It is nice to have someone talk about a piece of stereo gear with a straight forward no BS style. This reviewer hits the high points of the hardware, explains the low points in a very lucid way and then tells you how it will effect your wallet and the parameters you will need to meet to have it work in your system. I will make a point of listening to the British Audiophile again... good on ya Sir.

Well done. There’s no one better on the web at explaining how in digestible terms!

Upgraded from Ares to Pontus a few weeks ago - my experience is just like what you describe. If you're reading this, and thinking of getting the Ares - just jump up to the Pontus.

Really good presentation...especially appreciated the point or system level at which the improvements are most notable. ty.

In the land of hi-if gear I can only aspire to own but your review doesn’t distract from the quality of the vid and the enjoyment I get from watching. Thank you 👍🏻

I just found this reviewer. He is the best of the many I have heard. Others often leave me lost in the details, but he tackles the details and separates the essential from the frills. This review led me to believe that I DON'T need to upgrade to the Pontus II right now. I have been considering the BHK 250 power amp from PS Audio first. After that, I'll watch this review again. Good job. British Audiophile.

Hi Tarun, you also got a outstanding performance.

Really love your videos... by far the most comprehensive, well structured and articulated. Keep going, Tarun!

I have a Pontus II as well but use it in a headphone system. Coming from the RME ADI-2 I'm quite happy with the more natural and detailed sound that I am hearing. I agree with all you had to say and it's nice to see others appreciate gear that I quite like myself.

Very well done Tarun ! addressing all important queries of a serious buyer ..

Hi Tarun, I took delivery of a Pontus 11 this week. I just thought I’d make a comment that when I initially plugged it in I thought It had a fault. I emailed Denafrips customer service with a heavy hart. I had a little play with cables and the fault lay there not with the dac! I checked my email and they had personally responded already! That was very reassuring. Obviously I responded saying there was no fault. It’s replaced a Topping D70 and is in a totally different league. Much bigger sound stage and the bass, wowsers. Cheers

My eyes usually glaze over trying to watch a video about DACs, but you did a masterful job with this one.

Well Tarun, I think I’m finished (maybe) you started my chase down the rabbit hole with the Ares II, then I went on to Pontus II and now my system is Sugden A21SE, Auralic Aries G1 with Hoerwege PSU upgrade, Denafrips Terminator DAC & Proac D2R speakers, sounds rather nice. Cheers for the great reviews and advice.

Just sold the Qutest and bought the Pontus II and It is clearly better. It is less digital and just reveals your music in a natural way. The Qutest was vey good especially with my Aurelic streamer but so so with the Cambridge Audio CXC transport. The Pontus II is a giant leap in enjoyment:)

Very big upgrade for my system , Big Bang for the buck. Very happy with the Pontus 2. Great recommendation Tarun.

Thank you Tarun for clearly explained this DAC. You review weighted heavily on my purchase of the Pontus II. I got nervous when first hooked it to my system. There was a lot of static out of the left speaker at OS mode but silent at NOS mode. Alvin quickly replied and suggest unplug the power cord, wait 30 seconds before plug power cord back in. I didn't follow his suggestion for I got worried and pushed the Stand By button to stop it. When press the Stand by button again and issue went away, not static. In fact, my system is much more quiet than before the Pontus II. I use it with Bluesound Node 2I, Muzishare X9 and Cornwall IV. Before Pontus II, there is some static/buzzing noise out of both speakers. After the Pontus II, it not only provides more realistic vocal, instruments, sound stage...it also cleaned up those static noises. It makes me believe the Node 2I generates unwanted sounds picked up by those 102dB sensitive speakers. The DAC must filtered those unwanted noises. All my family members quickly commended how good it sounds. The only different is now I connected XLR from Pontus II to X9 while before was RCA to RCA. Perhaps XLR helps avoid picking up static/noise from upstream equipment or surrounding cable? Thanks again for all your clear and precise reviews.

only live once cant take any of it with you , I guess im getting the pontus after having my eye on the ares2 you sold me on . thanks

Tarun, I am VERY impressed with your videos and your ability to articulate characteristics of various audiophile gear and the differences vs other products. Very well done! It's the reason I look for your opinion on fine audio gear! I agree with others that your content is #1 on KZfaq.

