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DAC better than Denafrips Pontus II

As I try to finish out my system, looking at user recommendations for DACs better than the Pontus II.  This is one area I have not spent a great deal of time on (the digital side) but I have not found anything negative against the Pontus II or the Ares II.My transport will likely be the Nuprime CDT-8 Pro.  I like the AES to AES ability between these two devices.  From what I've read, it's the best connection.All comments appreciated.

colpgmrguy
colpgmrguy OP
5 posts
 
Thanks, I guess I should have prefaced the post with a comment of around the same price as the Pontus II.
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
no idea what 'better' means to you
rohlim
7 posts
 
Sold my Pontus II, got LAB 12 DAC 1 Reference. Little more money but worth it.
gregoriomtb16's avatar
gregoriomtb16
12 posts
 
@rohlim 
Why did you sell it and what are the differences between them ?
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
I asked myself the same question, @colpgmrguy, the only one that seemed equalish in value but different was the Chord Qutest. Based on everything I could read, plus my own listening experience with other higher priced models from both companies, I thought the Denafrips would be a better fit for my system and taste. 
After a number of months owning the Pontus II, I've got nothing but great things to say about it. FWIW, I'm a mostly "analog guy" with a higher priced turntable setup. The Pontus is more analog-like than most of the DACs I've heard, even a number of them > $5K. It's pretty damn good overall and especially at its price point. Fit/finish, build quality is a reassuring bonus. Cheers,
Spencer
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