Musician Pegasus DAC won me over

[@da3726]

This guy has such a calming way of speaking. Great to listen to while I am working

[@sobhan704]

I absolutely agree, I always come back and listen to him!

[@joscallinet6260]

@@sobhan704 And he, Srboljub Stojanovic, has a very distinguished and commanding presence, while at the same time he's very low-key and amicable - the best of the best.

[@alxism]

Gotta watch at 2x

[@michellevey9608]

You are my go to favorite reviewer! I've purchased two components based on your opinion, and am extremely happy. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@joscallinet6260]

It's clear that you, Srboljub Stojanovic, are not a native English speaker. I therefore admire all the more how well and clearly you express yourself in English - and I love your spoken accent. Furthermore, you're very good at your craft of evaluating audio equipment in considerable detail and depth. You very ably help us to think critically about the pros and cons of ALL the equipment we might be interested in buying, giving us more data on which to base our own decisions. You impress me as being scrupulously fair in your assessments of the audio gear you discuss in each of your videos, because you give credit where credit is due to each and every component you are comparing and evaluating here, even as at the end you give us YOUR reasons why YOU have chosen the component that YOU most like after taking everything into consideration. Thank you for all you are doing! Your videos are a pleasure to watch.

[@manardh7387]

I wanted to try a R to R dac and after watching several reviews decided to try the Pegasus. I have had mine for about 9 months now and consider it fully broken in. Overall, you covered the sound perfectly. I find though I like the oversampling engaged most of the time. The music attack seems at first better in NOS with less harmonic presentation accuracy to me. In oversampling mode, the natural personality of musical instruments emerges. The Pegasus seems to sound best with a silver USB cable connected directly to computer as I use it.

[@supes323]

I partly agree regarding the difference’s between Ares 2 and Pegasus. I had the Ares 2 and I then sold to buy the Pegasus based on your review. I had compared the two back and forth for several hours. I have concluded that the Pegasus is more resolving, more details can be heard. It does has slam and nearly all songs have a lot of energy and come to life. The Ares is softer with less details however it does have its own sound signature, everything just sounds very pleasant especially string instruments like guitar and cello. It has a realness to it and music sounds lush and warmish . If these dacs were pillows, the Pegasus would be a latex material, not too soft, not too hard and performs well for everyday use. The Ares 2 would be a duck feather pillow, very soft and plump and keeps you warm in winter. If only I could keep both 😔

[@edverbeek6292]

You are introducing a new and accurate way of describing sound quality. I immediately understand the way you talk about lasering out the edges / shape of a tone, without that being the most natural way a tone sounds. “unforced sense of detail and texture” etc. (I am a DIY guy experimenting with different R2R boards from A..E…., the big Chinese webshop, also using the Pi2AES hat on raspberry Pi and oversized Jung Super Regulator power supply boards - use two seperates for your Pi and Pi2AES)

[@MarkSmith-uz4nf]

iiWi Reviews has fast become a fav of mine. The detail in the reviews, lots of comparisons, authenticity and provides some of music used in the review all make for great content.

[@Firebottleman]

Been crazy about audio for over 30 years, and I have to say, that you have a very illuminating way of describing a component's sound signature. Well done! This Dac is exactly what I've been looking for. I've subscribed. Happy holidays. Cheers! 🎧

[@enricolisk1357]

Respect!!! for telling what you feel & for standing up to your beliefs. Keep up the great work!

[@bobb.9917]

FANTASTIC review. Would love to have YOU compare Pegasus to The Denafrips Pontus II…which is a hugely popular DAC. Your DAC analysis and vivid descriptions of the sound are THE BEST!

[@torarnekvaly7753]

Yes, please! 👍😊

[@geoffreydebrito7934]

Not truly a fair comparison given the Pontus ll is twice the price of the Pegasus. That said, if the Pegasus provides 85-95% of the fidelity of the Pontus ll, then the Pegasus would have earned the label "Giant Killer".

[@klepp19]

I own both and Pegasus is faster more resolution bit more dynamic but Pontus II still has more solid images and bit better layering!

[@picklesandufos7860]

@@klepp19 You don't use the Pontus 2 on a PC I take it. I was thinking of getting the Pontus 2, however this will be streaming music on a PC, and also for some gaming. The Denafrips dacs have a delay on the audio inputs that causes the audio to be unsync'd from the video/games

[@klepp19]

@@picklesandufos7860 Yes, I never used with a computer. I use Blusound Node N130 or Cambridge 851N. I'm thinking of getting a ifi zen streamer.

