GAME CHANGER! Denafrips Ares 12th Anv. DAC Review

You are the best audiophile here on the Tube, honest, direct, to the point and objective - all without the typical fluff so common among other audio reviewers.

Thanks Tarun for explaining, in just the right level of detail, the true changes between the Ares 2 and 12th. You have a rare ability to break down tech details into layman vocabulary words, which is one of the reasons why I love this channel! 👌

Tarun, I so enjoy your channel. Clear concise reviews and this was no exception. And you have created such a great community, sharing the joy of this hobby.

Very timely comparisons for the current market, much appreciated and will help inform my purchases.

A wealth of information, presented i in such a glorious, relatable way. Not forgetting (of course) a healthy dose of wit and charm! Thanks Tarun, I'm proud to be a patreon 😁😁😁

Great review, as always. Simple , smooth and effective.

An excellent and concise overview of spdif, i2S and USB -- which will become my reference for the future. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

Great review as usual!

Excellent review, thanks 🙏 Tarun .

That Alterra chip is actually an FPGA not a DSP - it can be configured as a DSP like in this case but it allows complete software reconfigurability of what one is trying to do - so it greatly benefits from any software algorithm upgrades. Great video as usual. This is my goto high end audio channel now due to the fabulous job you are doing Tarun.

"You don't miss won't you haven't got" is good advice for audiophiles always itching to upgrade. Just enjoy the music! I use USB mostly now with my Schiit DACs and their Unision USB implementation.

again an extraordinary and clear explanation of digital information. Because of your reviews I bought a Pontus2 and Hermes last year. I chose the Hermes because I also wanted a CD transport connected to it. Apart from the fact that streaming has taken a big step in the musically right direction, CDs have also acquired an extra musical character. Thanks !

Another excellent review and explanations.

Some non-audiophile but technically proficient people have claimed that jitter doesn't matter and the problem is highly exaggerated. NOT true. I remember accusing my guitarist of being out of tune, and needlessly making him re-record things, which made him angry. He said he couldn't hear an issue. Then one day I was listening to music between my PC and external Firepod, and it sounded off, until 'whip whoop' it sounded like someone making those silly 'DJ' noises with an LP record. I was like 'KNEW it. It wasn't just my imagination!' If it hadn't been for that brief but large sound of the clock playing catch up, I would never have realized I had a jitter problem. I actually do notice jitter. And jitter is the devil. Thank you A British Audiophile for pointing out that Denafrips DACs have fantastic internal clocks. I hope one day to have the money to buy a Denafrips. Still working on it. But sadly, as a minimum wage worker, I may never do it. I already spent my life savings on a pair of headphones and a a cheaper DAC that you reviewed :P

THANKS TARUN…HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL 🤗👍💚💚💚

Thank you Tarun! Delightful video. I'm using the pi2aes to feed my Pontus 2 via i2s and Burson Composer 3x via optical. I was surprised to hear how much noticeable the glare dropped when using that over MAC+Adiorvana/Roon via USB. Hope that one day you will have the chance to review the pi2aes.

Thank you for the review! As for digital connection, I use the USB with a AudioQuest Jitterbug filter and I perceive it to be noise-free. It is perhaps worth mentioning that my source is a transport in the form of a Silent Angel Munich M1T, which is significantly less noisy than a regular PC.

The TOPPING LA90 integrated amp would be an interesting review, thanks for your insightful reviews!

Another very interesting video

I would have loved to see the Pontus 12 included in this review. Giving from what I am seeing and hearing, possibly the better choice would be the Aries 12/ Iris combination over a standalone Pontus 12 and saving some money. Outstanding description of the differences between digital inputs and how they may effect one’s sound quality.