To answer your question about our experience of buying directly, it's only made possible because of good trustworthy reviewers like you. On the other hand, the advantage of shopping via a dealer network, especially a local one, is the obvious support for our local economy and this has a huge impact on everyone who lives next door. It's added value and more practical when something breaks down...Cheers Tarun!

I’m the second owner to a Denafrips Venus 2. I’m actually surprised at the level of support even for second owner. They sent me the updated firmware, answered any of my questions or concerns and fully knew I was second owner.

Got Merason Frerot for 2 years, love it, yes the Pow1 is a huge step, great service and truely great team behind the product!

I have the DAC1 MKii and think it's a spectaular DAC. For me and my equipment, it was the clear winner vs the Weiss and Chord competition. Merason makes some great DACs.

I bought an Ares 2 from Vinshine and they were fantastic to deal with, they followed up to make sure the process was smooth and I was happy.

Bought the Merason and paired it together with the MF A1 ...i love the sound its so engaging with all kinds of music 👍 You are the nr 1 reviewer

I've had good luck buying direct from Schiit Audio. They offer a good value proposition and have provided good support whenever I have had any issues, which have all been minor. I am wary about buying any large amplifiers direct because I do not want to have to ship a heavy amp back for service if something were to go wrong. With that being said I am lucky to have multiple HiFi dealers where I live and should try to support them more. Another great review Tarun.

That description of "dryness" with the quick rubbing of the fingers was everything. I know that was just one of the comparisons but it set into context everything else you said in the review. Just another amazing presentation by Tarun, A Global Audiophile.

Great review! I purchased the Frerot and Pow1 earlier this year and I am amazed. It is everything you said and more! Because of the clarity and natural tone of the Frerot, I was able to greatly improve my S/PDIF chain with new cables and 12G connectors. Live recordings now have the musicians in my listening room. As you said, the Frerot is great at clearly seperating the musicians. So natural and real!

Ill echo the sentiment that it is a great time to be an audiophile! Budget gear has never sounded better, and there are many more options now to build a system. I also love that modularity allows you to build your system a bit more thoughtfully, to allow for better sound quality and greater flexability. Buying direct is a great option too.

Thanks for showing the insides!

🙋‍♂️TARUN, ALL I CAN SAY …IT IS THE BEST TIME TO BE AN AUDIOPHILE 🤗💚💚💚

I am not an audiophile, but such is Tarun's knowledge and delivery of content, that I could listen to him talk about rocks all day and I would be riveted. In reality, he is an artist dedicated to his craft and as such, even if you do not understand it, you cannot be in awe of him and what you are experiencing. Blessing to you, Sir.. from South Africa.

It is interesting that the optional linear power supply has 3 separate supplies. Power is what drive *everything* in an audio system - which is a modulated power supply, at a fundamental level. I think buying direct *can* be wonderful. All the DACs that I have ever owned, I bought direct from the manufacturer - Schiit Bifrost 2 (upgraded to the 2/64), Denafrips Ares II, and now 3 versions of the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM, the J2S and now the J2S AKM 4499. This last one is my reference, with a Sparkos SS2590 dual mono module in the single ended socket, and a 12V (50W) linear power supply.

Excellent review Tarun. I have bought Schiit components direct in the past but there is a responsive UK supplier. I am very reticent about buying direct from China in case of problems plus Chinese manufacturers seem to produce so many firmware updates which can be problematic. Regarding the Frerot + Pow1, I ended up buying one after extended listening comparisons with the Benchmark DAC3 and SPL Diamond and your review was exactly on the mark to my ears. I also appreciate the simplicity of the Frerot and prefer the manufacturer to optimise over sampling, voltages, fiters etc rather stressing out consumers with too much choice.

I really enjoy your DAC reviews even though I'm not in the market anymore because I just bought an Ares 12th-1, a DAC I plan to have for a very long time. It took one week from order to delivery in the USA and I was kept informed of the status throughout the whole process. It has a wonderful sound and I'm a happy customer.