Another excellent and thoughtful piece. Your comments on the paring of dac with amp/speaker systems was particularly enlightening, and the sound quality description, so clear. Thank you.

I've owned numerous chip dacs but after trying the Ares I was sold the sound is so smooth. I just ordered the Pontus. I have Bowers 805 D3 speakers so I think it will be a good match. Great review!

Currently own the Ares II. Im tempted to purchase the Pontus II & see what the differences are. If it’s really that much better, I’ll sell my Ares & keep the Pontus as my endgame.

Thank you very much for this review. This was the case that now im a owner of an denafrips pontus 2. its burning in since one week and its incredible!!! Weighty , organic, holographic big soundstage and very smooth!!! I love it!! The difference to the build in dac in an bluesound node 3 streamer or an audiolab 6000a play is very very big. Its kind of a different thing, not comparable!!

Wonderful stuff, love what this company does too.

You’ve done it again. Great review. Now I have to upgrade my Denafrips Ares II!

Taren! Thank U very much for those honest comments on whether it is worth for someone should shell out an additional $1000 to get the PONTUS 11, based on the law of diminishing returns. I plan to purchase the Aresa II instead of the Pontus II

I bought this DAC and love it . This has much to do with your review. I am having a problem. I am being discreet hoping to get my problem resolved. I will keep you posted.

I wanted the Pontus one , And have been on the fence. After your review and the new updates I just ordered the Pantus 2 Thank you

Another great review Tarun!!! Thank you.

This Denafrips DAC is well more than it’s price suggests and handily beats others at twice this price. R2R DACs are just more real sounding than single or multiple Delta Sigma DACs and this has been well proven. The transport of choice would likely be the Project RS 2 T. It has an IS2 output to go to the DAC direct. If you do a comparison between your options, you will likely come to the same conclusion. There are many opinions on this and mine is my own as yours is your own. If you own one, you know. The only DAC which supersedes this one is the Terminator DAC which Denafrips also makes. The R2R solutions offered by this company offer a value for the dollar other DACs can’t hold a candle to. If you are going to spend your hard earned dollars for a piece of equipment, at least buy something worthy that has upgrade ability. Their design ethic is far superior as is their execution of that design. The O ring transformers are a huge contributor to the sound as these guys are sizable and quiet. I am prejudiced in my opinion of R2R DACs as opposed to delta sigmas regardless of manufacturer. The real deal is in the listening and that is the last word. You can’t go wrong with their products. It’s that simple. The weak link in many systems is the processor. It’s up to you. Your money and your call. Opinions are just that. You must make your own choices. Let your ears decide. Great review Tarun. I’m likely to attract haters, but truth is stronger than fiction. Stay safe my mates!😊👍🏻😷

Outstanding! I’ve been considering dacs for my vintage setup, I’m learning a lot from you! Thanks, Tarun

Thanks Tarun! Great stuff again. Now I know what DAC to try next with my current setup =)

It will be my next upgrade for sure , now using a Matrix mini i pro3. In China it is selling for the equivalent of 1,099 pounds , so it makes it even more worthwhile to get it. Have always enjoyed your reviews with the technical aspect as well. Keep up the good work.

Tarun- A British company I am intrigued with is Music First Audio. Good video.

Hi Tarun, great review, as always. I love the philosophy of Denafrips, as demonstrated by their use of capacitor arrays. The reason I use slit foil smoothing caps is because they behave like multiple smaller caps, but they can be placed straight into the old holes on the boards. When I have saved up enough up my pennies I will certainly go for one of these. Cheers, Mark

Another excellent presentation and review, Tarun. Articulate and accurate.

Great review as usual. The comparison with other DACs (speacially with Chord) will help everyone. I liked the part "When to upgrade (setup & partnering equipment)".

