Denafrips Terminator dac ...

Well I think I own or have owned all DACs in the 3k to 5k range and the Terminator has been the DAC that is still in my system. It clicks off all the right qualities I like.

Did anyone else who attended the FAE go into the Lampizator room and think there was a speaker out of phase? My head was spinning.
 
Al I look forward to your impression of the Terminator. I ship out my Yggy later this week. The micro details are what the Terminator gets right for me. Now it will not smooth out a bad recording, no sugar coating with it. When do you expect it to land in your system?

Al M. said:
Yes, that's what raised my interest. The reviews of the Terminator DAC, formal or user, are all remarkably consistent, when it comes to its characteristics on its own, and to some extent also when it comes to Yggy comparisons.

I'll definitely post my impressions. My only concern is timbral micro detail, e.g., on solo violin or in string quartets. Here the Yggy is indisputable world class, at least in my digital set-up and system. If the Terminator DAC can match this, and at the same time has more richness and weight of tone, it's a winner. Then it's Hasta la Vista Baby.
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what speakers did you listen to? The VR ultra 55s ...silver...or the wooden E3s?

The 55s were damaged and replaced. AVshowrooms was gushing how holographic the room was and PeterB selected the GG2 as the component he wanted most to take away from the show.
https://youtu.be/kyHoF1WPvo4
 
nc42acc said:
Al I look forward to your impression of the Terminator. I ship out my Yggy later this week. The micro details are what the Terminator gets right for me. Now it will not smooth out a bad recording, no sugar coating with it. When do you expect it to land in your system?
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Marty, great to hear about the micro details! I am absolutely addicted to them, since I'm addicted to string quartets. Yes, that's very good if the DAC doesn't smooth out problems, which would hinder optimal resolution and transient information. I'm expecting the DAC sometime next week.
 
I honestly do not remember. I sat down and immediately knew something wasn’t right but didn’t say anything or linger for more tracks. The Lampizator was one of the main items I was looking forward to hearing. I guess I should have gone back later in the day.

wisnon said:
what speakers did you listen to? The VR ultra 55s ...silver...or the wooden E3s?

The 55s were damaged and replaced. AVshowrooms was gushing how holographic the room was and PeterB selected the GG2 as the component he wanted most to take away from the show.
https://youtu.be/kyHoF1WPvo4
Click to expand...
 
Here are my notes from yesterday 9 pm:

My Terminator DAC arrived. It sounds good right away. Important: micro-detail of timbre, e.g., on solo strings, is just as excellent as with the Yggdrasil DAC, spectacular! That performance, on Redbook CD, can easily compete with the best turntables I've heard (in the $ 70K plus range including phono stage, and well set up). So the first hurdle to me liking the DAC is cleared. However, it doesn't sound any richer yet than the Yggy -- so it basically sounds like the Yggy. Yet I suppose this should change with warm-up (it's now only 7 hours powered up) and break-in. So I'll just enjoy music and worry about performance later. I am letting the DAC play 24/7.

***

Tonight I'll listen more.
 
Al M. said:
Here are my notes from yesterday 9 pm:

My Terminator DAC arrived. It sounds good right away. Important: micro-detail of timbre, e.g., on solo strings, is just as excellent as with the Yggdrasil DAC, spectacular! That performance, on Redbook CD, can easily compete with the best turntables I've heard (in the $ 70K plus range including phono stage, and well set up). So the first hurdle to me liking the DAC is cleared. However, it doesn't sound any richer yet than the Yggy -- so it basically sounds like the Yggy. Yet I suppose this should change with warm-up (it's now only 7 hours powered up) and break-in. So I'll just enjoy music and worry about performance later. I am letting the DAC play 24/7.

***

Tonight I'll listen more.
Click to expand...


sounds promising and easily competes with $70K TT setups really?

have you actually compared it side by side with a Hi-End TT setup?
 
PureVinyl said:
sounds promising and easily competes with $70K TT setups really?

have you actually compared it side by side with hi-end TT setup?
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I have compared the same recordings on CD played on my system with the LPs played backed on other highly resolving systems (the recordings are analog sourced for LP playback, so there would be no built-in advantage of the CD over the LP).