Have to agree on the change in sound of the gustard. I have owned this R26 roughly since your review (I bought it in Feb) and it changed sound regularly. I have to comment on soundstage width as I find the gustard presents sound more 'outside' my speakers than any other component I've ever had, still amazes me to this day how it makes my speakers dissapear in the soundstage, even fed by my CD player, compared to direct in my amp. Not going to mention reliability or the need to deal with an issue because that's tempting fate, let's just say it's never missed a beat (apart from the odd reset to be re-discovered by my roon core via ethernet) great review Tarun, cheers.

That Frerot is an interesting product, I have never heard of them before. I like that it is a pure DAC, and does not have a headphone amp, pre-amp, digital room correction, an APP with subscription and an espresso machine build in to it as well. They say you get what you pay for, so the phrase "less is more" is probably very applicable here. It could also be really nice for some people to experiment with their own power supply as well. It would be cool if they would provide the pin out of the external power supply connector. I haven't bought anything new for years. e.Bay is my direct sale audio dealer. It is a bit like gambling, can be very addictive too.

Thanks Tarun. Great review as always. I have the Gustard R26. Added a few weeks ago. I’ve kept it running 24/7 and it sounds better each week. For me, worth every penny. I can’t comment on their support as I haven’t needed to contact them. Hoping that I never need to. The DAC in this review looks like another great option in this price range.

Another great review as always, Tarun. My experience with Schiit Audio has been completely positive. Great gear at affordable prices. I always try to support my local retailers whenever I can.

I particularly like the under the hood part of your videos Tarun.Smashing work lad.

The level of technical detail surrounding the components is appreciated. Owner of a Jay's Audio CDT2 MK3 transport and a Denafrips Pontus 2.

KZfaqrs often don’t mention warranty and if repairs are done in USA or overseas. People who buy new pay a premium and that’s a big reason they are not buying in used market.

So glad you brought the Frerot into a dac comparo. Don’t think many here have reviewed one (if any others certainly not as comprehensively). I’ve been curious about this one, but now am even more curious about another European offering from Prague - the Okto Research dac8 Stereo. Also a buy direct situation, I think. Reasonably priced (without the rpi steaming module). Forums have kind of been going nuts over this one. Would love to get your interpretation of it too! 🙏🏼

You are 100% right when you say that buying habits have changed when it comes to electronics, particularly in the digital domain. Direct buying comes after available reviews on-line, words of mouth, suggestions from other enthusiasts that comments or give feedbacks on social media. The downside of it is that often these consumers buy gears after specs such as conversion capabilities, sample rates, DSD (even they use any of it) and da da da da, while often negletcting the importance of the analogue section of a DAC and its overall circuit implementation. While one can not become a electronics PhD by just buying hi-fi gears, still it's possible to learn a lot by auditioning and talking to experts in the field, provided that they have the patience to educate buyers... (i.e. your approach as reviewer is eductational vs promotional...which is good for learning). Personally, I still need to audition and to understand if the sound signature of a given product might or might not fit in my system and personal taste as well. I have learnt a lot by auditioning, it's one of the best parts of the journey. I would audition a piece of gear I seek to buy even if it's not in my own system. Based on the sound signature and electrical specs, I've then learnt how a given component might interact with other ones in my chain. Of course one needs a good amount of relatively neutral components in its chain in order to do that. I am after a Merason DAC 1 MK2, of course I've been reading a lot of positive reviews about the previous version and lower-specs model of the brand, which is also why I've ended up here...but I won't buy it before I hear it, despite the fact that I've been living well with a PCM 1794-based DAC from an other brand for more than 2 years now.

I think that power supply becomes more relevant as the listerner moves up the hifi food chain. As you rightly mention to keep the price competitive many components these days come with a wall wart supply to keep the price down. This flexible approach allows the enthusiast to upgrade to more sophisticated supplies when funds allow bringing benefits to the system as a whole. A vey nice review .

Some four years ago I bought directly from Shenzen Audio a SMSL SU9 dac. It comes in very handy in a lot of situations. It sounds very nice, and has good reviews. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Shenzen Audio again.

I bought a Topping D70s and a pair of Moondrop Katos from Shenzhen at a healthy discount from the Amazon price. Both transactions were easy and the items arrived after about 7-10 days. Furthermore,the procedure for paying import duty to HMRC was very straightforward using their on-line site. I can only speak for Shenzhen but they have my full confidence and I will, no doubt, be using them again.

