girishtd8262
Well-Known Member
Same here after going through you tube videos i was about to finalize deal for denafrips dac but somehow backed out and got auralic Vega dac.happy with it's performance
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Why are people selling their Denafrips Ares 2 DACs
- Thread starter Amarendra
- Start date
Haha it reminds me of the childhood fairy tale- "The Emperor's New Clothes"
Exactly what I did. I Got the Qutest last month over the Aries II. Somehow I felt the Pontus was the minimum I should get in the Denafrips line up. This is the second time I have the Qutest in my system. Seems more value than ever.
amrutmhatre90
Well-Known Member
I haven't compared in my chain or room side by side, but will be able to do it soon.
I was planning to go with aries ii initially, later I thought incase if an urge for upgrade comes then I have to sell it and go for pontus, rather than doing it I went directly to Pontus ii. It made a difference in my setup. Then I had discussion with a very senior audio/electrical engineer and he said for a dac like pontus you need down stream system like amplifier and speakers way higher that the pontus to get its full potentials.
He also suggest that since pontus is a true balanced design try to get same for downstream has well. I have been invited to his place to hear my pontus with his very high end step up
He also suggest that since pontus is a true balanced design try to get same for downstream has well. I have been invited to his place to hear my pontus with his very high end step up
My brother sold his Ares 2 not too long ago, I posted on his behalf in the classifieds. I know that he sold it because he got the Pontus and was so enamored with the R2R sound. He by the way was Chord fanboy, having owned the original Mojo he moved to the Qutest, now has the Mojo 2 on his desk for headphones (and I have his Qutest on loan 
).
He certainly has the system capable enough (Sonus Faber Lumina, Denafrips Hestia - Parasound A21, Dual RELs et al) to quantify the 'upgrade' in sound from Ares to Pontus.
).He certainly has the system capable enough (Sonus Faber Lumina, Denafrips Hestia - Parasound A21, Dual RELs et al) to quantify the 'upgrade' in sound from Ares to Pontus.
Thats a good chain, I am also thinking of getting the hestia or hades but the availability is a concernMy brother sold his Ares 2 not too long ago, I posted on his behalf in the classifieds. I know that he sold it because he got the Pontus and was so enamored with the R2R sound. He by the way was Chord fanboy, having owned the original Mojo he moved to the Qutest, now has the Mojo 2 on his desk for headphones (and I have his Qutest on loan
He certainly has the system capable enough (Sonus Faber Lumina, Denafrips Hestia - Parasound A21, Dual RELs et al) to quantify the 'upgrade' in sound from Ares to Pontus.
ryanrulez4ever
Active Member
I'm selling my ares ii because I like the sound of R2R and want to climb up the ladder ! , DAC isn't the only thing that will change the sound, there needs to be a proper synergy with the rest of the components, ( speakers, amps, cables, source) ,my chain is perfect for R2R, had I not caught the upgrade bug i wouldn't have posted mine for sale.
Thats very true! The fact that something has been put up for sale does not necessarily suggest that the product is not competent. Unfortunately for most of us, its a dart in the dark! If it works, we stick to it, else, the classifieds it is!
It'd be great if you could share your experience with the Ares II and the chain you have deployed. That way, people hoping to climb the R2R ladder (see what I did there?
) would have a better idea about whether the device will have synergy with their components. 
What do you think about the Qutest compared to your RME?My brother sold his Ares 2 not too long ago, I posted on his behalf in the classifieds. I know that he sold it because he got the Pontus and was so enamored with the R2R sound. He by the way was Chord fanboy, having owned the original Mojo he moved to the Qutest, now has the Mojo 2 on his desk for headphones (and I have his Qutest on loan
With great respect, I'd say that's still rather debatable considering the price of the Pontus versus the Lumina.
However, I think I do get the move from the Ares to the Pontus considering the dual RELs (and please correct me if I'm wrong).
From what I've heard/read about the Ares II, it softens/smoothens the edges at both extremes i.e. bass and treble.
Coming from dual RELs myself, the most noticeable change that i achieved in the RME ADI-2 DAC FS over the Chord Mojo was better bass note distinction/refinement/articulation/exposure, what have you (i actually think the Mojo has better tone/emphasis on notes in the mids/highs!)
From what I've heard from Raghav Somani from HPZ while inquiring about the RME, the Chord Qutest is even better in almost every aspect. He was really keen on the Qutest and he had a point - the Qutest was selling for some 89K whereas the RME was 1.06. Had i been looking for a DAC upgrade w.r.t Sound Quality, I would've surely scooped it up!
That being the case, moving from the Chord Qutest to the Ares must have been quite the step down and having experienced better bass with the Qutest, as I have with the RME, i imagine it'd be difficult to dial back?
What’s this? Ares 2 bashing?? How dare you, chaps???
All jokes aside, there are a few points I’d like to make.
I’m not sure how well versed the OP is wrt semantics, but ‘dumped’ is a pretty strong word to use in the headline. I believe it’s a disservice to our fellow FMs who are genuinely upgrading their DACs for the next model up or something different. Using the word ‘dumped’ implies that they’re being disingenuous with their sale ad.
I would request the mods, @Nikhil or @arj, to kindly change the same.
