Aqua hifi La Voce s3.....anyone audition it yet?

@stuartk 
Sacrificing musicality for the sake of detail is a false concept.  What kills "musicality" is distortions and artefacts that some users take for extra details. A natural, coherent sound with better resolution and sharper focus on timing and rhythm is always more "musical", and that is exactly what S3 will give you compared to more nebulous S2. 

@relak, grannyring:

"False concept"? 

I've heard DACS that are more akin to microscopes--to my ears, they so accentuate awareness of the parts that a larger sense of coherence is sacrificed. I demo'd a COS DAC that I can only describe as drastic in this regard. I do not think this is necessarily due to "distortions and artifacts" but a result of some designer's preference for prioritzing resolution.  

It's been my experience that some audiophiles strongly gravitate towards a hyper-detailed presentation. Personally, I find this clinical rather than musical. Some favor the opposite extreme, most often utililizing tube gear (and yes, I realize all tube gear is not excessively euphonic) and others preferences are located somewhere in the middle ground. 

"Timing and rhythm" ?

As far as PRaT goes with the S2, I have no complaints-- it keeps my toes tapping and my fingers drumming. 

"Nebulous"/"dark and murky"? 

I suggest this is fairly subjective. What's just right for you in terms of resolution is probably too much for me. I've discovered copper IC's do result in less clarity than I prefer, so I use silver.  While you might describe my system as "nebulous", according to your tastes, it doesn't sound that way to me. 

Hey guys how does Aqua S3 compare to Holo Spring 3 level 1 or 2 and Pontus II. If anyone has compared them?

Neither of the versions sound clinical etc…. both are superbly musical and never even verge on the side of analytical, thin and hyper detailed. The newer version is just more real sounding and not as murky.

I agree with grannyring as I have owned both versions of the La Voce.  The S3 upgrade is worth every penny.  If you haven't read Dave Abramson's review of the S3 as opposed to the S2 and the PSA Directstream after he got his back from the upgrade.