Nice one Tarun. I liked the finger motion you made when describing the “dryness” of the sound, very subtle sir! I buy almost everything online due to my location. By and large I’m a happy camper with everything, notably I’m less impressed with the Paradigm speakers I auditioned in-store many years ago. 20 years of listening experience has trained my ear well!

Pure DAC Only................ I love it. Thanks for showing me.

I haven't been watching reviews for a bit because I got a bit bored. Today I dived back in with this shootout review. Yes, once again Mr T , you piqued my interest. Thus is excellent and especially appreciated your stroll around the innards. Highly informative, even though I'm not a DAC designer. Excellent review, as always , I sincerely appreciate your explanations. The Gustard A26, R26 and X26 have all been reviewed, and proven excellent. However, departing from my standard audition before I buy process is proving to be difficult for me, as I'm sure it is for others who watch. Once I get over my apprehensions, I'm going to start investigating Gustard, Topping and SMSL for a sound that I love. I already know that they technically perform far in excess of anything that I'll ever require. Once again many thanks for your superb reviews.

I have a Pontus II which I am happy with (Denefrips service here in the US is in Texas…They are fast, professional and competent. Please don't ask how I know this! 😮). Thanks for increasing my awareness of what is out there on the market, and as always…I ❤LOVE ❤ the interior tours and education about these components! 👍🏼

I have 3 dacs... a DIY dac, a modified chinese dac, and a musician pegasus chinese dac. Basically all chinese! My new Pre + Power amp combo is direct from china import. I could not really afford to "go up to the next level" through dealer networks or via the high street shops / big brands - I spent around £2000 on a pre / power amp combo from China and it's insane. What I like about the hifi stuff you can get direct from China is the insides make sense and are very user serviceable (recaps, modifications and repairs etc). Then my main speakers are Buchardt S400 - so literally everything in my stack now is untraditional and bought direct. The only real exception is a 20 year old isotek mini sub.

sad that DAC (and also Amp) Reviews are contains the same brands (a lot of made in china stuff) over and over again. Where are Reviews about maybe some Pro Gear from CraneSong, Weiss, Trinnov, SPL, Mutec… little bit repetitive when you look at the Hifi KZfaq world

I don't need a DAC, but I just bought the Vincent Audio SV-237 MKII hybrid amp (replacing a Denon PMA600NE) that you reviewed the other day. I'm going to pair it with my Emotiva T2+ speakers when it gets here. Expecting good things to ensue.😃

Thank you Tarun!!

I owned the frerot with power supply and loved it a lot.

I've had good experience buying directly from Buchardt (Denmark), Schiit (their UK distributer) and Geshelli Labs (USA). No issues with the purchasing process or delivery and also no problems with reliability. I had an issue with a Denafrips Pontus II 12th but that was bought through a local and reputable 2nd hand dealer, not directly. Fortunately they took the DAC back and issued a full refund which I believe would've been a more tricky process if I'd bought direct. I reverted back to my Ares II & IRIS combination and haven't looked to upgrade since.

Tarun, yet another quality review of a quality DAC. Definitely liked your shoot out comparison choices for not only commensurate price points, but also for similar feature sets. Your comments regarding Merison's optional linear PSU improving sound quality certainly rings true here. I recently designed a dual LC filtered linear regulated PSU for my Funk firm LSD TT that not only vastly improves speed stability, but also lowers the radiated EM noise floor over a switch mode PS. Regarding your end of video query regarding buying direct, I got a Schiit phono pre-amp for my wife's vintage Elac Mirachord TT that worked spot-on right out of the box. Can't do better than that. Thanks again for your pragmatic reviews of relevant products.

In the past two years I have purchased directly from Vinshine (DAC, DDC) and Jay's Audio (CD Twirler). I have experienced a noticeable improvement in my system with the addition of each component. I had a problem with an Iris DDC from Vinshine. They sent a pickup label and repaired the piece in Texas, So, all in all I am happy, However, since I live in a an area that has no easily available dealers to audition other components, I really do not know how good (or bad) my gear sounds in comparison to what is on the market. I won't say I am happy with my system, but I am content.