Tarun, I have just purchased one. I can't stop smiling....

hi Tarun, i have a NAD D1050 which is now 8 years old. its a marvelous all rounder. hard to beat for its original $600 price point. you are right a good DAC can be had now for $500. digital has come of age. any modest DAC made since 2013 can out perform a DAC made in the 90's not sure if the Aires 2 could beat it.

I enjoy your reviews, keep up the good work. I auditioned the Aries II for a couple of weeks and as a result ordered the Pontus II. I normally use the DAC in my Audio Aero La Fontaine to decode Tidal but now using the Pontus II I much prefer the Pontus. On the right recordings the soundstage and depth give the impression of being at the recording session (especially orchestral works). That realism is something I've been chasing for years. I can't imagine how the Terminator II might sound.

Am enjoying your reviews.... you make it easy for me to part with my money!

Thanks Tarun for another high quality review. My problem is that what continually makes manufacturers look good is the chip designers. If we look at test instruments, scopes AWGs, etc. we can see two things, one a marked improvement in specs and capability and, two, lower prices over shorter and shorter spans of time. There's no reason to believe that this trend won't continue and components like DACs will show the greatest improvements over time. Sure, we could say wait ten years but then you'd be without a DAC but I don't think that's the case, I think waiting a year might show some real DAC improvements. Ladder networks are pretty cheap and, while you could go crazy on resistors, after a point no one can hear hear the difference, I've challenged people to prove that and none have to date. In fact if we go to supplier indexes like Mouser we can find high quality 0.1% resistors at very reasonable prices. It won't be long before Shiit or one of the other bargain companies implements most of what you see here at a much lower price. As for power supplies, I'm not so sure that we can hear all those changes, 10,000 uF is 10,000 uF, can someone hear the difference between a bank of smaller caps? They'd have to prove it to me in a DBT and nobody has done that yet. Once that noise floor hits a certain level it's basically beyond human hearing and once we start talking about levels below 110 db, well, no one can hear that and I seriously doubt it's going to make a substantial difference relative to the added expense. In fact it might even be cheaper for manufacturers to use smaller caps. They buy them in bulk and the more they get the cheaper they get. Again, thanks for another well done review.

Great review and sounds like a great find. Appreciate your honest and pragmatic assessment of this DAC.

I just got a pontus ii. Streamer is bluesound node 2. I have owned the Chord Qutest, the Ares ii and now upgraded to pontus ii. Amp is Arcam A49, Speakers Fyne Audio 502SP. For me personally I would say get Ares ii vs chord qutest. It's cheaper, more interesting and suports more input/output options. Pontus ii is a step ahead of Ares. Really pulls out some nice details. Interesting regarding using the slow filter. I personally use fast mostly, I think it will depend on the system. Fast filter has more detail in top end I feel. For a bright system maybe the slow will be better. Is the pontus ii worth it vs the node or Ares. Once you've heard it you'd probably miss it. It's subtle differences. But that also really brings to life the music. With the pontus vs the node, everything is more open. Hi hat, symbols way more natural and apparent. Particularly you can hear the sound of the tip of the stick, a real snappy sound, I play drums so this is what stood out to me. A better 3d image. Switching back to the node is sounds flat and muddy (it lacks separation,). Having said all the above. Pre pontus/Ares I thought the node sounded nice. Now I have upgraded I wouldn't go back. Qutest I actually sold and used the node 2, just felt it wasn't enough to justify the extra and bought a rel sub which made more difference with the magnepan 1.7i I was running at the time.

Great review as always. Really enjoyed it.

Great review, very well explained. Very easy to understand even for non-English people.

Great review! Down to earth as usual. I like that you talk about system matching and diminishing returns. Indeed this is revealing, but the amp and speakers have to be up to the task! I think there is going to be a return to R2R ladder DACs amongst the audiophile crowd… or at least moving away from digital filters and FPGAs. Thanks for being down to earth (with your humble Chord Mojo), it’s a good reality check to realize we don’t all need to rush out and buy immediately. I’ve got a Hegel H120 and contemplating this as an upgrade. I think I’d notice it, but again as you say it’s borderline because Hegel’s are very good. Thanks for your insights as usually - no BS and very insightful. Strongly recommend!

