REVIEW: Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Today it's all about Denafrips' new flagship DAC, the Terminator Plus.
Plus Specs
Description Parameters
R-2R DAC Proprietary R2R + DSD Architecture
True balanced 26BIT R2R + 6BIT DSD (32 steps FIR Filters)
Matched Precision Thin Film 0.005% R-2R Network Arrays
Highlight Encapsulated Ultra Low Noise Power Supply
High-end Oven Controlled Crystals OCXO
Total isolation of Digital and R-2R Boards
DSD1024, PCM1536 Supports On USB & I²S Input
Proprietary USB Audio Solution via STM32F446 Advanced AMR Based MCU
Licensed Thesycon USB Driver For Windows Platform
Driverless On Mac & Linux
Dual AES/EBU Input Supports
Sharp/Slow Filters Option
I²S Pinout Configuration
I²S DSD Channel Swap Configuration
DSD DSD64-DoP On All Input
DSD1024 On USB & I²S Input Only
PCM 24bits / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192KHz On All Input
1536kHz On USB & I²S Input
Digital Input Coax via RCA
TOSLink x 1
AES/EBU x 2
USB
I²S via HDMI LVDS
I²S via RJ45 LVDS
I²S via RJ45 LVCMOS
Analog Output RCA at 2.2Vrms, 625 Ω
XLR at 4.4Vrms, 1250 Ω
Sampling Mode Non-Oversampling NOS
Oversampling OS
Power Consumption 20W
Frequency Response 20-40KHz -0.2dB
THD+N 0.0010%
S/N Ratio 127dB
Dynamic Range 132dB
Stereo Crosstalk -110dB
Dimension 430 x 380 x 105 mm
Weight 19 Kg
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I'm really glad to hear
I don't need to rush out and buy this DAC.
Thanks Steve
Ive just read the comments section and am currently shaking my head very slowly from side to side at the number of truly, mind-numbingly, intolerant and badly thought out contributions. Just because you have purchased something doesn't make it the best in the world. Just because someone has purchased something different doesn't mean what they have is junk. China is not intrinsically evil, some Chinese products are excellent, the high end can occasionally be good value and Audio Note do not make the only decent DACs on the planet no matter how much some of you may want to believe that.
Of course perhaps this comments section has been infested by hormonal 13 year olds pretending to be middle aged men with a hi- fi fetish in which case all the crap below makes sense.
Of course, the great thing about America is that people are allowed to have their own feelings and opinions without being brow-beaten. My state has been locked down for 8 months because of China. I prefer not to give any business tied to them my money if I can help it. That includes the NBA, Disney, and hi-fi companies. I am perfectly within my rights to do so without being slighted by youtube commenters. You, as well, have the right to expound on your opinion as you did. Isn't America great? We wouldn't be having this conversation in China.
@@Consoul909 This isn't America, you're commenting on the internet... Also, it's funny how you gloss over how bad your government (or rather Trump) handled the situation. He underestimated the virus and now you and all those countless people who have passed have to pay. The virus came from China because that's where the pathogen originated.
@@Consoul909
Don't be so naive please. We all drink the same water and breath the same air, live under the same sun and sky...The world is a global village and everything is already (inter)connected, interdependend, networked, etc, in more ways than you might know or expect:
The brand/manufacturer may be 'Chinese', many of the hundreds of high-end electronic circuit components in the Denafrips DACs are Japanese. The distributor is Singaporese. It's more or less an Asian high-end product. The driver you need to download for this DAC is from a German company.. Your pc, phone, tablet, tv, household appliances or other tools probably have Chinese parts in them somewhere, even if they're American brands.
Since when is Made in the USA still a guarantee for high quality and/or well paid 'American' workers?
@@Wuppie62 So should I thank China for the Rona? Gfy.
@@Consoul909
No, but you could educate yourself a bit more and not parrot nationalistic rethoric. Thank your President-Reject (or should we say President-Insurrect?) for not handling this worldwide pandemic seriously and efficiently enough in your country.
I'm glad to hear someone address this about some of the supposed high res music. Coming from the recording side of the music business, I try to tell many of these high res/mqa snobs that a good majority of the music labeled as such was never recorded above 16 bit - 24bit / 44.1khz or 48khz. So without some kind of upsampling voodoo sorcery, much of what's being marketed as high res recordings is nothing short of dishonest or snake oil.
For the life of me I’ve never been able to tell the difference between 44/192 in an A/B test but like you said most is all originally mastered in 44 anyway so have I even heard “true” 192, I don’t know.
