Moon 280D streaming DAC compared to my Pro-ject Stream Box S2 Ultra streamer with a Chord Qutest DAC at a dealer last year. The Pro-ject/Qutest combination was quite a bit better sounding than the 280D in terms of conveying rhythm and musical detail. The difference was immediately obvious. Music from the Moon 280D was smooth and not harsh, but it didn’t move me.

As good as the Qutest sounded, I now have a Denafrips Pontus II DAC that sounds even better (better detail resolution, richer tonal quality, warmer in sound, more natural sense of rhythm and pace). I had purchased the Qutest used as a known benchmark for comparing to other DACs. If you’re trying to warm up a cool sounding set of speakers, the Denafrips would be a good choice. Though you would have to order one, it sounds as though you also don’t have brick-and-mortar dealers close to you to listen to one first. The Denafrips DACs are selling like hotcakes and I see that folks are selling used units for close to full retail price as there is a waitlist for new units.

The idea of an integrated streamer-DAC is appealing from the perspective of simplicity, but finding one that sounded good to me was a challenge. I also listened to a $8.5k Naim NDX2 streamer DAC that wasn’t appealing in sound to me.

In terms of price, the Pro-ject streamer runs about $850 new and about $450 used. The Denafrips Pontus II DAC is about $1750 based on the current exchange rates from Singapore dollars.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Do you have a sense if the differential between the different units would be universally apparent or it is subjective and more your preference personally? It’s challenging to sort through feedback about the DACs because it seems to be so much a matter of taste.

At any rate, I will look into what has worked for you and it’s great to have some direction about alternatives. 

@m669326 By 'different units', do you mean differences between the sound of DACs?

There is a matter of preference for the sound quality of DACs, but I can say that the Denafrips Pontus II is clearly better sounding than the Moon 280D. Someone might possibly like the Moon 280D better than the Qutest because it is slightly smoother in sound, but the Pontus II loses nothing in smoothness to the Moon 280D.

Thanks. Yes, that’s what I was asking.

C and H:

What do you think of the combination of a moon mind 2 streamer and the Denafrips DAC you have?

Love my 280D and Pro-Ject makes some nice stuff.

Love having a 10 year warranty and that service is in North America.

Cannot beat Simaudio for consistent quality in build and sound as long as you match well with other components. But hey I only stream during the workday for filler noise. 

@m669326 I haven't heard the Moon mind 2 streamer on its own, so I couldn't say one way or another.  I tend to reserve judgment on equipment until I've actually heard it myself. I've heard plenty of expensive equipment that sounds terrible and inexpensive equipment that sounds surprisingly good.

I can say that the Denafrips Pontus II sounds incredibly good on absolute terms compared to other digital that I've heard at all price levels and that's before considering the price. The Pro-ject also seems like a high-value piece of equipment.

I ordered the Pontus 2.

Thanks again.