Tarun, I am Hifi lover for decades. I am Italian, living in London for 25 years now. I have Stanley Beresford in my system, with some special mods. The sound quality is amazing. I can let you try the modified Beresford DAC in your system if you want & if you are based in London. Marco Bianchi

looking forward for your I2S test video, great video on the Pontus 2

Thanks for this video Tarun, nice to compare it to the Hegel H95 dac, since that's my new amp. I wondered a lot recently where an external DAC (be it the Ares II or this bigger brother) would stand against a built-in chip-based dac like in the Hegel. For now, I'll keep it like this then. (Kef LS50 meta + Kef KC62 + bluesound node 2i for the tidal streaming over coax to the Hegel h95)

Great review again ! * add on , on those chip dacs the power supply is still based on miniature components (specially the caps and resistors) and from what i'm observing the big difference comes from that. It's impossible to have a full develop sound with it. Not enough energy so they have to make a trade off, big enrgy but lack of transparency or transparency but no energy. Plus the small stuff doesn't sound so good. I changed some coupling caps on a chip dac that i'm tweaking, better caps tends to increase the soundstage and the layering of things and the decae. seperating with different regulation the chips on the dac gives more clarity, the black background. Better resistors tends to free the transients. My guess better impedance matching but i'm still investigating.

Fantastic review , so much information ℹ️ can’t thank you enough Tarun

Informative and comprehensive as all-ways, good job and thanks.

Thx for the review. Try the new Merason Frerot, the Burr Brown TDA1794a is hybrid between R2R and oversampling. You can later on expand it with the POW1 linear power supply, but already with the switching stock supply it sounds much better than anything I tried from Topping, Burson, Denafrips, etc. With LPSU it is closer to the Pontus in terms of pricing. It is also made in Europe/Switzerland and you can just get it for a demo from a dealer. This might well be the new reference dac to beat at 1k that really brings you a lot of the total magic of 4-5k Dacs. The difference with their own 4-5k reference Merason Dac1 is very small when you use it with a clean source, because the Frerot has no reclocker (to save cost). I know someone who changed his Metrum Adagio for the Dac1, it is that good. He also put the Frerot in his system and was amazed on how close the Frerot was. He uses an Innuos reclocker and also had the Denafrips Terminator for a short time. Because it has no reclocker, I use the Frerot (Dac1’s little brother) with the Matrix Spdif 2 reclocker to convert my noisy PC usb signal to Spdif. This is also a device well worth it’s money and brings you the technological advantage of reclocking technology used in dacs like the topping D90 etc. This combo finally brings hi-end CD player quality to the PCM/streaming world for me, without the digital glare/hardness that all other Dacs had and without the lack of presence/coherence and excitement that the cheaper R2R dacs have. Also read the few online reviews, it is still pretty much under the radar 😉! I

I enjoyed your review on the Pontus II DAC, and it was timely; I'm currently looking for a DAC replacement. Let me share with you why I'm looking to replace my beloved DAC. I recently replaced my CD transport that suddenly stopped working; I've enjoyed it for 21-years. The gem was a Parasound C/BD-2000 Belt Drive Compact Disc Transport I purchased back in 1999, a beautiful sounding transport for $2,000. Like you, another KZfaqr gave a glowing review of an unusual piece of audio gear - a CD transport. I said to myself; I'm going to purchase it. I couldn't believe my ears when I plugged in my new CD transport to my current DAC, a Parasound D/AC-2000 Ultra! The music that emanated from my speakers was purely magical. The new transport seemed to put my old Parasound C/BD-2000 to shame. How could this be? How could a sub $600 CD transport eclipse a renowned CD transport from 1999 costing $2,000? This transport, Audiolab 6000 CDT, is a hidden gem. After reading your review of the Pontous II and other gear on your channel, I think you would do a much better job reviewing the merits of this beautiful CD transport. I would like to hear your opinion on how well it mates the Denafrips Aries II and the Pontus II.