Nice to see you getting back to what you do best. I don't give a flyin' -eff about dacs and I listened with full attention to this entire segment. THAT'S how you know someone is a good reviewer.
For those that want to spend a much more modest amount of money, check out the Denafrips Ares II DAC. Less than $1K including shipping. Great DAC as well.
Mine is on it's way! It's in Alaska now and then to it's home in Massachusetts! I'm so glad to be able to replace the Modi Uber.
Pontus and Venus are VERY meaningful upgrades. Terminator is right up there with some of the best like Bartok.
Real audiophiles belong to the church of the Ladder DAC Saints..
Wow what said! Seriously you deserve 15k+ likes... 👏
I don't care who you are, that was funny. Kudos.
lol. Brought me back in time!
Typical LDS(;
@@Elpi2001 I have a Yggdrasil. Same teaching. Different denominational name. I know what I am hearing, and have owned chip DACs before. Enjoy what you do.
Thanks for another great review Steve. I purchased the Ares II partly based on your review. I contacted Vinshine and they actually put me in touch with a local dealer, which surprised me. Bear in mind I'm in New Zealand. Enjoying my Ares. Keep the great content coming.
Hi Steve, I enjoyed the review. I owned the original Terminator (with the latest board), and now own the Terminator Plus. I think your review is pretty much on target with what I hear, except that I wanted to point out a couple things about the Terminator Plus. I also know you prefer the original board with the Terminator as you really enjoy tonal density over ultimate detail. It is always a trick, getting a high level of clarity/transparency/detail/enhanced sound staging on the one hand, with full body/tonal density on the other hand. Well, I found you can get both with the Terminator Plus. First, if you lean toward tonal density/full sound, run the Terminator Plus in NOS Mode and use the right cables. Find yourself a Tubulus Argentus HDMI and run it in NOS Mode, and even OS Mode (but NOS is definitely more dense and full sounding). You will get the best of both worlds.
Great review Steve and you hit the nail on the head...as the real sadness is that although digital has always had huge sonic potential and it should be amazing across the board, it still seems record companies have little real interest and motivation to produce higher res music. Which ironically impacts on all digital equipment - irrespective of their cost.
It ironically reminds me of the those good old vinyl days of hunting for good labels, pressings and recordings.
But it is sad that in 2020 this is still happening, but just shows that convenience and profit are still the main drivers and priority than technical or sonic excellence ...except of course those trying to fill the gap and give us wonderful peeks and moments of what is possible. Ho-hum
Another great review. Strengths and weaknesses and comparisons to other DACS. Loving my Ares II and satisfied with it for now! 👍
OS mode on the Terminator Plus is really good. Replaced my Venus II and was honestly the largest leap in audio quality I've made to the setup yet. As if listening wasn't addicting already..
Pretty happy with their entry level Aires II DAC!
Me too. Excellent bang for the buck.
Me too! The best dollar that I spent on any audio component!
Its a very nice looking DAC. I have my eye on the Pontus.
@Joe Al it doesn't look like cheap junk, looks extremely well made. Can you elaborate?
Good, thorough, balanced review. Thanks Steve. I’d love a remote control to select the absolute phase of each recording. I find it much easier to hear which is correct from my listening position, so I have to get up and down for each recording. Argh!
One of the best reviews you have done, imo, Congrats!
If Arnold Schwarzenegger is an audiophile, I guess he owns one of these 😉
Great review. Think you nailed it and also put it into perspective. Just because it is "better" does not mean more enjoyable.
Seems like Denafrips is a great choice for very high end audio at "reasonable" prices.
The 13th Floor Elevators were a Texas band, born of the great garage rock tradition here. Roky Erickson was a troubled genius who sadly passed away in 2019. BTW that otherworldy sound came from an an amplified jug. The only band I can think of who used one, other than the Loving Spoonful. Roky's solo output with songs such as "It's a Cold Night for Alligators" is also well worth checking out.
Great review. I agree with you that it's not always about having higher resolution. There are many qualities that make up great sound.
Thanks for the tip on how to feed my Cornwall IVs. So much fun figuring it out.
I thougt a Pass Int-25 would be a perfect match to the Cornwall IVs, but Steve's move to the XA100s has made me insecure.
thought
Oh! Bonus points for mentioning The Knick soundtrack. Very inside the box, unnatural, but fantastic sound!
So the same cost as a Schitt Yggdrasil, two Aegir monoblocks, a Freya +, an Apple MacBook Air, and an extra $500 for music.
