[LegionofDoom]

My latest acquirements of the unwonted variety. Top row are a pair of rebased 7N7 locals. These are internally equivalent to Sylvania 6SN7GTW "tall boys" fitted into new octal bases. Welcome to the WA22 driver position, tall boys!

The bottom row are a pair of 6SN7GTB Hit-Rays (Hitachi-Raytheon). You're on deck!

It's gotten to be more fun finding obscure great sounding tubes rather than lusting after conventional greatness priced as such.

I previously felt the rectifier might have made the biggest change from stock in the WA22. But after rolling every position with what would be considered an “upgrade”, the driver tube position left me with the biggest sense of tone change, especially in the midrange.

The tube is dead. Long live the tube!

 

[Promee]

I'm intrigued by what I'm reading about the Holo May/Spring and the Denafrips.

I don’t know about the Holo ones, but I do have the Denafrips Ares 12th, and I think it’s incredible. I’m pretty picky about DACs I think. I prize natural sound and musicality over detail, though I figure most of us can get behind that in a tube amp thread. I think it is plenty detailed, but it definitely brings a certain magic that is difficult to put your finger on. I don’t think the NOS (non-oversampling in this case) mode matters much at all, as it seems to make things sound a bit odd, and GoldenSound basically debunked it working, even though it was originally reported to have been fixed on this DAC relative to the Ares 2. According to people way smarter than me about it, it‘s almost certainly just a better emulation of non-oversampling. In any case, it sounds amazing with regular oversampling turned on.

I will say, however, that it initially disappointed me, but the Iris 12th DDC saved it. I would have said that such a technology is snake oil, but it does, in fact, make a measurable difference in the final analog audio output of the DAC it is attached to, and it probably comes down primarily to more precise clocking. I thought it might be placebo, but I actually blew the fuse in the Iris (crazy, I know, and I still don’t know how I did it, but I know you totally get it ) so it was out of commission for a few days while I waited for a replacement to come in. Without the Iris, I think the Ares sounds just a little too blurry and rough. With the Iris, it is pure magic.

One other unusual thing about the Ares, though this may or may not apply to you. It actually seems to perform better with PCM than DSD files. I have a good handful of Analogue Productions and MoFi SACDs that I have used SACD extract to rip, and with the E70 Velvet and my dongle DACs, the DSD files sound better to me. I am not sure If it is just in my head, but I think this DAC may actually sound better with converting them to high-res PCM for playback. I go back and forth, but others have observed this as well and chalk it up to the nature of an R-2R DAC being better suited to PCM decoding. It sort of makes sense to me, but I don’t know enough about how it works to really be able to tell if there may be flaws in their reasoning. I go back and forth on whether I remember to turn on the resampling when listening to DSD on it, and honestly, when I forget to switch it to PCM, I don’t really notice and it still sounds awesome.

It also has a weird quirk for me when I go from a higher sampling rate / bit depth file in Roon down to a lower one. It will have a little hiccup about 3-4 seconds into the first track at the lower bitrate, but it’s not a huge deal at all. I know I’m pointing out a lot of flaws, but there’s a ton of hype about it out there, and I just want to give the most realistic picture possible. Those sorts of things would usually annoy the heck out of me, but this is a rare piece of gear where I genuinely don’t care, and I absolutely love the sound. I planned to use it alongside my (significantly pricier) Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA, but I ended up selling that one because I only listened to it one more time in the first 6 months of owning the Denafrips, and that was only to force myself to try it again. The Ares 12th, but only if it is paired with the Iris 12th, is an incredible machine, and I give it my highest recommendation. It’s a fully balanced design and works best with a balanced amp, so it’s a perfect match for the WA22. I had been listening to my E70 Velvet mostly on the WA22, but one of the guys on the headphones.com forum convinced me to go unhook it from my main stereo to try with the HD 800 S. It didn’t save the 800 S from EBay, but I have been glued to the WA22 / Ares combo since… Not sure if it is endgame, but it is an incredibly sturdy plateau, and I’m not in any rush to leave. I do have a Geshelli Dayzee on order, but it will be a few more weeks before it shows up. I expect it to replace the E70 Velvet, as it has the same chip, but a much more advanced implementation - the ears will be the final arbiters for that decision, but we’ll see if it can hold up to the Ares. In any case, I think there will always be a role for the Ares or a similar R-2R in my system.

