Thanks ordered one👍

Ditto that one for sure

Thanks for such high praise! Really appreciate it.

which R2R DAC you have listened?

@@ayc868 Ladder Schumann FPGA R2R DAC

@@ayc868 I have the Qutest and looking for an upgrade. Any suggestions

I have one and share your world view, but it's well executed in real life. Doesn't look cheap (whereas an embossed one probably would on what is an otherwise minimalist fascia).

I for a long time had a Denafrips Ares 2 feeding into a Schiit Valhalla 2 working as preamp into a Class D amp - very very special (spatial?) sound. Musical to the max.

Well said....it can take years!

@Allan Miller I would emphasize speakers, since they will be a most significant portion of the cost. Other suggestion worth emphasizing is that buying brand-new vs second-hand is not cost-effective.

@Allan Millernice choice! Many speakers do it well, but some play too much with psycho-acoustics. One of the issues I often observe (also present in many DACs) is a "living presence" effect achieved by manipulating some high frequencies. Those end up in changed tonalities, such as of high-register piano notes. For me, probably the most valued aspect of Zingali Twenty Evo 1.2 is their correct tonality: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iK2eh8aC0qubmoU.html

I'm testing both and the r26 it's more special it has the most detail I've ever heard ever! The ladder is a very good all rounder that has a ton of bass. Depends what your searching for......the r26 made me hear things I've never heard before!

@@Montreal_Audio_Systems Thanks, I've ordered one.

onkyo made good soundcards back then, think they still making amps nowadays

Yes, Schuman has very full and present sound, especially with vocals. For changing OS modes press "setup" button (and release) then immediately after that press "mode" button. Everytime you press mode you should see one LED switching ON or OFF. That is selection between two modes. I got my unit very early for a review so I thought that was the reason for not having user manual. I can't belive they still haven't wrote it. For R26 just be sure to put a week or two of work into it before deciding about keeping it or not. It starts sounding a bit thin but relaxes later on... And that takes more time than usual. To my ears and in speaker setup R26 is the more precise one, but does push soundstage deeper behind the speakers (I guess with headphones it feels farther away too but haven't tried it in headphone setup).

@@iiWiReviews Thanks for taking the time for detailed reply. That worked. The setting with 4 lights on has the most treble (USB, mode, setup and sample rate light off and on ) and makes vocals more immediate even before burn in for Shumann. Everything else is near perfect already for me. I am not a typical audiophile and I just listen to low quality youtube music videos so less precision may not bother me as much. I cant imagine Pontus being much better than Shumann but I am on manic spending spree :) I think these DACs may be better served by speakers than headphones but I will continue to strive to stumble on the perfect sound for me regardless and I am getting pretty close with Ladder Shumann. I Will also give R26 another go cause amazon has extended return window till Jan 31 due to holidays. Thanks again. To state the obvious, You have a rare talent for describing the sound so accurately and I am very happy to be a loyal follower :)

@@syed7926which did you end up keeping

Enjoy it 👍

Congratulations on you purchase! Absolutely great sounding device, but I can't believe they are still sending it without a user manual.

Could you please tell us what you have connected to the Shumann’s i2s input? Is it a DDC?

@@freakin13guy pi2AES streamer

expensive dacs are not about better sound in my humble o. any dac over $100 is going to sound like nothing is there because that's its job. to take 1010010101 and turn it into analog. congrats, we got that down to laser mathematical precision. get any of them. jds, schiit, geshelli, smsl, etc - all of them are going to be perfectly fine dacs. you only spend $500+ on a dac when you're getting something like the cayin idac or rme adi2. because with those you're getting about a billion extras along with "just a dac". like a tube pre stage or onboard amp and PEQ opinions are like orifices... but this is a good one. don't spend $1000 on "just a dac", no matter how it sigmas or ladders to get there...

⁠@@sauhamm3821which do you recommend ladder shumann , gustard r26 ,rme adi-2 dac fs or denafrips

No new surprises coming soon... Feel free to choose your favorite flavor now. 😄

Antonio Sergio? Brasileiro?

I got a Denafrips Pontus II a month ago. Loving it. Peguei um Denafrips Pontus II um mes atras. Estou amando.

@@iiWiReviews Jokes aside, I really like your work and I follow your channel which I consider to be an opinion maker

@@joaopedroscarcella422 Oi João Pedro, sim, brasileiro. Moro aqui em Sampa.

Love Elna Silmics too. I’ve fitted them to all my gear for general use. The only exception is when I can fit DNM slit foil caps for the main smoothing caps in my amps. They are stunning.

I'll try to find that out and add the info once I write a review on the site.

@@iiWiReviews it would appear that it's an Ares 2 with I2S and AES added. Not sure how the "FPGA" differs from original Ares 2 but it may also be a tweek on the original design. Only way to find out is to open it up and compare the internals....

It's all single source. Managerial staff, chief engineering, de-jure ownership, brand names, that all says nothing within P.R.China's export company branching. It's a just a simulation of market activity and competition.

D300 is maybe the only DS DAC I know that sounds that natural - enjoy it. 👍

D300 is a bargain.