Welcome to hifi, it's stupid most of the time. Schiit is just a really good deal. And I guess a lot of people think the Terminator is a good deal too.
So the Yaggdrasil is the cost of a Topping Dac, a tube integrated amp, a 13" MacBook pro and couple of months supply of ramen.
divertiti - except that the Topping DAC and the ChiCom Tube Integrated are disposal items if you live outside of China and need parts or service or warranty attention. Really No Bueno if you live in the Americas or Europe.
@@divertiti Ramen is truly the currency of impoverished audiophiles. As it is in prisons much like cigarettes and packets of condiments like hot sauce.
There’s ways to skin the Schitt cat and I’ve had great experiences with customer service from Chinese brands, just sayin!
Both the standard & plus models are firmly in Chord Hugo TT territory price wise. While I haven’t heard one bad word on the Denafrips brand, I would love a head to head comparo vs the Hugo.
Love the show Steve!
@Art DIY Unfortunately way too late .. I saw how Americans and Europeans drive up jobs and manufacturing there in the last 30 yrs to firstly keep up standard of living with same or cheaper products as well as wanting that 1.4b mkt. Think any PC, router and mobile, including both Apple and Samsung all made in China .. I would not be worrying about a dac in a personal hifi system. Cheers.
@Art DIY Doubt any chip is made in USA or Europe nowadays and as far as OS is concern, many are sub out and released by 2nd biggest populated India but sure, all can try to test out albeit futile efforts imho but corporate greed yet continue to feed the dragon 😒
@Art DIY How exactly is a DAC without an Ethernet connection connected to the internet, except via your Computer (if that's your musical source)? In that case , it's your computer that's connected to the internet and it's probably made in China ......
@Art DIY Sending data to China is a myth, as of now no one has found a back door from Hauwai or Tick Tok. .US government is saying it is not safe to use Chinese technologies but even FBI couldn't find anything. May be ask yourself, why do you care about CCP collecting your data? What are they going to do with it? Do you know your data is being collected by your country anyway but you don't care? If you travel to China they can collect more data about you, and even your finger prints, but US never told people stop going to China, weir. Last question: Why does CCP care about you?
@Art DIY Hi Art, indeed but once accessible in manufacturing or coding, a big hole is opened up. Just see how Siemens built the first few hi speed train in Shanghai and the Chinese duplicate their entire fleets and even export/sell hi speed trains worldwide .. even driver console looks exactly the same except no longer with Siemens labelling. Mentioned wish for lower cost for same standard of living by Americans and European had fed the awakening 1.4b dragon. Cheers.
Excellent Steve - excellent review. I came away really understanding the differences between the + and the earlier model. I too would probably prefer the straight "Terminator".
Great review, really appreciate your honesty. I placed my order for the Pontus a few days ago.
How do you like it?
It sounds very analog I'm testing it now. I'm not a fan since I have good phono already and I got bored fast. I like the r26 I like my digital with tons of detail and dynamics since analog lacks that
I bought and sold the regular Terminator twice. First time, with the old digital board, the unit was a bit to warm even dark, a bit thick and a tiny bit slow to match good with my preamp. I repurchased used when a new digital board was released. This was indeed better for my system but ultimately not enough yet. So I moved into a Bricasti M3 and it has better synergy with my DHT preamp... Maybe now the Termi Plus has the resolution and neutrality to go with a top quality tubed preamp.
How does the Bricasti compare against the Termi with new dsp? What other DACs did you compare before landing on it?
divertiti The Bricasti is just a better fit in my system with my preamp. Faster, more neutral, better detail and tighter tuneful bass. But it makes more sense to wonder how the Termi Plus will compare to the M3, since they are more the same price, if you get remote (or headphone amp) and the ethernet network renderer capability, which is a huge plus to take a pass on USB and go straight from router into the DAC (simplicity is key in this area IMO). I did enough research and knew what I was after, so I tried the M3 first after the Termi and got lucky I guess. But before this I’ve been a Lampizator owner/fan...and still am, as I kept my Lampi Atlantic for DAC direct to amp for certain music listening.
Steve was the terminator (non plus) you use the one with the upgraded dsp board ?
How does it compare to:
Pontus
Venus
COS D1V2
Does it also come with a Arnold Schwarzenegger signature on the back? If it doesn't, It may be the only thing holding me back!