One other side point on the R-2R thing. I also saw a ton of hype about the Cayin RU6, but this was around the time the RU7 was coming out. I know the RU7 isn’t exactly an R-2R DAC, but it uses a similar resistor ladder technology. I was very excited for it, but I was extremely disappointed with it. Everyone says it has an “analog” sound, but I’m a pretty big vinyl fan, and let me tell you, if analog sounded like that, I would not like it. The RU7 was very poorly resolving and felt like it lost coherence, and generally was not my cup of tea at all. Luckily the Ares is nothing like that, but I think it might say something about how difficult it is to create a good resistor ladder, and perhaps the size and price point of the RU7 just doesn’t seem to allow for it. The only thing I liked about it was that it held its value for EBay . Last thing, not an R-2R, but I will say the Woo Tube Mini is a different story for a dongle - fantastic implementation and much better than I would have expected, but that’s a whole other rant

 

[Promee]

My latest acquirements of the unwonted variety. Top row are a pair of rebased 7N7 locals. These are internally equivalent to Sylvania 6SN7GTW "tall boys" fitted into new octal bases. Welcome to the WA22 driver position, tall boys!

The bottom row are a pair of 6SN7GTB Hit-Rays (Hitachi-Raytheon). You're on deck!

It's gotten to be more fun finding obscure great sounding tubes rather than lusting after conventional greatness priced as such.

I previously felt the rectifier might have made the biggest change from stock in the WA22. But after rolling every position with what would be considered an “upgrade”, the driver tube position left me with the biggest sense of tone change, especially in the midrange.

The tube is dead. Long live the tube!

Looking forward to your impressions of those!!

 

[skhan007]

I don’t know about the Holo ones, but I do have the Denafrips Ares 12th, and I think it’s incredible. I’m pretty picky about DACs I think. I prize natural sound and musicality over detail, though I figure most of us can get behind that in a tube amp thread. I think it is plenty detailed, but it definitely brings a certain magic that is difficult to put your finger on. I don’t think the NOS (non-oversampling in this case) mode matters much at all, as it seems to make things sound a bit odd, and GoldenSound basically debunked it working, even though it was originally reported to have been fixed on this DAC relative to the Ares 2. According to people way smarter than me about it, it‘s almost certainly just a better emulation of non-oversampling. In any case, it sounds amazing with regular oversampling turned on.

I will say, however, that it initially disappointed me, but the Iris 12th DDC saved it. I would have said that such a technology is snake oil, but it does, in fact, make a measurable difference in the final analog audio output of the DAC it is attached to, and it probably comes down primarily to more precise clocking. I thought it might be placebo, but I actually blew the fuse in the Iris (crazy, I know, and I still don’t know how I did it, but I know you totally get it ) so it was out of commission for a few days while I waited for a replacement to come in. Without the Iris, I think the Ares sounds just a little too blurry and rough. With the Iris, it is pure magic.

One other unusual thing about the Ares, though this may or may not apply to you. It actually seems to perform better with PCM than DSD files. I have a good handful of Analogue Productions and MoFi SACDs that I have used SACD extract to rip, and with the E70 Velvet and my dongle DACs, the DSD files sound better to me. I am not sure If it is just in my head, but I think this DAC may actually sound better with converting them to high-res PCM for playback. I go back and forth, but others have observed this as well and chalk it up to the nature of an R-2R DAC being better suited to PCM decoding. It sort of makes sense to me, but I don’t know enough about how it works to really be able to tell if there may be flaws in their reasoning. I go back and forth on whether I remember to turn on the resampling when listening to DSD on it, and honestly, when I forget to switch it to PCM, I don’t really notice and it still sounds awesome.