[@ruffandruff]

You are very good at conveying your thoughts man.! Very detailed and very well put. Please consider the Holo Spring 3 as well. Thank you

[@charlienyc1]

I was looking at the Holo too, but they run 2-3x the price of the Pegasus. I'm happy with the Pegasus, esp. for under $800 second hand!

[@ruffandruff]

@@charlienyc1 Pegasus is a good choice. FYI there is a new contender in the market - Gustard R26 is getting some good reviews.

[@davidatrakchi2707]

Same here, love the way you transfer the information, calm and makes me feel exactly what you mean. Thanks again

[@stephencosta6814]

I know who you are referring to The other reviewer you are so right to bring that up and compare someone like Andrew Jones is a great example of what you’re trying to say I guess they did not see it that way. Please keep up your fantastic you are a fantastic great source for our community👍🙌

[@stevezeidman7224]

Excellent presentation. I’m so impressed with your mastery of English. This dac sounds very intriguing. I own the Ares II. No other component I’ve owned made such a startling impact as it did. I wondered how so much soundstage could suddenly appear out of the same components. I’m almost 70 so the softer, less edgy presentation works for me. I’d have a really hard time letting it go because I’ve sat shaking my head at it so many times. The Toppings and all the other D/S dacs aren’t for me. I originally bought the Schiit Bifrost prior to the Ares and was terribly disappointed by it. Very thick and very narrow.

[@ChildrenOfDesire]

Hi Steve, was the Bifrost that you bought the previous model or the current Bifrost 2? I currently own the Bifrost 2 and had a similar feeling about it that you had - the soundstage is quite small, and its quite thick, a little congested and has a heavy handed and forward sounding presentation (especially in bass dynamics) compared to my Schiit Modius. I'm after a more separated, articulate, smoother and wider presentation but with a bit more weight to the mids and natural timbre than your standard D/S fare, do you think the Ares II would be suitable? Thanks

[@stevezeidman7224]

I appreciate your corroborating how I felt about the Bifrost. It had received so much good press I thought I just couldn’t hear right. I’m always afraid to give advice because I think I might be totally wrong. For me, the Ares added so much air, space, and wide soundstage. The highs are sweet but not edgy. Vocals sound clear. But really it’s the space and sound stage that does it for me. I hear instruments in places I never heard before. I hope I answered your question.

[@ChildrenOfDesire]

@@stevezeidman7224 I can definitely relate to your experience. I had seen all the glowing reviews as well, along with that I have two other Schiit amplifiers which I'm very happy with, so it felt like a natural choice to make - but I found the Bifrost 2 to be underwhelming. After plugging it in and listening to it, I also thought my hearing must have been off that day as well. I think the Bifrost 2 focuses a lot on dynamics and forwardness, which might be exciting for some people. But I personally find it fatiguing and leaves little room for subtlety to the sound, and trades quite a bit of separation/imaging, air, background and clarity for it. The only reviewer I found that mentioned how dynamic the Bifrost 2 is was Golden Sound, who I find has good ears. He mentioned that he actually finds the Ares II to be more neutral and have a wider stage with better imaging (which is also a contrast to most reviewers), despite having a positive review for the Bifrost 2. I definitely trust your advice - especially since we had the same experience, it really sounds like it excels in all the things I appreciate. So I think I will be out to either get the Ares II or Musician Pegasus. Appreciate your help Steve

[@peterlarkin762]

Same thoughts as Steve. I'm sure there are other amazing dacs, but I will not part with my Ares 2.

[@ChildrenOfDesire]

@@johnm3544 That's exactly my thoughts John, the main thing I thought felt impressive compared to my Modius was the depth that the Bifrost 2 could portray made the Modius feel flat in comparison. At the end of the day I believe this is something that will rely heavily on system synergy and personal taste. I can imagine the Bifrost 2 would help add warmth and 'wake up' more analytical amplifiers dynamically, which in my experience have lacked in all the areas the the Bifrost 2 excelled in. However - in my specific case, my two Schiit amplifiers have plenty of that character already, and adding the Bifrost 2 to it felt like too much of a good thing. Actually, previously I had a Topping L30 amplifier which to me felt a bit dry, analytical and overall having quite a restrained sound, adding a Modi Multibit (which I feel has some character in common to the Bifrost 2) to it really brought my setup to life. I personally feel like the Pegasus will slot somewhere between the Pontus II and the Ares II in performance. I won't judge it based on listening as I haven't heard it - but looking at the circuits, the Pegasus looks like an improved Ares II (tighter matched resistors, dedicated output stage with transistors) while the Pontus II seems like a complete upgrade (twice as many r2r ladders, much larger, isolated toroidial power supply, feels like everything is doubled). Now, whether the differences audibly due to the circuits will be large I'm not too sure - and we're likely hitting some levels of diminishing returns here.