Steve, you have to bite the bullet and experiment with DSD music. Granted not all DSD recordings offer anything special in the sound quality category. But well recorded music in DSD reaches a new level. As an example I had a CD (44.1/16) of Doreen Smith "In The Still Of The Night: A Tribute To Julie London". Then I purchased from HDTracks "Audiophile Analog Collection Vol 2" in DSD64 (2.6MHz). The Audiophile Collection has titles remastered for a higher resolution. The collection has one of the tracks from Doreen Smith's CD (Route 66). I did an AB test between the CD and DSD versions. It took me all of 15 seconds to appreciate the increased sound stage, depth and details of the DSD version. With the right music DSD is definitely worth while.
Steve really needs to review holo may dac. Im guessing the terminator+'s main competition is the holo may and audio-gd r7he
In the September Stereophile, Herb compares them on page 31. He's comparing it to the regular Terminator and not the + and he says they sound very similar!
I bet the May DAC whoops the Terminator. I’m seriously considering buying the May DAC.
@@Coneman3 bought the kte waiting for them :)
@@Hohoho701 Cool, hope its as good as it seems from reviews, specs etc.
No. Rather T+ competes with dCS DACs, IMHO.
Just had a good session with the Pontus and it was pretty good. Can’t imagine what the T+ will be like. Sounds so tempting. 😬
From the review, it sounds like your more into DACs that have a rich organic tone...a dac with a tube perhaps ?. You should investigate the Audio Mirror Tubadour SE DAC...built in Minnesota.
Im going to do just that
You're :-)
I'm going to the website now to take a good read thank you 4 enabling my addiction LOL
Are you speaking from ownership experience?ו have been looking at it foe a while.. What dacs did you compare it to?
Hi Steve. Wondering if you could comment on how much of an improvement the Terminator plus or Terminator are over the Ares II, and what kind of system you would need to really hear those differences? thanks!
Skedra uses the Holo Audio - May DAC you should try the Kitsune Tuned edition and compare that R2R to this. See if you can borrow Herb's
I have a Denafrips Ares II which I enjoy very much
You are missing out. You need to get on that choppa and get that terminata.
@@wa2368 I'm fueling up the Gulfstream now..
www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/denafrips-ares-ii-usb-r2r-dac-review.11166/
Robert, I also bought Ares II, I was very impressed by this DAC. Price and quality ratio is just amazing!
Steve, I'm curious about your comment regarding not wanting the utmost detail. If the information is in the recording, why do you prefer not having it in the presentation? Or perhaps it's that the extra detail came at the cost of musicality, drive or tone?
Within the discussion of DACs and based on my own equipment, a comparison to the DAC in my Rega Planet 2000 CD player with the Bryston BDA-1 is worthy of note. The Rega "analog" philosophy was embrace in their CD player line. They waited until they could find an "analog" sounding chip. The first Planet was super analog at the expense of some detail. The Planet 2000 hits the sweet spot of hybrid analog and digital if that is your goal. The Bryston is more detailed, but not as warm, and allows even more detail in the form of upscaling. I listen at the "redbook" or standard rate because I am sort of a purist and that upscale business is kind of like tone controls. But I digress. I think what Steve may really be getting at is detail that leads to listening fatigue vs. listening pleasure. These LS50 speakers are a bit like that, detailed but can be a bit fatiguing depending on the music.
I think what he really meant to say was the DAC called out all the imperfections in a recording and it was not a pleasant experience. I note better sounding DACs would still reproduce the information but in a more natural and realistic fashion.
@@zipperunamused9009 lately I've been turning vinyl into CD and higher recording volume helps
@John Doe Yeah the devil is in the nuances. My preferences are a bit of a balancing act. I like my music to have the proper dynamics, so preferably not overly laid back. I’m willing to sacrifice some tonality for better dynamics. Detail is good but it’s really the micro details that for me gives the music that sense of greater reality. But once a certain level of detail has been reached I look for better tonality. Otherwise I find the sound to be overly analytical or clinical. So I can see why Steve prefers the original Terminator.
I would look for odd harmonics in downstream analog realms of tube preamp, tube amp and even cabling. Once lost, details or micro details will not be recoverable and I surely do not want that in a dac. Cheers.
Hey Steve. How about reviewing one of Denafrips power amps
Thanks for the review Steve. I bought the Terminator about 3 months ago and had excellent service from Alvin Chee of Vinshine audio. I was a bit disappointed to see a Terminator Plus announced so soon after my purchase. Alvin assured me that the Terminator was not being superseded by the Plus and I have been listening and liking the plain old Terminator. I also have the Oppo 205 which is CD/SACD/DAC. I must say that it also holds up well . Your comment of different presentation when you compared the twoTerminators and the Mytek are very good observations.Thanks for the review and you make me feel less concerned that I didn't wait and buy the Terminator Plus. I am a music lover first and not an audiophile.. So the terminator will be used for my computer files.