It also has a weird quirk for me when I go from a higher sampling rate / bit depth file in Roon down to a lower one. It will have a little hiccup about 3-4 seconds into the first track at the lower bitrate, but it’s not a huge deal at all. I know I’m pointing out a lot of flaws, but there’s a ton of hype about it out there, and I just want to give the most realistic picture possible. Those sorts of things would usually annoy the heck out of me, but this is a rare piece of gear where I genuinely don’t care, and I absolutely love the sound. I planned to use it alongside my (significantly pricier) Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA, but I ended up selling that one because I only listened to it one more time in the first 6 months of owning the Denafrips, and that was only to force myself to try it again. The Ares 12th, but only if it is paired with the Iris 12th, is an incredible machine, and I give it my highest recommendation. It’s a fully balanced design and works best with a balanced amp, so it’s a perfect match for the WA22. I had been listening to my E70 Velvet mostly on the WA22, but one of the guys on the headphones.com forum convinced me to go unhook it from my main stereo to try with the HD 800 S. It didn’t save the 800 S from EBay, but I have been glued to the WA22 / Ares combo since… Not sure if it is endgame, but it is an incredibly sturdy plateau, and I’m not in any rush to leave. I do have a Geshelli Dayzee on order, but it will be a few more weeks before it shows up. I expect it to replace the E70 Velvet, as it has the same chip, but a much more advanced implementation - the ears will be the final arbiters for that decision, but we’ll see if it can hold up to the Ares. In any case, I think there will always be a role for the Ares or a similar R-2R in my system.

One other side point on the R-2R thing. I also saw a ton of hype about the Cayin RU6, but this was around the time the RU7 was coming out. I know the RU7 isn’t exactly an R-2R DAC, but it uses a similar resistor ladder technology. I was very excited for it, but I was extremely disappointed with it. Everyone says it has an “analog” sound, but I’m a pretty big vinyl fan, and let me tell you, if analog sounded like that, I would not like it. The RU7 was very poorly resolving and felt like it lost coherence, and generally was not my cup of tea at all. Luckily the Ares is nothing like that, but I think it might say something about how difficult it is to create a good resistor ladder, and perhaps the size and price point of the RU7 just doesn’t seem to allow for it. The only thing I liked about it was that it held its value for EBay . Last thing, not an R-2R, but I will say the Woo Tube Mini is a different story for a dongle - fantastic implementation and much better than I would have expected, but that’s a whole other rant

This is great, thank you for the detailed explanation of your experiences. For me, researching the R2R category has a lot to do with FOMO and after reading glowing reviews of a few different brands of DACs, my curiosity is piqued. I currently use an RME ADI2 DAC, which is my first real audiophile type DAC. It sounds great, but I've had literally nothing to compare it against. With one of the R2R's, I'm curious if I'll actually notice a difference and the other thing- I'll have to find another way to EQ. I currently use the EQ in my RME and I'm guessing everyone else who uses EQ likely uses something on their computer.

 

[ziggz]

This is great, thank you for the detailed explanation of your experiences. For me, researching the R2R category has a lot to do with FOMO and after reading glowing reviews of a few different brands of DACs, my curiosity is piqued. I currently use an RME ADI2 DAC, which is my first real audiophile type DAC. It sounds great, but I've had literally nothing to compare it against. With one of the R2R's, I'm curious if I'll actually notice a difference and the other thing- I'll have to find another way to EQ. I currently use the EQ in my RME and I'm guessing everyone else who uses EQ likely uses something on their computer.

I settled on the RME after many DAC's. Now to be fair, The only DAC that came close to the price of the RME, was the Bifrost 2, and I sent it back after blind testing with the RME. I have been considering changing out my RME for something else, however, I am more concerned about getting something and being disappointed with the "upgrade" than anything else. Have I heard a difference in DAC's? My results were inconclusive at worst, and at best, would show that I thought I heard a difference 60% of the time. Key word being thought. It is easier for me to hear difference's in some amplifiers though, and my month long experiment proved this to me. That being said, the difference's are nuanced, and this does not take tube amplifiers into consideration, as I have only ever owned 2. My advice, since the features just cannot be matched by anything currently available, is to choose one with a return policy, and to seriously audition it. Use it for 5-7 days exclusively, then swap back to RME. IF you think you can hear a difference, then seriously setup an experiment for yourself. It was eye opening for me DAC wise. If you don't have the ability to do this, or just don't care to (which I completely understand) then look at a DAC upgrade like this: Do you think it will change the sound enough to justify losing the features you have? If so, is losing those features worth the cost? I myself do not account for cost, as I am in a different situation, so for me, I way features and ease of access to said features VS losing them. I use Roon for playback for the last few weeks. I am still undecided if its worth the cost yet. Yes it has powerful DSP, but the killer feature for me is Roon Arc, which I can now access my lossless library remotely, in my car ( or anywhere I have signal) and playback lossless in my car. Is this worth keeping subscription? I'm undecided. But it's the same logic I use when I think of DAC's, and is why I still have 3 RME ADI-2 DAC FS's around for various spots in my house. NOTHING else has what this has, even the Eversolo streamer/DAC which does have some EQ available, but doesn't have as a robust feature set as everything else the RME can do.