You need to try Quantum Science yellow fuses, unbelievable…. SR is staying behind now.

XLR does sound slightly better, livelier... but RCA is no slouch either. It is really tough comparing just outputs on the DAC because every balanced preamp or integrated amp also sounds better when connected that way. Schumann is a truly balanced design, and so is my preamp, so using XLR does sound noticeably better. But that is a joint result of both devices in the chain. RCA can match XLR only if XLR is there for convenience and not truly a balanced design internally (many head-amps are doing that lately and there is no real difference between RCA and XLR).

They are a very good match, at least for my ears. Together they produce great soundstage and plenty of deteils, but with organic tone timbre. The only reason I see not to make this paring is if you like to have pronounced sharpness or some bling in the highs (which I personally don't, but tastes differ).

Once again, thank you very much for the time you spent giving me an idea about pairing these two gears. More power to your channel and God bless all!

Thanks for your support! 👍

I've been using the Acoustic Revive RR-777 for years now. Makes music more palpable and acoustically 3D. Amazing for a brain hack!

@@20CycleMonger I’ve seen a RR-888. I wonder if you can gain performance by adding a linear power supply with high end cabling? Possibly to match the RR888.

@@tubefreeeasy Can't hurt, but i haven't yet. I have an LPS. Should give it a try... But it WORKS without. I built a kit one once. Not as effective sadly. The 888 is an update. Probably better. I also have a cheapie one of Amazon for my living room system that works well. Dont overspend. If you dont perceive the effect with a $50 model youre probably immune. Regards:-)

Hadn't yet seen pics of the inside anywhere.

I have actually took some but forgot to show them in the video. I'll put them in the written review later. Nothing special to see really, just a neatly assembled R2R with a linear power supply, o-ring transformer, good Japanese capacitors, etc.

@@iiWiReviews Awesome! 👌 👍

I'd love to see some pictures of the internals as well.

@@iiWiReviews thank you we all know what guts of Ares 2 look’s like and want to compare.

It's coming in few weeks.

I'll look into it. I'm curios about it myself.

@@iiWiReviews Sorry if I am chatty! But there are also the BURSON AUDIO CONDUCTOR 3X REFERENCE of course it is not a R2R!

It's a tough choice. Schumann is fuller, more forward, more analogue like. R26 has cleaner tone and deeper soundstage. I've kept listening to R26 because I am a soundstage depth fan... But I can easily see many people preferring Schumann. I am aware this sounds like a political way of avoiding to choose a winner, so I'll say that on points I would give a win to R26 but in reality where different people have different preferences and systems, it is not that easy to proclaim an outright winner.

@@iiWiReviews Thank you so much :)

@@iiWiReviews Currently I have Gustard x26 pro and Musician Draco r2r. Really love that r2r sound considering upgrading soon. I love the analog sound and prefer one with the best 3d soundstage. Will be tough choice for sure lol :)

Same question here 🙂

I don't have that info, it sounds as loud as any other DAC with anything I have. But both Musician and Denafrips DACs have high output impedances that like to be connected to amps and preamps with 10 kΩ or greater impedance input so no signal loss is happening. 99% of preamps and amps do have 10 kΩ or higher, but if you happen to own one with a lower input impedance then all these DACs will produce lower volume than usual.

Reversed their sample? What does this mean?

@@RJohnODonnell Shows sample price (which is generally for industry members, reviewers, etc.) as $1,399 and the regular price $799. Think they're reversed by mistake, so can't be sure they'll honor orders at the $799 price.

@@Bill.K Thank you!

R26 is arier and more deteiled, deeper soundstage. Schumann is bolder/fuller but slightly less resolving.

Also curious for this one, I suppose voices sound better with the Schumann?

Have you tested the Gustard R26 yourself? Given that it is so detailed, I am wondering if any about it irritates you? The Ladder Schumann appears to be an OEM product of Denafrips, only with a couple of improvements but the same sonic signature. i would no longer purchase an Ares because it is dark but the resolution does not reach what either of these two accomplishes I do not remember a review by you of the Gustard R26. If you have done one, please list it here..

@@iiWiReviews The RMI is then a substantial step backwards?

In my opinion, sharing an OEM doesn't mean much to me as the end user. Many car brands are made in the same factory, and on the same platforms, but with clearly different end results due to different design priorities. BTW, I am getting Mercury soon too, wondering if it sounds better than already great Pi2AES. Cheers! 🍻

@@iiWiReviews GREAT! Looking forward to your take on The Mercury…especially if you are feeding the Ladder Schumann via I2S! That will be close enough for me!!! 👍🏼

It is a ShenzhenAudio store's brand. As for the manufacturer, all indicates that it's the same oem that produces Denafrips and Musician devices too.

I used I2S on Pegasus, it worked out of the box with my streamer. Didn't try it on Schumann since it looks that pinout is not the same and I didn't have enough time to bother with it. I2S really needs some standardisation. That said, even over Coax, Schuman sounds slightly better then Pegasus on any input.

