nick_tThe simplest conversion, will always remain the most true. The simplest conversion process, will always remain complex in its workings. The simplest conversion tool, will always remain the most elusive to make.
All that R-2R requires to truly perform and show excellence beyond DS or FPGA,, is a perfect resistor... this is truly no small task, we have come a ways in tech that can assist here, since the last push,, a few more tweaks and this could be nice, very nice, we can get closer now.
In the specmanship & minimize-to-the-maximum digital wars, with silver used more to trade, not to conduct,, we lost some music along the way...
Why there will be more of a growing organic towards “give me my damn music back”, you are starting to see.
nick_tR-2R is today, the conversion process that can render the most life back into music, reproduced from a digital recording, and it can be made better.
Better to say; it is today the best, while remaining the worst;)
The music vs spec war...
nick_tI own an Ares, beyond this I have to look at reviews, I missed the demo of a Terminator at my club, but hope to make the next meet where there is this Terminator to behold. The best DS DAC I have is a Korg with a CS4398 in it, so to compare it against the D1 with dual ES9038's in it, may not be on the level, though I would venture,, that I would prefer the Ares or Pontus over the D1 still,, I am going for life now over benchmarks... and sticking with the Ares, until the next generation R-2R births.
nick_tThe Ares sounds like "life", mostly used by me with a Cary CAD-300SEI / CAD-300PB as a head amp. The "best" is determined by you, my best today is pursuing reproduction of music/vocals that sound most, well... real... so R-2R.
Got $350 get an Airist/drop RDAC, got $1K buy an Ares, got $2K get a Pontus, got $4K get a Venus, got $6K get a Terminator, got more - like $10-20-30K get a totaldac R-2R rig.
nick_tTotaldac, by knowing they have built the heart of their R-2R, the ladder, out of the most perfect resistors made. Oh, read some reviews, like all the way, and checked the specs too.
adeadcrabAres Pontus is more expensive so how can it be the same as titled warm same as Airtist DAC. Difficult to do some research when all review are inaccurate and very bias. No critical comparison and always no flaws at every price point. So what the hell is the difference and the best ?