I have almost pulled the trigger on Holo May lvl 3, but when I thought more about it, it was because I admire the engineering, and to be honest, I would most likely just put a plexi top on it, and display it as art due to the exceptional build quality inside.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Promee]

This is great, thank you for the detailed explanation of your experiences. For me, researching the R2R category has a lot to do with FOMO and after reading glowing reviews of a few different brands of DACs, my curiosity is piqued. I currently use an RME ADI2 DAC, which is my first real audiophile type DAC. It sounds great, but I've had literally nothing to compare it against. With one of the R2R's, I'm curious if I'll actually notice a difference and the other thing- I'll have to find another way to EQ. I currently use the EQ in my RME and I'm guessing everyone else who uses EQ likely uses something on their computer.

To my ear there is definitely a difference with the Ares, but I’m not sure whether it applies to all R-2R. It has a really uncanny sense of being natural. I got it primarily to use with speakers, and it really increases the sense that the artist is there in the room with me on many tracks. I don’t know what happens to the sound that creates this effect. I will also say it has a much better soundstage than the Topping, but that’s not saying much, as Toppings are generally thought of as being deficient there.

Just like @ziggz said, Roon is the way to go. That software is super versatile and grows with you as your system and tastes develop. It can basically do anything with audio and extremely competently. If you have Tidal or Qobuz, then you are totally set, as they integrate perfectly. I personally have Qobuz after switching from Tidal, but I never actually use the Qobuz app anymore, just Roon when I’m home and Roon Arc when I’m not. Being able to stream DSD from my home to my phone over cellular is truly some ridiculous audiophile BS, but I absolutely love it

 

[phthora]

I settled on the RME after many DAC's. Now to be fair, The only DAC that came close to the price of the RME, was the Bifrost 2, and I sent it back after blind testing with the RME. I have been considering changing out my RME for something else, however, I am more concerned about getting something and being disappointed with the "upgrade" than anything else. Have I heard a difference in DAC's? My results were inconclusive at worst, and at best, would show that I thought I heard a difference 60% of the time. Key word being thought. It is easier for me to hear difference's in some amplifiers though, and my month long experiment proved this to me. That being said, the difference's are nuanced, and this does not take tube amplifiers into consideration, as I have only ever owned 2. My advice, since the features just cannot be matched by anything currently available, is to choose one with a return policy, and to seriously audition it. Use it for 5-7 days exclusively, then swap back to RME. IF you think you can hear a difference, then seriously setup an experiment for yourself. It was eye opening for me DAC wise. If you don't have the ability to do this, or just don't care to (which I completely understand) then look at a DAC upgrade like this: Do you think it will change the sound enough to justify losing the features you have? If so, is losing those features worth the cost? I myself do not account for cost, as I am in a different situation, so for me, I way features and ease of access to said features VS losing them. I use Roon for playback for the last few weeks. I am still undecided if its worth the cost yet. Yes it has powerful DSP, but the killer feature for me is Roon Arc, which I can now access my lossless library remotely, in my car ( or anywhere I have signal) and playback lossless in my car. Is this worth keeping subscription? I'm undecided. But it's the same logic I use when I think of DAC's, and is why I still have 3 RME ADI-2 DAC FS's around for various spots in my house. NOTHING else has what this has, even the Eversolo streamer/DAC which does have some EQ available, but doesn't have as a robust feature set as everything else the RME can do.

I have almost pulled the trigger on Holo May lvl 3, but when I thought more about it, it was because I admire the engineering, and to be honest, I would most likely just put a plexi top on it, and display it as art due to the exceptional build quality inside.

Just my 2 cents.

This is great advice across the board. In my own experience, I can hear the difference between the RME and other DACs that I've owned or auditioned, including the Qutest, some Topping DACs, and my Benchmark DAC-3B. Only the Benchmark DAC sounded better, and the difference was small. Given the RME has a bazillion features and the Benchmark wouldn't safely output balanced to my WA22 without changing an internal jumper, the difference in versatility is enormous. The RME 2/4 has become the DAC and AIO that I recommend to everyone, and probably the most bang-for-the-buck audio gear I've seen (the iFi Black Label is right up there for value too though). Its only downside is that I kind of need more than one. I take it to work as a transportable option, I use it with my WA22, I use it at my kitchen table, I even sometimes plunk it on top of my Benchmark stack and use it instead in my home office. What's more, there's at least one headphone that the EQ has made so much better that I use it exclusively with the RME now. That little thing is a beast, and if I ever have to downsize, it'll be the last piece of gear that I sell.