I've got the German made RME ADI-2 DAC FS which is brilliant. And RME's customer support is excellent too. Would recommend.

Another very good review Tarun. I think it would be great if you can mention the test tracks you use for the reviews and the source components too especially for this review where it’s a stand alone dac only . Regarding your question of the day , in my experience, I value the manufacturer who can be reached regardless of whether there is a distributor involved . And for my current rig, despite it being sold through distributors, I have been able to drop an email and receive a timely response from the company founders which is great customer service and I will name drop here - stenheim and ch precision ( both Swiss ) and Audience ( US), even dCS which makes up my digital front end has a great customer service where you can pick up the phone and speak to pretty senior technical people .

I'm in the less is more camp. I bought the Swiss made Wattson Audio Emerson Analog DAC/Streamer a couple of months ago. No Bluetooth, Wifi, Phono/Headphone amp, external volume control, screen, or remote. I stream Qobuz and iRadio using the iOS App. Sounds amazing with my Nait 50.

Thanks .. I’m rebuilding my headphone stack. So far AUDEZE 2021 Creators Edition. Bryston BHA-1 Headphone & Pre Amplifier . Now the DAC …that’s the next thing 🧐 Keeping an eye out. Thanks for this and enjoy the weekend.

Much enjoyed this video, Tarun. Wish I knew enough electronics to understand more of what you're saying in the technical bits, but I appreciate them in my own way. I've little problem with buying direct from manufacturers except perhaps those in China -- not because I've anything intrinsically against their products, but I have been worried about splashing out on something above a hundred or so and then having it go wrong. Nothing went awry with my Topping E30 or my Douk Audio DDC when I was using them (or indeed since), but if had something like one of their more expensive tube amps or ladder DACs go down, I'd be more worried. Not to mention have to be without it while it was being repaired. It's especially problemmatic outside of warranty. My preamp is from Serbia -- the guy speaks English and I have experience of dealing with him. I know he'd have my back were things to go wrong. I got my power amp from XTZ in Europe and my speaker F15 full range drivers from Europe too, even though they're ultimately Chinese in origin. My DAC and its LPS comes from Germany, and its add-on op amp from Sparkos in the USA. As far as I know, nothing I've mentioned so far comes through establshed dealerships. The things _I do_ have from dealerships include three pairs of speakers, a DAC and an integrated amp. But wherever my gear has come from, all of it is perfectly functional and all (bar the speaker drivers which I've only had for around 5 months) have gone past warranty expiration without issues. So I can't really complain. Of course, buying items from Europe incurs possibly double doses of VAT, but one may have no option if there's no equivalent made in the UK -- this applied to my F15 drivers, which ended up being around 40% dearer than if I'd been able to buy them in Europe. OTOH, this enabled me to build speakers that are only around 33% the cost of the commercially manufactured ones from the USA, so in the end I more than made up for it. My next upgrade will probably be to a power amp from Nord in the UK, which is again a direct supplier. One could pay several thousand for what Colin, the proprietor, charges around £600-£700 for, were one to buy an equivalent from a dealership in the UK. So I say bravo to direct suppliers -- my main system cost around £4000, but could easily have cost twice (or more) as much for comparable dealership gear.

Super early..just wanted to say love the channel and your review style.. New DAC in my future for sure.. subbed a ways back..most calming reviews on the tube.

Nice one, thanks for this Tarun.

Great review Tarun. Makes me wonder why Chord are so adamant that their switch mode power supplies are all you need. Perhaps they really have cracked the low noise thing? As for direct, I will struggle to buy a component for a four figure sum direct. I get the returns policy if it doesn’t gel with my system, but I just can’t get past that support thang. I have bought inexpensive items direct as well as components such as linear PSUs and turntable parts and it all seems very smooth. So nothing wrong with it on that front. The price was excellent too, but as another commenter said, it would be virtually impossible without the online reviewer community.

Wonderful review of some good audio kit. Thank you as always for your time and efforts to share this with us all. A little pricey for me, unfortunately. Take care, Sir.