While there are a ton of reviews on the Ares 2, I found the one linked below to be the most helpful in making my decision. Both pros and cons are presented in an unbiased manner, and you’re invited to make up your own mind.
On the subject at hand, selling the Ares 2 within a year of purchase, I have to say I’m tempted to do the same. Why? Because I want more of the same! Which is to say, I’m genuinely lusting after the Pontus II I’ve been using CDPs for the last 32 years and my CDs have never sounded more analogue than with the Ares 2.
Aha! There’s that word again. So, does that mean my CDs sound like LPs? Thankfully not! I’m really not a fan of snap, crackle, pop, hiss, hum and rumble. What I do mean is that there is no hint of digital glare. Music ebbs and flows in a lifelike manner, and the soundstage is wider and deeper.
Is the Ares 2 sound signature to your taste? That’s something you’ll have to judge for yourself, either by listening to one or by reading between the lines. I did the latter, and it worked out well for me. The only problem I have with the Ares 2 is that it’s a gateway drug!
All jokes aside, there are a few points I’d like to make.
I’m not sure how well versed the OP is wrt semantics, but ‘dumped’ is a pretty strong word to use in the headline. I believe it’s a disservice to our fellow FMs who are genuinely upgrading their DACs for the next model up or something different. Using the word ‘dumped’ implies that they’re being disingenuous with their sale ad.
I would request the mods, @Nikhil or @arj, to kindly change the same.
While there are a ton of reviews on the Ares 2, I found the one linked below to be the most helpful in making my decision. Both pros and cons are presented in an unbiased manner, and you’re invited to make up your own mind.
On the subject at hand, selling the Ares 2 within a year of purchase, I have to say I’m tempted to do the same. Why? Because I want more of the same! Which is to say, I’m genuinely lusting after the Pontus II
I’ve been using CDPs for the last 32 years and my CDs have never sounded more analogue than with the Ares 2.Aha! There’s that word again. So, does that mean my CDs sound like LPs? Thankfully not! I’m really not a fan of snap, crackle, pop, hiss, hum and rumble. What I do mean is that there is no hint of digital glare. Music ebbs and flows in a lifelike manner, and the soundstage is wider and deeper.
Is the Ares 2 sound signature to your taste? That’s something you’ll have to judge for yourself, either by listening to one or by reading between the lines. I did the latter, and it worked out well for me. The only problem I have with the Ares 2 is that it’s a gateway drug!
Everything was fine until this …
And this is from someone coming from a CDP background, having owned quite a few decent players over the years.
No apologies despite being OT.
On a good, optimised TT setup , those things take just 5 seconds to be completely banished from the mind.
And this is from someone coming from a CDP background, having owned quite a few decent players over the years.
No apologies despite being OT.
ryanrulez4ever
Active Member
I totally agree with you, ares II is a gateway to the world of R2R , many want to stop at the gateway and many of us want to take the next step, cos life is short and we would want to experience the better / finer things in life , this hobby is no exception, if i had a choice I'd retain my ares II my intent was that atleast it will let a fellow audiophile starting in this quest to experience the R2R magic instead of this sitting idle in my collection, if this whole idea is called dumping then I will take it off the sale and let people spent whole 90k on hpz and other audio portalsWhat’s this? Ares 2 bashing?? How dare you, chaps???
All jokes aside, there are a few points I’d like to make.
I’m not sure how well versed the OP is wrt semantics, but ‘dumped’ is a pretty strong word to use in the headline. I believe it’s a disservice to our fellow FMs who are genuinely upgrading their DACs for the next model up or something different. Using the word ‘dumped’ implies that they’re being disingenuous with their sale ad.
I would request the mods, @Nikhil or @arj, to kindly change the same.
While there are a ton of reviews on the Ares 2, I found the one linked below to be the most helpful in making my decision. Both pros and cons are presented in an unbiased manner, and you’re invited to make up your own mind.
On the subject at hand, selling the Ares 2 within a year of purchase, I have to say I’m tempted to do the same. Why? Because I want more of the same! Which is to say, I’m genuinely lusting after the Pontus II
Aha! There’s that word again. So, does that mean my CDs sound like LPs? Thankfully not! I’m really not a fan of snap, crackle, pop, hiss, hum and rumble. What I do mean is that there is no hint of digital glare. Music ebbs and flows in a lifelike manner, and the soundstage is wider and deeper.
Is the Ares 2 sound signature to your taste? That’s something you’ll have to judge for yourself, either by listening to one or by reading between the lines. I did the latter, and it worked out well for me. The only problem I have with the Ares 2 is that it’s a gateway drug!
Ahhh! But the power of audio compels you!
Oh No! Not that! What would HFV be without the magnanimity of kind folk!
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Never discourage a fellow member from buying any gear. It'll eventually find its way to the classifieds and then we have a wide variety of gear at a palatable price to choose from.
There are Two Ares II for sale in HFV now. One person has written that he is selling the same because it is not matching his remaining components. No synergy. That is what it's all about. Synergy!! No matter how expensive your component is, how famous or well known a particular brand is, if the synergy is not right, everything falls apart. May be that is the reason why people are 'dumping' the Denafrips.
So we can easily deduce a conclusion by this thread, that Pontus II is definitely a big upgrade from Ares II, and whomsoever thinking to get into R2R sound should strongly consider getting a Pontus II rather than an Ares II.
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