I currently use the 205 as the DAC in my two channel office system. Can you expand on the differences you hear between the two units. Thanks Don
worth upgrading from Schiit Ygdrasil? (my speakers are very resolving)
@steve hello, nice detail review. What do you think about the Meitner MA3 vs this Terminator Plus ? Thank you.
👍👍good morning Steve from Singapore
Steve, have you had a chance to hear the PrimaLuna EVO 100 Tube DAC?
5:07 nice power cable Steve
Snark but true. No way I'd run a $6K dac with a bog standard pc.
Would love a comparison of a Chord vs Denefrips. At any price point to understand how they differ from a sound signature perspective
Audio Bacon did this comparison, you can find it on their site
@@divertiti Its NOT the PLUS unit reviewed here.
Steve, your comparison to the terminator/terminator plus you focused on deal/resolution. What I am looking for in a dac is the goal of any system, feeling the performers are right there in your room. Which model get your closer to that goal?
I never heard it. I've read that the sound is fantastic, natural but dry. Is it true?
Is this a warmer dac or is it mainly a resolution based dac
Nice.
All reviewers talks about the same gear. (What goes around comes around)
How do we make other Hi-fi brands start to promote their gear on UA-cam?
Optimize YT isn’t exactly the best place for a hi-fi company to advertise. Besides banner ads on some popular review sites, it’s all about grassroots IMO. Ya gotta get a unit out there somehow; get units to good reviewers, offer a 30day return for purchasers, which will surly get a thread going about it in one of the big forums. But for companies to do this they gotta be confident in their design and that it truly is good. They they have nothing to lose.
At 2:20 Steve tells us the price. At 2:21, I'm out.
@Joe Al It cost them 80 to put together so 6500 retail sounds right for the idiotic audiophile world.
Steve good video, but I came up with a great hack tonight I want to share. I have two deep display shelves between my Magnepan.7’s. They stand about 5’ tall and hold a McIntosh c50 preamp, next to it a McIntosh mc352 amp both glass faces, a server,cd transport, and several more pieces. All lined up nice and neat facing forward. I realized there was a lot of reflective glass and metal like a flatscreen TV. I turned each piece a little to the right or left, so non of the faces were parallel. I played another album after I turned all the faces and low and behold my soundstage got wider and deeper it really made a difference I’d be interested to find out if any of your other readers have tried this and if they also have gotten the benefits thanks for sharing this.
Now the damn thing is more than $10,000 !
So Vinshine/Denafrips will cover shipping both ways within 30 days of delivery if there’s a reason to send it back (can’t return it because you don’t like it), you pay one way for rest of first year, then you pay both ways after that up to three years, for which they’ll fix it for free. $4495 made me uncomfortable for something I couldn’t return if I didn’t like it, but $6495? I’ve never had issues with Vinshine or Denafrips, but then again I’ve never had a problem with them. Other Chinese companies are really hard to deal with to get something right if it’s wrong.
Hey Steve, thanks for all the reviews and passion you have.
It would be good to try the updated dsp board with your old terminator again.
I wonder what difference that makes to the old one and if your thoughts may have changed.
There was a used Denafrips Ares on sale yesterday for about an hour and I let it get away!!
Will all those little resistors hold up over time?
Will these DACs be like a TVs with burned out pixels?
Does it matter?
Comments anyone?
Keep doing it Steve
I am coming for that shirt
I'm gonna buy one. Just so I can have something called Denafrips! Need to hurry too -- after you, Herb, and Next Best Thing raved about them they'll be flying off the shelves!
Hi Steve, great videos - any plans on reviewing the Halo Audio 2-2R DACs - Particularly the Spring ll or lll ? I would be very interested to hear your views and I think others might be too... thanks Alan
For clarity, streaming from Bluesound coaxial outiput?
Yes
What's your setup esp amp and speakers? Did I missed you mentioning?
Yes I mentioned them!
Dang for that kind of coin I'd probably go for a Holo Audio May KTE Dac.
I guess there is such a thing as TOO PRECISE. Wonder if a tube amp would soften it up?
I admire denafrips for coming up with an original design - no copycats and selling direct for value. Of course don’t expect the service and a chance to listen to it at a dealer. In terms of China - even American flags are made in China - what is it made in China
I kind of know some of the people from ROCKY ERICKSON (13th Floor Elevator) going back to 1970 when I use to know the Producer and part Owner of 'International Records' where Rocky recorded.