I have the R26 and really enjoy it. I had an SMSL m400 before that. I did a lot of research before pulling the trigger, but I didn't have an opportunity to audition it. I like using headfi user impressions to triangulate what I'm interested in. I really like the MQA functionality of it with Tidal...if MQA survives.

Thanks Tarun, an interesting break from DAC burn out.

Thanks for your latest video and question. I have had a positive experience buying direct from manufacturers. Manufacturers Arendal, Polk and SVS here in the US in particular. I Only buy if I can buy, try and return at no cost if needed and all I noted allow free shipping and returns and have excellent customer service.

No regrets or hesitation to buy direct again from Vinshine Audio, Zu Audio, or Buchardt. I think the best direct companies easily beat the customer service + support of average dealers (from back in the day when there were many dealers)

Nice to see a review of equipment from a lesser known company. The scalability of this DAC by adding the separate power supply interests me. I was also looking at the Pontus II-12. How do you think the two would compete if the Ferot was partnered with the external power supply?

Nice, I have Frérot for over a year now and I do like it, I haven't got the POW1 yet, but planning to. Can confirm your thoughts about the sound. Thanks for the good work. 👍

Sorry, late to the party. I have had mixed experiences buying direct. I purchased a Denafrips Ares 2 in 2020 and my experience was excellent. Vinshine was great to deal with. But, the story doesn’t end there. I sold my Ares because I wanted to upgrade to a Ladder Schumann. It sounds fantastic most of the time. It does have an intermittent problem @ 24/96. I can’t seem to get resolved. So, I deal with the issue.

Great review as always!

I have merason frerot+pow :) huge difference after burn in....needed like one week

Great timing on this as I'm currently very close to picking up the Frerot. I especially appreciate its compact size without the pow1, many of the Chinese R2R and equivalent dacs just dont fit in the space I have.

Thanks v much for review. As a Frerot owner, now assuming tube amp it's paired with is also very neutral. Maybe time to upgrade to POW1 and find 'warmer' speakers Had alot of bad luck buying audio products thru eBay. Had one v bad customer service experience with a German streamer brand. On flip side the best customer service thus far is Pass Labs

I did not really enjoy the Gustard R26 because like you say, it’s a bit dry sounding. I prefer my Matrix Audio X Sabre Pro MQA. That’s a mouthful! The Gustard is great for the price but it’s no giant killer. TQ for the frank and detailed review.

good show!!

There are to many DAC’s (brands) already, in my opinion. I am still waiting for Chord Electronics with their new generation of DAC’s.

Hi Tarun, Thanks for the review. I'm hesitating between Merason Frerot + Pow1 and the Pontus II. In your opinion which one is best? Best regards

The reason you hear dryness in the R26 is because it is not as extended at the highs. The A26 although not a ladder DAC is much more resolving and extended. Hence there is no dryness there.

Thank you for this review Tarun, we have great European brands that have a lot to offer and well pair with chifi. I am still owning the Frerot with the Pow1 (between DMPA6 ME with LPS and a SN3) and it is a great combo, coherence is sublime and voices clear like whistles of a train in the night… I am struggling to upgrade this DAC, DAC1 or Weiss 204 are on the list, any suggestions are welcome!

Good enjoyable review🎉❤

I went European with the Heed Abacus, awesome for my set up

I’ve purchased 15 of 20 major components online over the last three years, only two of them were outside the borders of my own country (UK and Canada). I live in the USA. I have ordered new (from Schiit Audio) and used. For used equipment, I prefer to order from an organization that has a retail presence and a repair department. I have also ordered new equipment through established dealers, but I have received not-so-subtle messages that I am not somehow a suitable candidate for their services. I’m to the point now that I realize I could use their help, but I hesitate to return to the show room. It is more comfortable to order online.

Hello Tarun, thanks so much for the DAC reviews over the years and the comparative ones in particular. So far my limited experience of evaluating DACs in the 1000-2000 GBP Range did not reveal large differences, so maybe my old ears are not up to it, or I am not ”feeding" the DACs correctly. Would you consider sharing one day how you set up the tests, for example do you feed the DACs from a streamer, from some ripped CDs off a drive, or from a CD player or from ripped files from a PC using some software......I have been using Qobuz via a bluesound node 2i connected wirelessly to the internet which has not revealed big differences......my amp and speakers cost me circa GBP 5k and sound great to me.

