Right up the Ares II

[Latteman]

I have just actually played a real, genuine vinyl LP for the first time in I don't know how long.

("Shame on you! Call yourself an audiophile?" I hear you cry.)

Well, I had my reasons. Having had my head solidly up my digital Ares for so long that I couldn't remember what vinyl actually sounds like.

I mean, we digitalcoholics go on and on about how 'natural' and 'analogue' our setups sound but the reference point is, and remains, the good, old 12" plastic thingy with a hole in the middle. Dunnit?

So, first fire up the turntable. A modest Pro-Ject Debut 2 with an A&R P77Mg cartridge. Through the 'Big Knob' NVA amps (now fitted with SSP) into Arcam One speakers. Basically the same system that I put together in the 80's.

It was also a strange feeling to be handling an LP again. Familiar and respectful. Returning to an old friend. Then the music. Big, smooth, rich. All of the qualities you strive to recreate in a bit-based installation. There is an unassuming ease to vinyl reproduction that is often lacking in digital where you can almost hear the chips working to process their data.

Then back for comparison to the 'current' setup with streaming PC and Ares DAC. Now I'm not interested in detail, imaging, whatever here. It's the sensation, the magic that brings the music to you - do the digits 'live'?

Damn close. The Ares in NOS mode has that soft ease of presentation that make an LP so inviting. There is a slight hardening of detail but that could also be due to the very different installations.

Conclusion: I have to play more vinyl.

[CN211276]

When I bought my first CD player in 1986 I thought it would put my vinyl in the shade, but this was not the case. It was swings and roundabouts. I preferred a lot of aspects to CD reproduction, but there appeared to be something lacking compared to my modest vinyl set up. In recent years I have come round to the opinion that this is because the 44kHz 16 Bit CD ceiling is too low. I know this is contreversal because the frequencies are way beyond the range of human hearing and the devotees of the gospel of ASR would have me shot, but I am going on the evidence of my ears. It first dawned on me when playing 192kHv 24 Bit Qobuz streams of favourite albums I am very familiar with. Whether I had the album on vinyl or CD the stream was sounding so much better. It was as if the benefits of vinyl and CD were being combined. This sparked my interest in the Mscaler which took the upsampling further and made a huge difference in my system.

[montechristo358]

I've always thought than the non audible harmonics add more to perception than we realise

[Fretless]

Just had this email from Vinshine Audio warning people to only buy Denafrips products through official distributors:

Dear sir,

Thank you for your support throughout the years. It's coming to 5 years since we established and expanded the business globally. It was you who supported our business that keep us alive and growing. We are grateful!

It has come to our attention that some customers had mistakenly bought our products from the grey market sellers.

Please be informed that we do not have any other sales channel except for Vinshine Audio Singapore and our partners listed on our website.

Products sold through unauthorized sources like eBay/AliExpress/Amazon/any other websites do not carry a warranty from us. We cannot guarantee the unauthorized sources product origin, whether it is previously used, refurbished or counterfeit. The product may not be as described and/or performed as per the product listing.

Please purchase from the authorized source - Vinshine Audio. All products are shipped in manufacturers original packaging with warranty support.

If you are in doubt, please reach out to us.
Please spread the words, we can stop this together!

Say NO! to Grey Market Products!

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,
Alvin Chee
Vinshine Audio Singapore

[CN211276]

Just had this email from Vinshine Audio warning people to only buy Denafrips products through official distributors:

Dear sir,

Thank you for your support throughout the years. It's coming to 5 years since we established and expanded the business globally. It was you who supported our business that keep us alive and growing. We are grateful!

It has come to our attention that some customers had mistakenly bought our products from the grey market sellers.

Please be informed that we do not have any other sales channel except for Vinshine Audio Singapore and our partners listed on our website.

Products sold through unauthorized sources like eBay/AliExpress/Amazon/any other websites do not carry a warranty from us. We cannot guarantee the unauthorized sources product origin, whether it is previously used, refurbished or counterfeit. The product may not be as described and/or performed as per the product listing.

Please purchase from the authorized source - Vinshine Audio. All products are shipped in manufacturers original packaging with warranty support.

If you are in doubt, please reach out to us.
Please spread the words, we can stop this together!

Say NO! to Grey Market Products!

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,
Alvin Chee
Vinshine Audio Singapore

Are dealers putting pressure on them?

[Fretless]

More like they are being asked to do repairs or returns on Denafrips units sold via Amazon or AliExpress.

Those could well be fakes or sub-standard units from the Chinese domestic market.

[slinger]

It seems they don't want anyone to buy your existing unit if you were intending to use its sale to partially fund an upgrade. If they're going to do that then they should at least give trade-in prices and re-sell the used/reconditioned units themselves.

[savvypaul]

Factories can be ruthless. If they see an item selling well, then some can often go out the back door.

[Fretless]

Our own high-end-estoteria correspondent George Hincapie gave me a heads-up on a firmware upgrade to the already-excellent Denafrips Ares II DAC, available free from distributor Vinshine Audio. This apparently boosts the performance considerably.

Step 1 is to open up your treasured DAC and send a photo of the innards to Vinshine so they can see which model processor is inside and send you the appropriate download. Then you flash that directly into the unit via its own USB connection.

Info here: https://www.vinshineaudio.com/post/dena ... 02f11b97c9

I am starting on this process - will report further.

[Fretless]

Seeing as the Ares is open - a piccy for all the component fetishists out there.