1st Time I met Rocky I didn't know who he was, but was visiting my friend and Rocky's 'Producer' from way back in Laredo where Rocky and I were visiting.
.... 20 years later I am in Austin with a friend and searching for Records when we meet Rocky and he 'remembered me by name and said, "Hey Marvin, are you still playing that WEIRD MUSIC?"
20 more years pass and I meet his Drummer who was a commercial Pilot retired, but working as a personal Pilot for 'Jimmy Buffet' at a 18 day festival in Kerrville, Texas.
Anyway that guy told me that one of my songs (Ain't it a Shame) was the best song he had heard since his days with Rocky and the 13th Floor Elevator! --- :) that was nice.
I guess I'm still playing that weird music too.
Koss Porta Pro spotted on the BG :)
Hello, Steve. Have you ever heard anything about GD Audio R7 r2r dac? It would be very interesting to hear your opinion on this other Chinese product competing with Denafrips Venus and, as someone thinks, beats it.
Nice review as usual... happy that you are still fine with the Terminator( great DAC), but was wondering will you make a review of the newborn from Denafrips too? It is a CD transport that apparently could be your new reference one (even if I was dreaming of Jay’s...). PS love sooo much that you talked about 13th floor... (as well as you loved like me Costello live with Steve Nieve), I feel so grateful that I could even send you my autographed singles by Rocky Erickson himself ( period of Don’t slander.../ Gremlins have...)
Steve you are my guru. Lol
Steve you mentioned that Tool and NIN don’t record in DSD, Bob Dylan has SACD’s they do record in High Res. Tool’s last album is available in 24/96, NIN has several albums in high res and an SACD. I find there is a lot of music I love I can find in SACD, HDCD, and High Res PCM, and then MQA I have quite the library of it.
How are files on tidal and qobuz compromised ? If you are only using 16/44.1 files then why bother with this dac, just use one that cost $100.
More of a question here. It seems to me that a DAC would either be effective, or dysfunctional. It being a "digital-to-analogue converter, it would either do the job effectively, or it would result in a signal that would be noticeably distorted (especially to the ears of an audiophile). It seems like there would not be a reason to rate one device over the other. Is it not true that many audiophiles just use their personal computers to do the same job? Is there a worthwhile advantage to using these specially-designed units, as amazing as they are?
Sean Greene you are correct. Spending $6500 on a DAC is insane audiofoolery. You could buy a complete quality stereo system for this money. Most UA-cam “experts” do not understand digital audio and perpetuate this BS.
You should review and compare these to the benchmark dac 3 hgc which is a Stereophile A+ Dac.
Benchmark DACs are not popular in audiophile circles, maybe too linear and dry. Audiophiles like exciting music not linear
That's professional DAC and pretty good spec and high tech but use only ESS9028PRO chip, not 9038PRO. It's only 3 lbs. vs. T+ 19 lbs.!
If I were a rich man, Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.
You will be appalled by the price of the MSB Select II DAC.
I'd like to see you review the USA tube audio rc35 room correction , the exogal preamp + dac and amp, or the autoformers from anticables.
Can a cd transport play sacd
Thanks. I wonder how the Terminator DAC's would compare to the RME ADI-2 and the Benchmark DAC3 B? Not that I could afford the Terminator DAC's. I am just curious if they are 4 to 6 times better than the RME and the Benchmark. I own the RME ADI-2 and the Benchmark DAC1 and I am really happy with those. Thanks again.
I have the DAC3B and owned the DAC1 long ago. I was considering the DT+ but after this review I am wondering if it very similar to the DAC3B which I like a lot in my all Benchmark System.
Dac2 to Pontus is night and day. Pontus loves music dac2 loves sound
Do you do a more riskay late night show
Hey Steve can you can pull DSD from your SACD's via your Jay's SACD player. That said, thank you for a great review.
great sales job
Oops ....only hdmi is configurable .. 2 other rj45 i2s lvds and lvcmos do not need to with compatible devices. Guess Steve is also too busy and only having the jay audio cdt2 and hence completely missed one key feature and step up in sound quality of single and synced clock with avatar, gaia or compatible devices with possibility to even daisy chain to Tplus' ocxo clock that would have changed his review and thoughts on continued use of standard Terminator or Mytek. Cheers
Nice review. I’ve been listening to the three lp version of Live at Leeds a few times a week. The whole concert in chronological order and I agree, this is the definitive Tommy, gotta get the triple album.