 

[ziggz]

This is great advice across the board. In my own experience, I can hear the difference between the RME and other DACs that I've owned or auditioned, including the Qutest, some Topping DACs, and my Benchmark DAC-3B. Only the Benchmark DAC sounded better, and the difference was small. Given the RME has a bazillion features and the Benchmark wouldn't safely output balanced to my WA22 without changing an internal jumper, the difference in versatility is enormous. The RME 2/4 has become the DAC and AIO that I recommend to everyone, and probably the most bang-for-the-buck audio gear I've seen (the iFi Black Label is right up there for value too though). Its only downside is that I kind of need more than one. I take it to work as a transportable option, I use it with my WA22, I use it at my kitchen table, I even sometimes plunk it on top of my Benchmark stack and use it instead in my home office. What's more, there's at least one headphone that the EQ has made so much better that I use it exclusively with the RME now. That little thing is a beast, and if I ever have to downsize, it'll be the last piece of gear that I sell.

I did audition the Ares II before they changed it to the Enyo and came out with the 12th version. I personally did not like the "fuzz" that I seemed to hear. It was soft to my ears. Yes, this one I heard a difference, but I didn't care for it, not to mention you can't keep a device connected via RCA and XLR at the same time, as it introduces horrible distortion. Not sure if they have changed this in the new iterations, but that is a non starter for me regardless of what DAC it is, as I have the SE outs connected to my speakers, for when I choose to use them.

My eye opening experience for dacs $1900 CAD (RME) and under is that D/S dacs are a wash for me, and as much as I wanted the Bifrost 2 to be "the one", it wasn't. Properly engineered R2R are definitely a different ball game, but again, I lose a lot of what the RME can do, and would have to use multiple solutions to do what one device can do. As a pre amp, the RME is amazing, especially with Auto Ref level enabled! I am actually REALLY considering changing out the DAC-2 for the 2/4 Pro SE, so I can add in a turntable. If successful, would need two as my partner is a music lover like me, and has said she wouldn't mind a dedicated space for just music. My DIY and Cabinet Maker brain is going crazy with the thought of building an addition specifically for a music enjoyment space, not as crazy as NRD's sound shed, but something similar, so a second complete setup just for speakers.

 

[elig63]

That little thing is a beast, and if I ever have to downsize, it'll be the last piece of gear that I sell.

Can Iget a link to this "little thing".

 

[ziggz]

@phthora, How do you like the HPA4? That is one I wanted to try out, but couldn't get my hands on without a return policy that wouldn't hurt shipping wise. I'm on an acreage in a VERY small community now.

​

 

[skhan007]

I settled on the RME after many DAC's. Now to be fair, The only DAC that came close to the price of the RME, was the Bifrost 2, and I sent it back after blind testing with the RME. I have been considering changing out my RME for something else, however, I am more concerned about getting something and being disappointed with the "upgrade" than anything else. Have I heard a difference in DAC's? My results were inconclusive at worst, and at best, would show that I thought I heard a difference 60% of the time. Key word being thought. It is easier for me to hear difference's in some amplifiers though, and my month long experiment proved this to me. That being said, the difference's are nuanced, and this does not take tube amplifiers into consideration, as I have only ever owned 2. My advice, since the features just cannot be matched by anything currently available, is to choose one with a return policy, and to seriously audition it. Use it for 5-7 days exclusively, then swap back to RME. IF you think you can hear a difference, then seriously setup an experiment for yourself. It was eye opening for me DAC wise. If you don't have the ability to do this, or just don't care to (which I completely understand) then look at a DAC upgrade like this: Do you think it will change the sound enough to justify losing the features you have? If so, is losing those features worth the cost? I myself do not account for cost, as I am in a different situation, so for me, I way features and ease of access to said features VS losing them. I use Roon for playback for the last few weeks. I am still undecided if its worth the cost yet. Yes it has powerful DSP, but the killer feature for me is Roon Arc, which I can now access my lossless library remotely, in my car ( or anywhere I have signal) and playback lossless in my car. Is this worth keeping subscription? I'm undecided. But it's the same logic I use when I think of DAC's, and is why I still have 3 RME ADI-2 DAC FS's around for various spots in my house. NOTHING else has what this has, even the Eversolo streamer/DAC which does have some EQ available, but doesn't have as a robust feature set as everything else the RME can do.

