Denafrips Pontus II vs Venus II

Thanks for all responses. @stevebohnii I currently have the Chord Qbd76 so it’s useful that you compared the Quest to the Pontus II. I didn’t know about the Iris DDC and it’s useful to note that the performance of the Pontus II can taken up a notch when used with the Iris.

Looks like the Pontus II may be the better option when compared to the Venus II. Nevertheless, I’ll have to decide between that and another DAC which I have been eyeing for some time, a Luxman DA-06.

I have the Pontus ll and it’s been great.  I’ve thought about getting the Iris or the Venus ll and I’m leaning towards the DDC, I haven’t been in a huge hurry because the Pontus ll  sounds really good in my system.

All the best.

@ryder 

I’m interested to know which DAC you are considering over the pontus ii. I do think, halo makes some amazing DACs and wish I could have tried one of their models before purchasing the pontus ii. I really do like the pontus and think the sound is improving over time. The hi-fi store I go to let me take home a transparent premium and a cardas clear beyond power cords to try with the pontus. I’m excited to find out how they will sound. Denafrits makes two other DDCs in addition to the iris which are more expensive (hermes and gaia). 

Best of luck. 

@stevebohnil, please let us know how the pc's work out.  I typically use Clear pc's in my systems but did not have an extra one for my new Pontus.

@marco1 

Wow, what a difference! I have a few cheap pangea and audioquest power cords on hand just in case I need them. I had the pangea hooked up to the pontus until I could audition a few higher-end cords. I auditioned the transparent last night and everything came together. The pontus came alive with even more soundstage and amazing detail. The soundstage was always big but the detail had been lacking. I’m going to try the cardas clear beyond later tonight. I have to say, I’m a little scared to try it because it is a little out of my price range! I’m currently using all cardas cignus and clear cables. I might try a clear power cord with the pontus before purchasing the transparent just to ensure I’m making the right decision…lol.