To get a visual great performance of The Who check out YT version of Cant Explain Tanglewood 7/7/70
CLIFF MARTINEZ!!! His music is so insane, Im suprised more audiophiles dont listen to him.
I downloaded your audio files. They're awesome! Track 12 was my favorite.
Ok...here's my "audiophile" system for you to laugh at.
Asus ROG Maximus VII Impact motherboard. It has surprisingly clean audio. Far better than most computers.
Behringer X18 mixer fed by the 8 channels from the Asus.
2- Crown XLS 2002 amps powers four JBL L820's
1- Crown XLS 1002 amp powers a JBL LC2 center channel speaker
1- JBL 1224 12" sub in a custom enclosure driven with a Bogen M300 in mono.
Laugh at?
Not at all, that sounds like a great system. Despite being quite affordable, those JBLs are voiced nearly perfectly. Nobody performs the amount of R&D work that JBL does in subjective appeal of what truly is a reference freq response to attain.
Seriously, nice choices. System setup and optimization can oftentimes be significantly more important than which models and manufacturers you choose.
As you likely know, at some point keep an eye on doubling up to two subwoofers.
Not necessarily for output capability, it's more about the gains to be had in smoothness via better acoustic interaction with the room.
I’m so old school I don’t even know what a dac is.
I was going to tell you that it stands for "duck and cover" (it does not), but there is way too much false information out on the internet as is, even as a lame joke that only old dudes will get.
@@stephensmith3111 Ya...but we old dudes still remember that worthless drill. :-)
@@phillipzx3754 What? Do you mean that hiding under a school desk would not have protected me from a 20 megaton thermonuclear blast? I feel betrayed. ;-)
=//=OldDudesStillRock
Old; or sheltered?
The new fandangled way kids are recording music these days are digital, or 1's and 0's, no in between. Analog is a wiggly line. So the big expensive boxes called "DACs" turn the 1s and 0s into wiggly lines
My Bryston BDA-1 for $500 looks better than ever this morning. $6500? Got two 7BSST2, a BP26, an MPS-2 AND the BR-2 remote. Would be interesting to compare the BDA-1 to the Terminator Plus to see what I am missing for $6000 more...
Yup, that 10 year old DAC was $2K when it was new, and well worth $500 now!
Not only that, but Bryston has the best aftermarket service in the industry.
Yes, every Porsche review make Toyota Camrys seem cheap, nothing new here
Sadly there aren’t many reviews of Bryston’s current DAC BDA-3 out there. It was in the top tier of Stereophile’s recommended components but recently dropped out because none of their reviewers have listened to it in recent years. It lists at around $4k like the Terminstor 1. So many choices for DACs nowadays, going to be hard to decide what to get.
@@TorToroPorco for me the used BDA-1 more than fit "the bill" based on the sound quality likely close to the BDA-3. Of course depending on other details in terms of streaming or such maybe the BDA-3 would be worthy of $4k.
An impressive looking DAC. I wonder what the defect rate is. With so many discrete components I would imagine they must go through some rigorous testing and QC. Personally if I spent this amount of money I’d prefer to buy from a dealer who could provide some level of support.
Yep. I haven't heard anything negative about Vinshine, as they are based in Singapore and have a well publicized service and warranty support network. But in terms of buying a mainland ChiCom piece of gear with no US or EU distributor to handle warranty and service - it would have to be considered disposable. Many of these budget first time tube buyers don't understand that tube equipment requires maintenance, and good luck trying to bias tubes or find a replacement transformer or power supply with that four page users manual.
Vinshine is in Singapore, but their support as if they were in the U.S. They are very responsive!
Considering Chinese past product reputation, QA probably consists of turning it on and see if sound comes out. “Yeah it good”
@@jimomertz They do a factory 100h burn in
You're triggering my audiophile acquisition syndrome here Steve!
Surprising Steve wants to keep the original terminator when he has the terminator plus. I gets hes not hurting for cash so why not.
What?
Did I understand that correctly @4:04 that average Joe need to replace hardware PCB inside the unit..
That can be dangerous especially when Joe is not equipped, trained or know what they do. Or let us say it like this instead.. ..we can not assume that Joe know what he is doing and the company push/say to him to replace the card inside..
That is mind blowing way to go about it..
Good that you mentioned it so we know that there needs some skills. 😉
maybe just grab the parts and head to your local electrical repairer, give'em some money and they'll do the swap.....
Yes, good idea.
I hope that those who knows their limitations do that. Still up to the consumer to determine their skillset.
(And as we know some will always over rate their skills..) ;)
@@AmazonasBiotop i think for those who can assemble their own PC then they should be fine... if it involves soldering, i'll leave it to the experts...