I have almost pulled the trigger on Holo May lvl 3, but when I thought more about it, it was because I admire the engineering, and to be honest, I would most likely just put a plexi top on it, and display it as art due to the exceptional build quality inside.

Just my 2 cents.

Solid advice and I should really just be happy with the RME ADI2. You're correct about needing a lot of other gear to make up for what this one device provides in a nice small package.

To my ear there is definitely a difference with the Ares, but I’m not sure whether it applies to all R-2R. It has a really uncanny sense of being natural. I got it primarily to use with speakers, and it really increases the sense that the artist is there in the room with me on many tracks. I don’t know what happens to the sound that creates this effect. I will also say it has a much better soundstage than the Topping, but that’s not saying much, as Toppings are generally thought of as being deficient there.

Just like @ziggz said, Roon is the way to go. That software is super versatile and grows with you as your system and tastes develop. It can basically do anything with audio and extremely competently. If you have Tidal or Qobuz, then you are totally set, as they integrate perfectly. I personally have Qobuz after switching from Tidal, but I never actually use the Qobuz app anymore, just Roon when I’m home and Roon Arc when I’m not. Being able to stream DSD from my home to my phone over cellular is truly some ridiculous audiophile BS, but I absolutely love it

You know, I've been watching youtube videos about Roon, trying to understand it. I don't know what I'd do with it, as I don't have Tidal, Quobuz, etc. I only have Spotify and my high-res music is all on my laptop as FLAC flies. I'm all about streamlined software etc, but so far, haven't seen it being something I could benefit from. I only listen to high-res music at home at my Head-Fi set up and never in the car, walking outside, etc. I'm open to hear any additional applicability, but haven't seen it just yet.

 

[Promee]

I personally did not like the "fuzz" that I seemed to hear. It was soft to my ears.

I think that’s what I’m hearing when it is used by itself, but the Iris DDC clears that up. Albeit at a significant additional cost,

And that’s a good point I forgot to mention about the outputs. Unfortunately in mine they have not fixed the RCA and XLR being simultaneously connected. It has to be one or the other. There is a newer version of it now - the Ares 12th-I - so I’m not sure if they may have fixed it now, but they’re continuing to iterate. So yes, if you want to have both of them connected, this is not a DAC you would want to use.

 

[ziggz]

I don’t know about the Holo ones, but I do have the Denafrips Ares 12th, and I think it’s incredible. I’m pretty picky about DACs I think. I prize natural sound and musicality over detail, though I figure most of us can get behind that in a tube amp thread. I think it is plenty detailed, but it definitely brings a certain magic that is difficult to put your finger on. I don’t think the NOS (non-oversampling in this case) mode matters much at all, as it seems to make things sound a bit odd, and GoldenSound basically debunked it working, even though it was originally reported to have been fixed on this DAC relative to the Ares 2. According to people way smarter than me about it, it‘s almost certainly just a better emulation of non-oversampling. In any case, it sounds amazing with regular oversampling turned on.

I will say, however, that it initially disappointed me, but the Iris 12th DDC saved it. I would have said that such a technology is snake oil, but it does, in fact, make a measurable difference in the final analog audio output of the DAC it is attached to, and it probably comes down primarily to more precise clocking. I thought it might be placebo, but I actually blew the fuse in the Iris (crazy, I know, and I still don’t know how I did it, but I know you totally get it ) so it was out of commission for a few days while I waited for a replacement to come in. Without the Iris, I think the Ares sounds just a little too blurry and rough. With the Iris, it is pure magic.

One other unusual thing about the Ares, though this may or may not apply to you. It actually seems to perform better with PCM than DSD files. I have a good handful of Analogue Productions and MoFi SACDs that I have used SACD extract to rip, and with the E70 Velvet and my dongle DACs, the DSD files sound better to me. I am not sure If it is just in my head, but I think this DAC may actually sound better with converting them to high-res PCM for playback. I go back and forth, but others have observed this as well and chalk it up to the nature of an R-2R DAC being better suited to PCM decoding. It sort of makes sense to me, but I don’t know enough about how it works to really be able to tell if there may be flaws in their reasoning. I go back and forth on whether I remember to turn on the resampling when listening to DSD on it, and honestly, when I forget to switch it to PCM, I don’t really notice and it still sounds awesome.