[@sean_heisler]

Great review! Very helpful. I own the Ares II now and have had my eye on the Pegasus. You do a great job conveying what you hear, keep up the good work!

[@chrisboylan4599]

I can't wait to hear the other DAC review you hinted was a strong contender vs this. I am extremely pleased a model near in price blows the Ares II out as inferior and not good enough to my taste either! The Schiit Gungnir has a new $100 less price tag of $1199 due to an unavailable part. I bought a silver one due for delivery this week.

[@frederf69]

JS has recently announced that the Gumby is going to be discontinued. I've had one for the last 9 months' you won't be disappointed.

[@reiness]

I got this DAC because of the review, and zero regret. The DAC sounds so good and natural. It tames the brightness that my system has. It's a little tiny bit slower than my delta sigma, but more than make up in analog goodness.

[@iiWiReviews]

Enjoy it! 🍻

[@Raymondey]

Very well made review with valuable comparisons 👍

[@RockAndRollFirebird]

Bravo! I just purchasend a Musician Pegasus OG, thanks to your excelent review. Thank you very much for your reviews which I always enjoy. Keep up the great work!

[@robh9079]

Superb review! 'Frips/Music' relationship interesting - music' monoceros pre identical to 'frips hestia internally! This (save the faceplate) has identical looking case (note upper rear top). However, this is definately not an ares or a pontus. Other very technical reviews mention 'frips's' (and others) are not really nos in nos mode, and lack decent output stages - sounds the case here with high impedence and lower output. Likely at its best with an active preamp stage in front. (You have touched on all this!)

[@peterlarkin762]

100% true. I actually like the super simple output circuit in the Ares. Use balanced out into a good preamp with high impedance.

[@Simon_Hawkshaw]

Great review. Many thanks for your time and effort to share.

[@bclu7343]

Your ending comment on engineer is the most objective opinion I ever came across👍

[@ulaby724]

Brilliant review. You are one of the best reviewers on KZbin. Thank you.

[@dasninjastix]

I'm in the market for a DAC so this is extremely helpful. Not sure I can justify the price (yet) but it definitely sounds like the Pegasus has just about everything I'm looking for. Appreciate the insights and fantastic descriptions as always. And for providing a nuanced and intelligent perspective to this hobby. ✌

[@tedthomas9809]

I am in total agreement with Das. I may be checking this out after I save up a little. Again, thank you for another excellent review and information.

[@charlienyc1]

@@tedthomas9809 You can find these occasionally on the used market if you're okay buying second hand. I got a great deal on my Pegasus.

[@MistaLova-Lova]

Fantastic description of your experience, as always. I hope you get to try the Gustard X26 Pro one day. I've just got one and it's blown me away. All the detail and precision of D/S with a superbly holographic soundstage and zero "digital glare" (probably due to the lack of op-amps - only discrete components). It's even hard to imagine anything sounding better, to be honest.

[@geoffreydebrito7934]

That's another R2R that has caught my eye. Unfortunately a bit of a stretch for me cost wise.

[@MistaLova-Lova]

@@geoffreydebrito7934 Gustard X26 Pro is not R2R - it's a delta-sigma DAC utilising two EKM chipsets with separate power supplies for digital and analogue sections and discrete components instead of op-amp, hence its significantly bigger size. I can, however, confirm that in this case size reflects its audio performance 😃

[@geoffreydebrito2653]

@@MistaLova-Lova You're right, my mistake. I was thinking of the new Gustard R26 R2R DAC. Purportedly, Gustard's new flagship DAC.

[@MistaLova-Lova]

@@geoffreydebrito2653 I had actually never heard of that DAC. It seems like we've both learnt something new there, hehe. :) Interesting, if Gustard made such a great job with the X26 Pro I'm wondering what they can offer in the R2R world. From what I can see it's only a little more expensive than the X26 Pro, making it significantly cheaper than some of the Denafrips and Holo Audio offerings.