Great review. That's a beautiful unit. Hope all is well brother ✌️👍

Hi! Tarun, I have the RME adi-2 fs dac, I like it + has additional features that a lot of dacs don't. With my Willsenton R8 Int, I have the Oppo bdp-105D player. I can use the RME dac and Oppo as a transport to play cd's.To note I have only recently found a solution to playing SACD on my Oppo with an outboard dac. One can purchase a box that converts to i2s for about about $50us, the Pontus II has a i2s connection which can connect from the Oppo to the dac via a HDMI to i2s cable, this will play your SACD collection with the external dac. The Ares II does not have this connection. Any SACD listener would benifit greatly with this connection on a seperate dac like the Ponus II . I have not heard it but the understanding is playing SACD on a cd /sacd player compared to using an outboard dac via i2s is like chalk and cheese. I do not know whether you are aware of this, but after listening to you review, thought I would bring it up...Regards from New Zealand.

Thank you. Very good description and overall judgement

Hi Tarun - I took delivery of my own Pontus II this week. I was surprised and pleased to see your review. I've been using a Border Patrol DAC SEi for the past several years. I've always been happy with the sound. I think that I just became curious about the Denafrips DACs and decided to take a chance. Obviously mine is not yet broken in but some qualities are already evident. The Pontus II has tauter, better-defined bass performance than the Border Patrol DAC. It provides more detail and a cleaner sound, much like increasing the focus on a telescope. Most importantly for me it avoids that lean, clinical sound presented by some DACs. But will it replace my beloved Border Patrol? That remains to be seen. As usual, your description of the equipment under review is spot-on. Thanks for another brilliant review.

I have been complaining about my sound system under several of your video, but now I'm basically certain that the first thing I'll do is buying a Pontus 12th anniversary edition. That probably will give the biggest improvement; start with the source. The speakers are very linear and they actually can go very deep. I just get a weird bump somewhere in the bass that I don't like. The Pontus can give more warmth in the mids, and that's what I really miss. It gives the music more body and soundstage; that I also really miss in my current setup.

Great video.This dac looks really good.Thanks for sharing

👍🥰Well let me just start out by saying you’re very handsome you speak so clearly and calmly excellent you are very knowledgeable and very trustworthy this will be my it’s Dac it’s just going to take me a good while to save up $2000. This was the Dac I was already interested in till your review sealed the deal for me👍💪🙏🏻

Fantastic presentation and review! Subscribed! I'm looking at the Pontus 2 or Gustard X26 Pro as my end game DAC. I'm leaning toward the Pontus because I've tried several Delta Sigma based DACs and have felt a bit underwhelmed. Thanks so much for your thoughtful explanation.

G'day Tarun It's Shane from Australia. Nice video mate, I recently had the opportunity to have a good session with a terminator plus a friend of mine purchased. I found it a little analytical and digital for my tastes. I have a Luxman DA-06 which seems to hit the sweet spot for me. I also appreciated your comments on how you would pair this and with what system good practical suggestions. I love the channel and always look forward to the next. 🎧😁👍

Love your videos as always. Can't wait to see your JBL 4309 review. I'm leaning towards the Yamaha AS1200 but I'm not ordering it until I see your 4309 review. If it appears like the Yammie is a good choice then the question would be Aries 2 or Pontus 2, like you said it'll depend if your speakers will be able to take advantage of the performance level of the Pontus and I hope it's something you'll touch on in the review. Thanks as always!

TQ for the review. 😬 Don’t you find that there are compromises with DACs? We want that analogue sound with R2R but we need to sacrifice a bit of the high extension and a smidge of the mids. No glossy sound like what we get from delta sigma DACs. I found that the Pontus paired well with a good sounding tube amp. It shines there.

Terrific review, thank you

Another great review, Tarun! Your videos don't come frequently enough! On one of your other videos I mentioned that I have an RME ADI-2 FS DAC. I've since replaced it with the Denafripes Ares 2 and the difference is night and day as it plays through my B&W 705s2 speakers and Peachtree 300 integrated amplifier that loops out to a tube-based OTL Schiit Valhalla 2, which acts as a tube preamp stage to the Peachtree and brings even more richness to the overall sound. That said, I believe my present configuration has enough resolution overhead to realize the gains offered by the Denafrips Pontus II, but was hoping you might be willing to share your thoughts about it.