I’m going to disagree. If a 10 year old can build a gaming PC, odds are high that nearly anyone can swap out a board in one of these DACs. The chassis is so large and open that it’s not likely to be complicated.
@@ChrisMag100 Good that you disagree.
Maybe then you can tell the parents to those 10 year old individuals, that it were OK that they died of a electric shock.
Because they didn't know that there is ~230v on the inside also even if they had pressed "power of"..
Citation:
"Fatal Electrical Injuries
Contact with / Exposure to electric current accounted for 3% of all fatalities in 2018. In 2017, they accounted for 2.6%, in 2016 2.9%, 2015 2.7% and 3.1% in 2014. All electrically related fatalities were caused by electric shock, no fatalities were caused by burns."
A computer uses PSU and that is not something you open up. You just mount or dismount the whole PSU unit. And on the other side it is only coming out 12v/5v.. so it is almost "fool proof"..so in other words I can build a computer while the PSU is connected to the wall during the whole process without being in any danger for the builder..
Strange to me is my Doo Wop downloads from Apple Music benefit the most from my DAC. the one found in an OPPO-205. I perceive that I can discern the tape splice edits. Maybe it’s just me imagination.
Any updates on your free download? @Steve.Guttenberg
Steve, check out the Audio GD R7 (2020 version). I own it and the Terminator and depending on my mood the R7 equals the Terminator in analog sounding goodness and in some respects like bass slam, the R7 beats the Terminator. The R7 seems to have more girth in the tone. More meat on the bones. Doubters/haters may say the girth is distortion. So what I say, it sounds good to me. I'm DAC obsessed and have tried a lot of 'em. Right now, I have the Rockna which is the pinnacle of R2R, but the R7 and Terminator get more play with the kind of music I like to listen to.
Which model of Rockna? I'd love to hear your comparisons of that one in the mix of R2R DACs you own!
@@MWeston2A six year old Wavedream . Believe it or not the Audio GD R7 sounds the most like the Rockna, more than the Denafrips which sounds brighter and thinner IMO. The AN 3.1X is better than the Rockna for 44.1/16bit recordings, but lags with higher resolution IMO. I also own some delta sigma DACS but the R2R ladder DACs get the most use.
@@cosmonaut9942 Very interesting! Thanks for the details. An R2R DAC is next on my list of things to buy. I've had an Audio Gd DAC/amp and it sounded great, regardless of what the numbers say. I'm not sure what an AN 3.1X is.
So what do we think this DAC cost the company to assemble? I am going with $200 to assemble and a 31X markup. What do you guys think?
It's a small niche company so maybe $600~800 to assemble. But the $60k King Ranch edition F-150 took less than $10k to assemble and the $15 pizza took $1.00 to assemble, and the $1200-$2500 leather couches at furniture stores in Dallas cost between $150-$300 to assemble in a factory in NC.
So what's your point?
@@asaeed2484 I dont think you are correct, I think 200 is high. I think DAC tech has been fully mature for quite some time and you are being taken - taken hard. Much like the $1000 cables increasing "musicality" and other fake words.
@@asaeed2484 sounds like what he’s getting at is it puts things into perspective.. consumers are being taken for a ride. The markup is greater than for Apple products, which is saying a lot.
@@StefanUrkelI’m aware of Apples markup and I’ll still take it any day over even the best gaming PCs. This is how much I hate Windows as an OS. As for DACs, it’s like expensive headphones, some people are comfortable spending that extra money for that last 5-10% of difference in performance, some aren’t. To each their own. Personally I’d rather buy 7 $1,000 DACs that all sound slightly different than one Uber one.
Lovely review. So I was going to order the Terminator, now that is soft. In a years time the Terminator Plus will be outclassed by the Super Terminator Ultra Plus. So no Denafrips for now!
Disagree, grab a mid level Denafrips, enjoy it and upgrade later if you want. Resale value will still be there.
I commend your efforts to give the DAC a positive spin. You really tried.
As opposed to you.
Photonoob I have no view personally on this DAC. I am 99% happy with mine and not looking for anything better.
I take two !
three year warenty for such a price. I would say 10 years
if we talk r2r dacs steve you should listen to ecdesign mosaic dac wich is the best r2r dac i ever heard and was better in comparision to the denafrips terminator at 1800 dollars.....
Under $1k, not gonna complain about no remote. But $4.5k & $6.5k? Yikes 😬.
nice porta pros :)
Steve, try the primaluna evo 100 dac.