Please note that this only pertains to micro-detail of timbre on solo strings -- the micro-oscillations and tiny transient details, resulting from the friction of bow on strings. I do not claim that in all other areas the CD playback is as good as the best vinyl playback, or can compete with it.
 
Al M. said:
I have compared the same recordings on CD played on my system with the LPs played backed on other highly resolving systems (the recordings are analog sourced for LP playback, so there would be no built-in advantage of the CD over the LP).

Please note that this only pertains to micro-detail of timbre on solo strings -- the micro-oscillations and tiny transient details, resulting from the friction of bow on strings. I do not claim that in other areas the CD playback is as good as the best vinyl playback, or can compete with it.
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imo: comparing the CD playback at "Your" place and hearing the same recording "Somewhere else" has no merit in my book!

not trying to rain on your parade, but let's be fair when comparing products, a true side be side A/B has more merit, when making a claim of besting a $70K TT setup!

Enjoy your new DAC..
 
PureVinyl said:
imo: comparing the CD playback at "Your" place and hearing the same recording "Somewhere else" has no merit in my book!

not trying to rain on your parade, but let's be fair when comparing products, a true side be side A/B has more merit, when making a claim of besting a $70K TT setup!

Enjoy your new DAC..
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Well, then you would have to make the assumption that those other systems are less resolving than mine, a claim that I am not willing to make.

Yes, I will enjoy my new DAC, thank you.

PS: I don't equate the term "competing" with "besting".
 
Enjoy the Terminator Al. I have listened to it at the home of a good friend who has it along with the Yggy(Norman knows who!). It is a fine DAC and sounds really nice with DSD. For PCM, we prefer the Yggy but it is close. They share very similar qualities. My friend has a ton of DSD, mostly rips of the DSD layer of a SACD. The Terminator does a great job on DSD. If I had to have native DSD playback, it would be at the top of my list.
 
JWhip said:
Enjoy the Terminator Al. I have listened to it at the home of a good friend who has it along with the Yggy(Norman knows who!). It is a fine DAC and sounds really nice with DSD. For PCM, we prefer the Yggy but it is close. They share very similar qualities. My friend has a ton of DSD, mostly rips of the DSD layer of a SACD. The Terminator does a great job on DSD. If I had to have native DSD playback, it would be at the top of my list.
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For DSD; T+A DAC 8 DSD.... Since I can't afford a Lampi I would put this against any DSD DAC out there (in a price range I can afford)... sorry I couldn't resist (since the Yggy is brought up so often for non-DSD).... :) back to the Terminator, carry on...
 
JWhip said:
Enjoy the Terminator Al. I have listened to it at the home of a good friend who has it along with the Yggy(Norman knows who!). It is a fine DAC and sounds really nice with DSD. For PCM, we prefer the Yggy but it is close. They share very similar qualities. My friend has a ton of DSD, mostly rips of the DSD layer of a SACD. The Terminator does a great job on DSD. If I had to have native DSD playback, it would be at the top of my list.
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Thanks, Joe. What did you prefer about the Yggy? I don't have version 2 of the Yggy, but so far I hear nothing where I would prefer my Yggy version 1, and the Terminator isn't even broken in yet.
 
I had an Yggy v1 then upgraded to v2 and it was a great dac. But after break-in I really preferred the Terminator in all category's, when I fed the Terminator a I2s cable from my modified Singxer SU-1 w/ UltraCap LPS-1 power supply it went to a different level I was really hearing what it was capable of. The soundstage I'm getting now is like nothing I ever thought I would get in my room. Now when I sit down for a listen I'm all smiles. I do believe the USB input is its weakest part.

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PeteG said:
I had an Yggy v1 then upgraded to v2 and it was a great dac. But after break-in I really preferred the Terminator in all category's, when I fed the Terminator a I2s cable from my modified Singxer SU-1 w/ UltraCap LPS-1 power supply it went to a different level I was really hearing what it was capable of. The soundstage I'm getting now is like nothing I ever thought I would get in my room. Now when I sit down for a listen I'm all smiles. I do believe the USB input is its weakest part.
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Nice to hear. Oh yes, USB, that's not the way to go imo with any DAC, except, well, USB DACs ;). I use the AES/EBU input.
 
There's something about the sound I just love about the I2s input, even after using a DH AES/EBU cable from my Lumin to Terminator for about four days I had to go back to the I2s input.
 
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