Great review! I upgraded to the Pontus II from a Qutest some time ago. And even if the Qutest is a great sounding DAC, the Pontus is from a DAC perspective a significant improvement. I also have the Willsenton R8. Very good tube amp for the money. But it is an amp with even more potential. I do recommend to try some tube rolling. Especially regarding the 6SL7 tubes. These arerused for the important voltage gain stages and therefore have great importance for the harmonics and thus the sound. I can recommend to try NOS tubes like Philips/Mullard ECC35, Tungsol 6SU7WGT or the METZ 6SL7. These tubes really make the R8 shine on a new level! My favourite this far is the METZ. Really amazing sound. By the way - I have the KT88 version of the R8.

Beautiful review as always………, and just what I needed to push me towards placing an order for one next week. Thanks young man.

I congratulate you for the clarity of your explanation and experience, few say it as well as you. I have a dac pre box s2 digital and I would like you to tell me how much is the difference if you could say with a percentage with the pontus that or how much percent it would improve. I have an Amplifier Rotel with a pre Gas and a Q11 kef and where do you recommend me to upgrade?

Very helpfull, i have my eye on the pontus for a while....

Great review and great product. Two thumbs up 👍+ 👍

Another faultless well thought out review ... Becoming a channel well worth a look when trying to make decisions about audio hifi equipment ... Thanks ... 😎

Thank you for another great review Tarun. I would be very interested to know how good it is specifically with DSD files.

A good buddy of mine from an audio forum sent me his Venus II to audition. God I don’t know how to say this. I don’t think the timbre is done too well. I hope I don’t insult anyone since these DACs are so highly regarded. I need to listen more but , the timbre is lacking a bit. The soundstage however is large and well layered. Very well done there. And dead silent. I will listen more and report back.

Thanks for another great review tarun, I've been following denafrips products keenly, you are correct with your findings, at the price I don't think they have much to worry about.

This guy is articulate!

Oh no 🤦🏻‍♂️ now I’m going to have to buy one . I have a Cambridge audio edge a. To be honest the inbuilt dac is very good but just intrigued how the Pontus will sound . Would love to see you review the edge one day to get your thoughts . Thanks for the great review it’s made my mind up👍

Tarun, great review as always. I have a question about the synergy of the system with Deanfrips Pontus II. Other reviewers often refer to it as smooth sounding as opposed to more analytical and very detailed sounding Sigma Delta DACs. In my system I have a Naim Supernait 3 integrated amplifier and Harbeth M30.2 40th Anniversary speakers. It is a very natural sounding combination with a deep base and no harshness or brightness in the upper range. My current DAC is the Arcam irDAC with SBooster 12 V linear power supply. It is a great sounding DAC, but I think I can realise the full potential of my Naim-Harbeth combination with a higher quality DAC closer to their price range. Denafrips Pontus II is at the top of my list, but I am worried about my system sounding too smooth and rolled off considering that the Harbeth speakers are definitely not on the bright side. Should I perhaps consider a different type of DAC like the Chord Hugo 2?

Hi Tarun. Great review, but I wish that you could talk about the main differences between the Pontus II and the Chord Qutest - which I have but never feel in love with...

Great review Tarun! I just ordered the Pontus II. Since it doesn’t come with a power cable, what kind/type would you recommend? Thank you in advance and keep up the great work 😀 Best wishes from Belgium

wow super review.def going with pontus now vs quetest. the sd chips definitely gave a harshness to them .interesting you liked the kt88 s with Pontus. I have found retubing my Prima Luna prologue 5 with Gold Lions really made an improvement. btw do u like the new pro acs with the ribbon tweeters?

Hey, Tarun! Perfect review as always :) In case you would have some time to answer this, I would be grateful: I have ProAc Response 1.5 (later this model has evolved to D15, D18, D20). Currently I'm thinking about Exposure 3510 to power them so the question is which of the DACs I should get with it? Ares II or Pontus II?