It also has a weird quirk for me when I go from a higher sampling rate / bit depth file in Roon down to a lower one. It will have a little hiccup about 3-4 seconds into the first track at the lower bitrate, but it’s not a huge deal at all. I know I’m pointing out a lot of flaws, but there’s a ton of hype about it out there, and I just want to give the most realistic picture possible. Those sorts of things would usually annoy the heck out of me, but this is a rare piece of gear where I genuinely don’t care, and I absolutely love the sound. I planned to use it alongside my (significantly pricier) Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA, but I ended up selling that one because I only listened to it one more time in the first 6 months of owning the Denafrips, and that was only to force myself to try it again. The Ares 12th, but only if it is paired with the Iris 12th, is an incredible machine, and I give it my highest recommendation. It’s a fully balanced design and works best with a balanced amp, so it’s a perfect match for the WA22. I had been listening to my E70 Velvet mostly on the WA22, but one of the guys on the headphones.com forum convinced me to go unhook it from my main stereo to try with the HD 800 S. It didn’t save the 800 S from EBay, but I have been glued to the WA22 / Ares combo since… Not sure if it is endgame, but it is an incredibly sturdy plateau, and I’m not in any rush to leave. I do have a Geshelli Dayzee on order, but it will be a few more weeks before it shows up. I expect it to replace the E70 Velvet, as it has the same chip, but a much more advanced implementation - the ears will be the final arbiters for that decision, but we’ll see if it can hold up to the Ares. In any case, I think there will always be a role for the Ares or a similar R-2R in my system.

One other side point on the R-2R thing. I also saw a ton of hype about the Cayin RU6, but this was around the time the RU7 was coming out. I know the RU7 isn’t exactly an R-2R DAC, but it uses a similar resistor ladder technology. I was very excited for it, but I was extremely disappointed with it. Everyone says it has an “analog” sound, but I’m a pretty big vinyl fan, and let me tell you, if analog sounded like that, I would not like it. The RU7 was very poorly resolving and felt like it lost coherence, and generally was not my cup of tea at all. Luckily the Ares is nothing like that, but I think it might say something about how difficult it is to create a good resistor ladder, and perhaps the size and price point of the RU7 just doesn’t seem to allow for it. The only thing I liked about it was that it held its value for EBay . Last thing, not an R-2R, but I will say the Woo Tube Mini is a different story for a dongle - fantastic implementation and much better than I would have expected, but that’s a whole other rant

I must admit, I didn't even think about a DDC! RME steady clock rules. I use an Intona 7055-C https://intona.eu/en/products/7055-c as I have noisy GPU in my PC. I really want to try my tests now with an DDC and the new 12th to see what I think. That being said, it still sounds like the 12th is really only good for balanced output, which might not be a workable solution for me, unless I ditch my passive speaker setup for my PC. SO many choices, what a great time to be enjoying Hifi!

 

[Promee]

I'm open to hear any additional applicability

The reason I thought of it here is that it has advanced DSP options that can be used for EQ, and you can set up profiles for different headphones, DACs, dongles, etc. For example, I have a profile for the Ares that will convert DSD to PCM. I have a couple of EQ profiles for the Audeze LCD-X. And with Arc, you can apply those EQ profiles, etc. for portable listening, where most streaming apps don’t have that functionality.

 

[ziggz]

Solid advice and I should really just be happy with the RME ADI2. You're correct about needing a lot of other gear to make up for what this one device provides in a nice small package.

You know, I've been watching youtube videos about Roon, trying to understand it. I don't know what I'd do with it, as I don't have Tidal, Quobuz, etc. I only have Spotify and my high-res music is all on my laptop as FLAC flies. I'm all about streamlined software etc, but so far, haven't seen it being something I could benefit from. I only listen to high-res music at home at my Head-Fi set up and never in the car, walking outside, etc. I'm open to hear any additional applicability, but haven't seen it just yet.

My library has no streaming services, so just my lossless files. But like @Promee said, you can access all your EQ's, and library remotely, without specialized hardware required for processing, just an end point the is Roon compatible, which there are many now. I used to use Foobar2000, but getting access to it even just across my house is very cumbersome, and forget remotely, as FTTP is DEFINATELY not secure lol.