Denafrips Ares 12th-1 R2R converter

17 thoughts on “Denafrips Ares 12th-1 R2R converter”

• Hey Hans. Thanks for great content. Question. Can this dac handle output from my Denon dcd-1520ae. Sacd player ? You do not mention it in the video ?

• How about a review of your current playlist??

• Unfortunately lack of the remote control is a deal-breaker for me

• My only regret is the loss of 2nd coax and 2nd optical inputs on the Ares II.

• Thank you for a great review. As an alternative to your suggested components in the "Where To Use Section" of your video, I believe one could digitally connect a CD player to a streamer/DAC, like the Eversolo DMP-A6 and eliminate the need of the Denafrips. Assuming no other digital sources will be used, which component configuration would yield the best sound quality? I ask this question because I'm considering the Eversolo and Denafrips components but am wary of the DAC overlaps. Perhaps, it all depends on my budget. Did I answer my own question? Thank you again!!!

• I have a cheap setup with a chomecast audio, ares 1, ifi tube buffer and a smsl da-8s, jamo c809. I enjoy the music

• Excelent review. Detailed. Phenomenal! 👏💯

• Thank you for this review. I wanted to try an R2R DAC and I bought the Ares12th-1 a couple of months ago. Honestly I didn't expect this sound quality. I can't stop listening music, the instruments sounds so real and the soundstage is indeed very deep. Its currently connected to a Denon receiver through rca. Next upgrade would be a stereo amplifier with XLR inputs.

• I am looking forward to your arce review

• It would have been nice if you would have gone into detail on the sound differences between the Ares 2 vs 12.1. I appreciate the review.

• I bought the Ares 12th-1 two months ago mostly to bypass the DAC built into my Parasound HINT integrated amp because I was getting ear fatigue after fairly short listening sessions. The cost of the Ares was as much as I was willing to spend because I wasn't sure that it would make much of a difference. Boy was I wrong! The 12th-1 brought the music back to the point that I was in tears listening to some of my favorite music. Now that I know how good some digital music can sound (like analog to my ears) I am now considering an upgrade by adding the Denafrips IRIS DDC reclocker for about half the cost of the Ares.

• I always look forward to your new Friday videos You mentioned the phase button, how should it be set? The room can affect the phase Thank you and congratulations for your Professionalism

• Perfect sound forever

• Thank you

• There is a reason they didn't call the coax port S/PDIF. Because that's just the format of the data. The optical connection is S/PDIF as well.

• Did you notice its high output impedance? 625 Ω on RCA and 1250 Ω on XLR in spite of the two AD opamps buffer. It can create problems with 10 kΩ pot preamplifiers. For example, a regular 10 kΩ single-ended pot has a 1/4 worst case at -6 db, 2.5 kΩ. 2500/625 is a 3:1 ratio, far from a 10:1 minimum recommended impedance bridge. Usually RCA out is around 200 Ω.

• Thanks 🙏 Hans, but there are to many DAC’s already in this world (IMHO), and many are, more or less, the same. Do you agree? Anyhow: I will wait to what Chord Electronics wlll bring to the table at the CES next year, but I have my doubts.

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