@@iiWiReviews Thank you so much! Helpful to know 👍🏼🙏🏼And so agree. It’s frustrating. I’ve just received my Mercury streamer. Worlds better than the allo digione I’ve had for a few years. Only issue, the I2S pinout doesn’t conform with any of the options on my d70s. Not a dealbreaker, sounds so good already with coax that I can wait a while to upgrade. Hope the Schumann complies as does the Pegasus.

Thanks! Speakers need a bit more testing done. 😀

We don’t know. My guess is that it is a big OEM building ladder DACs for different companies and keeping parts similar or the same to keeps costs down. Heck, the new 9K Wilson Audio subwoofer uses a Dayton DSP plate amp and Dayton Pro subwoofer driver.

I can't notice it with Netflix, YT, and my casual SP gaming when optical connection to TV is used.

@@iiWiReviews Have you noticed on the denafrips?

I did but just barely. Video and audio were not syncing perfectly and if I turn speakers on my TV at the same time while HiFi is on... I heard two audios are not perfectly synced. I just did the same thing with Schumann while writing this and can't notice sound from my TV and the DAC are mismatched. I believe this DAC has different, quicker, signal processing.

@@iiWiReviews Thank You!!!

Smsl su 9n dont have this delay, but dont know how compars in sound quality with denafrips ares 2

Western brands just don't react to any review requests from anybody smaller than 50-60K subs. Schiit never even reacted to my mails for example. Many just don't want to ship anything out of big markets such as US and UK where its easy for them to deliver review sample to reviewers based there, and also circle one sample amongst several reviewers. I also believe that it's not popular with big brands when someone is saying that Musician Pegasus betters Chord Qutest or that Acoustic Invader easily betters Hegels and NADs of the same price... Or that NAD 3020V2 is sonically matched by SMSL that's 1/3rd of a price. But, as my view numbers continue to grow I hope it will become more feasible to actually purchase something for a review and resell it afterwards. I reviewed Schiit Freya+ because many asked for it, then I purchased tubes for it because people asked for it... Now I'm waiting to sell it (and some other pieces I've personally purchased like iFi Zen Can, REL T5x...) and I just don't have a budget to get anything new until those devices are sold and budget can be reused. This whole channel doesn't earn more than few hundred dollars per month with adds. Even when you add affiliate links and few patrons, it's still very modest sum. If it weren't for Chinese and online shops sending samples, I probably couldn't even keep the channel running. If my numbers ever reach Darko's or at least half of that... I may get to choose more, until then it's gravelling. That's just reality of a small YT reviewer. A good thing is that I never said anything I didn't mean 100%. I refused many cooperations that wanted to influence my reviews (Western companies more than Eastern if you could believe it). What you get from me is limited when it comes to choice but fully unrestricted when it comes to what I say about those products. I babbled a lot, but this is a short version of a not so glamorous life of a small hifi reviewer. 😄

@@iiWiReviews understood my friend. Thank you for the insight.

@@iiWiReviews how much youre asing for your Freya +?

@@iiWiReviews don´t give up! good channel:)

Same great extension, but Schumann's is a touch more agile and resolving of texture.

@@iiWiReviews Thanks! The Schumann seems like it is an "end-game" DAC?

@@NeilBlanchard yes for this week

That's always a thing to consider. Personally, I find selling Chinese DACs quite easy here in Serbia. People are getting to expect more value from these brands and they're buying them just fine when I don't need some of these models anymore. DIY on the other hand is a different problem... It has to be really well done and someone has to personally hear it and like it very much. Not easy to sell unless you build yourself a good DIY reputation.

Ladder is ShenzhenAudio store brand and there is a link to it in the video description. BTW, you can't go wrong with Pegasus but I do prefer Schumann.

@@iiWiReviews Thanks for the reference with the album of Rachael Yamataga that i totally discovered👍 If you want some audiophile jazz references don't hesitate 😜 Just for fun i recommand you the album of Rachelle Ferrell "Individuality" with the amazing tune SISTA.

Mc7100

It surely feels like the same OEM so I think you're guessing right, but I couldn't get any more info at this time. I remember that insight from Golden Sound about NOS on Denafrips. If it means anything, I clearly preferred OS slow (airy and more precise) on Ares II to NOS mode (muddy), that was before I actually new it wasn't a true NOS. However, here I do like NOS the most (more spacious, calmer, more air) so it might be real.

Metrum Musette was 100% NOS. And their Amethyst. Not sure if either are still made now.

As every DAC , 2v RCA 4v xlr

Pozdrav. Iskreno je teško dati pametan savet ovde. Schumann je malo raskošniji i analogniji u srednjetonskom području, a R26 ima malo autoritivniji bas i generalno nešto čistiji zvuk. Kako bi vama legao koji zavisi i od pojačalo i sobe generalno... Ako imate nekih problema sa malo masnijim basom, onda bolje Schuman, ako imate utisak da vam je zvuk već malo više u sredini nego u ekstremima, onda bolje R26. Realno su nijanse u pitanju i nema grešne ni sa jednim.

Yeah feel the same. 'Ladder' is a deal breaker, sounds like a hooker's tights