[2bigears]

  hello all good AC peeps.  As the intro says, is this the dac to beat on the used market ? Seems there is a new produce every month kicking up good dust.  Before I spend 2 large ,, thought I'd see if anyone had major news in this department ?   

[Ron D]

A few months back Denafrips advised they have a 12th anniversary version available for most if not of their models. Though $2K might be a great price for the prior version it might be worth checking out their website to understand what is new with the latest model. It might be hardware and/or software updates? If software one might even be able to update an older unit, not sure?

[2bigears]

  didn't know the software was upgrade able only those ? Thought they were plug and play only. 

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I will take this Bryston BDA-3

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisb4b91-chord-electronics-dave-dac-with-stand-da-converters

Or a Schiit Yggdrasil

I have a preference for gear made in the USA or Canada.   Plus, the service from these 2 companies is great.

[Early B.]

Yep. Software upgrades for the 12th and older models of the Pontus are now available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPce9pm2KXw

I've owned the Pontus II, Venus II, and now the Terminator II. Can't go wrong with a Denafrips DAC.

[SlushPuppy]

didn't know the software was upgrade able only those ? Thought they were plug and play only. 

I updated my Pontus II to the latest firmware a few weeks ago. There were a few steps involved, but looking back it wasn't that difficult. The biggest fear is something going wrong and "bricking" it, which requires you to send the unit back to Singapore, or purchasing and installing a small board that houses the firmware chip. The firmware update was a small improvement to an already great sounding DAC. If you buy an older Pontus and it doesn't have the latest firmware, you will still have a great sounding DAC.

[SlushPuppy]

Yep. Software upgrades for the 12th and older models of the Pontus are now available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPce9pm2KXw

I've owned the Pontus II, Venus II, and now the Terminator II. Can't go wrong with a Denafrips DAC.

 

[2bigears]

  the Pontus 1 is less than a grand. Cheap to buy. Is it a ladder dac ?   

[JMW73]

I've had my Pontus II for almost 2 years, recently upgraded the firmware.  I typically start to itch at this point for an upgrade.  I literally listen to my system and am afraid to change anything because it sounds so good. 

[Digi-G]

I think $2000 for a used Pontus is a bit high.  I bought a brand new one (12th Anniversary) just a few months ago for a little over $1800US (with free shipping!). 

If you visit the Vinshine website, and assuming you are in the US, make sure to change the currency to get accurate prices.  The default is Singapore dollars, iirc.

I haven't heard many DACs but did own a Topping before this one.  No comparison IMHO.  This one sounds so much smoother.

Edit:  All Denafrips DACs are ladder DACs.

Edit 2:  I see you're in Canada, so we may be talking 2 different currencies.

[2bigears]

  topping ? Must look them up. Two guys here in Canada both at 2000.00 want to sell their Pontus 2's.  I am in Canada as the USA dollar is 1.35 better than our shitty Canuck buck. Money well wasted ?   

[I.Greyhound Fan]

topping ? Must look them up. Two guys here in Canada both at 2000.00 want to sell their Pontus 2's.  I am in Canada as the USA dollar is 1.35 better than our shitty Canuck buck. Money well wasted ?   

If you live in Canada, why not a Bryston or Moon Audio DAC?  Don't bother with Topping, they make some nice cheap DAC's but reliability is an issue and getting one repaired is an ordeal in of itself.

[artofaudio]

Have you considered the Merason Frerot?  If you don’t care about bit rate and want a very musical DAC, this is the one to get.  I’ve owned the Pontus II and it was a good sounding DAC and the customer service from Alvin was outstanding.  However, if I were in the price range I would get the Merason for $1500 and add the POW1 power supply for about $900 later down the road.  It is certainly worth considering. 

[2bigears]

  thank you very much for the suggestion.  Let me look. So many dacs and such short time ! 

[Denton J]

New guy question.   Is the Merason fully discrete DACs?  Edit update, the Pontas is a FPGA outboard which is nice. PS Audio's Direct Stream's are FPGA and allow full upgrades whenever they decide to change things up.  I am not sure Denafrips offers the same but I am starting to look deeper into Denafrips DACs myself.   

[Sink1]

Hi.  I have a Ladder Schumann dac.  It compares very well with my buddy’s Pontus 2 12th and is a bit cheaper new.  It is also an R2R dac like the Pontus.

[mick wolfe]

Hi.  I have a Ladder Schumann dac.  It compares very well with my buddy’s Pontus 2 12th and is a bit cheaper new.  It is also an R2R dac like the Pontus.

Sounded like a winner until I saw the reviews on Amazon. Only two reviews, both giving it but 1 star. Seems to have serious reliability issues. Glad yours worked out.