Tarun, your reviews are incredibly informative as I delve deeper into this hobby. You provide a practical perspective with the right blend of technical insights which I appreciate as an Engineer. I am keen to upgrade my DAC which is currently the AKM4490 that's within my Michi X3 integrated Amp. My digital source is the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition although I use it purely as a transport over USB. Speakers are Sonus Faber Sonetto V. I am assuming the Pontus II 12th Anniversary will provide an appreciable upgrade but I started exploring the Holo Audio Spring 3 as well and I am utterly confused as to which direction to go. The price difference is significant enough however I am not the type to upgrade equipment frequently so I am seeking an option that will last. I am seeking a bigger soundstage and detail, although I do love the AKM. Would welcome your thoughts on the Pontus v. Spring v. Aeres given my components. Appreciate all that you do. Thank you.

Hi Tarun , how are you in the UK, I'm in Fremantle Western Australia, after seeing this video I pulled the trigger and brought one , question what settings modes did you like ? Filter on or off & oversampling on or off ? Really enjoy your videos cheers mate.

Good review as always Tarun. BTW I have been made aware that the Mission 770 Freedom is to be reissued. I had 770's through the 80's into the 2000's. Would be of interest if you get the opportunity to review them.....Cheers.

Woo! What a smooth review. Will the Pontus 2 be overkill for the Whardfedale Evo 4.4 paired with a Cayin LA34?

I ordered one last wednesday. Can't wait for it to arrive :)

Hi Tarun Any chance you will test denafrips amplification? Would be amazing to hear your thoughts on products such as hestia and hyperion. Sounds like amazing value for money

Hi ! Very good job with that review ! My current system it’s a Hegel H190 with sonus faber sonetto II , I listen from qobuz through Audirvāna , I’m thinking in buying the Pontus II , do you think I’m going to achieve a more natural sound and a better separation of instruments?

Thank you so much for your review. Trying to decide between Pontus 2 and the merason frerot with power supply. What unit would come out on top??I watch your review on frerot vs Aries 2 and with power supple added to frerot it came out on top.

Nice review. Short but sweet. :) Would a simple passive volume control be more than good to use with this(or even the aries)? A couple Side notes... I can't shake this feeling that denafrips will be coming out with updated Ares this yr. I've heard the Topping D70s is neck to neck with the ares II. It'd be nice to hear your opinion on that comparison...if u ever get a chance to get ur hands on the d70s.

Bought one today based on your recommendation. amazing DAC. Wonder how Terminator would be like

Thanks for another excellent review. I enjoyed how you can delineate the nuances in sound differences that others just glean over. I have the Pontus 1+ (upgrades DSP) but without the PSU and other minor changes. It take several months before the unit "burn-in" to have a smoother and detailed top end. I don't have on hand other DAC of similar level to compare but it very much matches with description. I previously had a Hegel Rost and really love its treble where cymbals actually sounded like brass verse steel but not sure if that was due to the amplifier.

The difference between the Pontus and a Chord Mojo is night and day? Well, hell yes!

Great review! 🙏 I wonder how my old Hegel HD25 compares with the Pontus II. Have you heard it? Thank you for all excellent videos!

Tarun, awesome review. Do you plan on reviewing the Denafrip Venus II ? Thank you.

I'm a subscriber to your channel and considering buying a Pontus. However, I have read that improvements from the Ares, which I now have, are accompanied by a loss of warmth. I have Klipsch IV speakers. If there is a loss of warmth upgrading to the Pontus, depending on the amount of loss, might impact my system's SQ adversely. I would very much appreciate your thoughts on this. Your channel is a must-read for me. Many thanks.

This one's obviously done the rounds a bit as it looked a bit grubby around all of the buttons. A bit of a shame really as it spoilt the image for me a bit. I have the Aries ll and have been thinking of upgrading to this. It obviously works in the same way as the Aries ll re the OS etc. Alas I can't seem to get mine to alter any of these settings. I'm using a optical Toslink so wonder if that has anything to do with it as I noticed your USB LED was lit up. You promised future video on connectors will be interesting. Keep up the good work, I always enjoy your videos.👍

Brilliant review as always, might be time to upgrade from the ares I I !