Quality is the result of HOW things are made, not WHERE.

Your description and comparison of this DAC is interesting because it mirrors my finding with another DAC that has the same chip. The orchard audio pican pi DAC. Expect the pican pi is only $649.

Yet another down to earth 🌍 review from our man TARUN ✨🌞🫵🙏🏼💎♾️🎶

Happy Swiss owner of a Frérot & Pow1 paired with a Topping A70 Pro and a HE1000v2. To my ears it's a marvelous combo. Sounds so natural and authentic. This is my "end game". I'll "only" add the forthcoming Merason headphones Amp😊

Tarun: thank you for an excellent assessment: are balanced outputs that much a better choice with DACs?

I was happy how Frerot sounded at my place but couldn't find ASIO drivers to bypass system volume so gave up based on features. Recently got Ferrum Wandla that is another dac from Europe. Maybe that one could be tested next?

Great review as always. How does the Frerot with power supply stack up against denafrips venus 2?

hello, nice review (as always), no bollox ;) What are the square footers under your H190? I'm looking for some dac to improve on H190 but other tweaks are also possible ;)

fancy that… just yesterday i was reading reviews on this!

Got the previous model of the DAC 1, fully R2R... for me one of the best in the 5k range (new one costs now 7.5€k ..too much), it was close to my Weiss 501, before I upgraded the Weiss to latest Mkii/ESS9038 PRO...

Curious if pairing (via I2S) the Ares 12/12-1 with the Iris lessens the perceived deltas between that pairing and the Frerot + Pow1 combo. Depending on if you had that Denafrips pairing to hand when you were able to make comparisons of course. Thanks again for another comprehensive video.

Aqua la voce s3 is a nice Brit based R2R dac. I have one an exogal comet S and a holo spring kte.

I have brought from an importer of Deniffrips and direct from Buchardt speakers. In both cases it's been fine, I had problems with the speakers but things were dealt with. As someone said it's very dependent on trusting the option of reviewers. They do money back guarantees but that isn't very interesting to me. I would rather buy from a shop at the same price.

Merason $1500 + $850 power supply = $2350.... at this price you should be comparing a $1800 Denafrips Pontus II 12th-1 + $550 Denafrips iris 12th ddc (The Pontus sounds better than even my older Denafrips Ares 12th). source=Apple Music lossless

Hi Tarun. Any idea what other power supply 'd work ? iFi ? Aune? I got no reply from Merason. Thanks

Is the merason dac + lpsu combo worth at 1250 gbp second hand price? Thinking the chord qutest with Sbooster lpsu just might be the better? deal?

Hello Taurn, Hope you are well. Let me cut to the chase. I recently bought an NAD M10 V2 and thinking of replacing my old B&W 604 s3 speakers with either B&W 704 S3 or Q Aucoustic Concept 50. My living room/listening room is small to medium size. I also use REL tx 9 sub. There is no way I can listen to both speakers side by side for comparison. So, I would be most grateful if you could give me your professional advice on this.

Is it correct to assume that by using coaxial or toslink interconnects from the cd player mean we bypass the internal dac? Apologie for the newbie question

Hi, Tarun. Yank here. Somewhat related….. what have you noticed about European gear’s pricing since Brexit.

How would you compare the frérot to Chords Dac like the mojo2 and Qutest? Thanks 🙏

nice video

I have 2 audiophile stores and and one manufacturer in my general area. I shop the stores until I want a PS audio product and that is a 1 month in home trial.

Are the R2R Dacs compared in NOS or OS mode?

What DAC do you run in your own system Tarun?

You’re telling me that they purposefully sabotaged the performance of the base product to encourage people to buy the LPS as a solution to a problem of their own creation?

I ask you to review Volumio Rivo, please.

I am changing everything in my gear for Danish English Swiss... No Chinese 😁 Just customer service experience

Auden do my friends amps too, you should try them.

What is the 8000 pound equivalent to your reference system?

What are the feet under the Hegel at 11:57?