[@geoffreydebrito7934]

@@MistaLova-Lova My impression is that it's brand new. Given Gustard's demonstrated expertise and consistent high quality, I think it very likely that it competes favorably with other R2R DACs. At $1650. versus the Denafrips Pontus @ $1750. clearly that's the matchup. Probably can't go wrong with either one.

[@Zoomerland]

We are all hear for the Love of this wonderful gift call Music. He presents joy in what we love to do. Music Makes me happy.

[@michaelwright1602]

Good review sir! Ares II here... In regards to bass... I broke out XTZ Edge A2-400 amplifier the other night and threw it into the mix and boy did the sound change, not happy at all. My system, the Denafrips Ares II, Iris DDC, Hades preamp and their Thallo amplifier with the KLH Model 5 speakers. Adding the XTZ Edge totally destroyed the sound of this system, it sounded like my Schiit Gungnir was back in the system, which the Ares II replaced. It was thin sounding, a heavy digital signature, just painful to listen too and that full rich bass was gone, everything the Ares II brought to the table was gone. My point, and not doubting the above review in the least, BUT! These DACs are going to be very system specific. I knew there would be a sound change, but I never realized how much of a change. I thought about breaking out the Freya S and pairing it with my Thallo, but could not bring myself to do that, as the Hades is zero gain and beyond dead silent, which the Freya S is not. It would be nice to hear a comparison with the Pontus II. Just my .02

[@IsaacChew]

I have been using the pegasus for over a year. It is indeed very good. It has a bigger brother, the Aquarius. They should send you one for review.

[@JTB--]

Excellent review. I've been tempted by an R2R DAC but I'm nervous of some latency/lag with video and gaming like I heard the Ares II has. I've found the Bifrost 2 the best DAC for gaming and movies to this point. The Musician Pegasus definitely seems like a top notch DAC. I have the Hifiman EF400 DAC/Amp all in one on the way this week(along with the Ananda Stealth Magnet directly from Hifiman) that uses the Himalaya R2R DAC. So I'll be able to finally hear a little of the R2R DAC sound. I own a few Hifiman HP's so I figured the EF400 was designed to get the most out of them. We shall see

[@NeilBlanchard]

The delay on the Ares II is not really an issue, if you are just listening to audio. But, if the Pegasus avoids this issue, then that is definitely better.

[@JTB--]

@@NeilBlanchard yeah those complaining about the Ares II having latency/lag in the audio were specifically talking about it happening while gaming and watching movies/TV. No problem if you are only using it for Music. But it could be a deal breaker for those who wanted it hooked up to an entertainment center for gaming and watching TV

[@DYNABLASTERTUNERS]

Best for movies and gaming are the old Sound Blaster X-Fi better cards with 3D Virtual, also the best 3D for music ever, I can't listen to normal DAC because of that 3D - the best thing in audio

[@ChildrenOfDesire]

@@NeilBlanchard I can confirm the Pegasus does avoid the latency issue.

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@ChildrenOfDesire That is good to hear.

[@liamporter1137]

Great review especially the comparisons. Thanks for sharing.

[@NeilBlanchard]

Now you're tempting me! Sadly, it is out of stock on Amazon; with no ETA. Thank you for the direct comparison with the Ares II; as this is my reference DAC. The two things about the Ares II that I am concerned with, are the bass extension and dynamics, and the detail resolution. It certainly seems like the Pegasus is the superior DAC. The (so-called) NOS on the Ares II is apparently actually 8X linear upsampling. So, that may why it is not as good? It also has a buffer that delays the output, making it not usable for editing, or for watching video. Edit: the one "challenge" for me to use the Pegasus is figure a way to convert the coax from my CDT6000 to another electrical S/PDIF (AES?) or to use it with the TOSLINK.

[@joemarz2264]

You had me intrigued with this review, especially as I trust your reviews very much. I have the D90LE and know it's resolving capabilities are unmatched. I think R2R in general is an outdated technology that is limited by deviations from linearity at very low levels, which might be the reason why they sound the way they do (a kind of compression if you will, that cause low level details to become more prominent than they should), but still I'd like to listen to a good R2R DAC such as the Pegasus in order to confirm (or not) my thoughts. Anyway, this was a wonderful video to watch, thank you and congratulations on your channel!

[@DibsonAlexaBliss]

What a phenomenal review

[@dungysphincter7974]

Thank you for this review!

[@shreddherring]

This has been a very helpful video. I have been weighing up the ares 2 and qutest for a while, and had decided that what I really want is an r2r dac with the strengths of both but none of their drawbacks, but ideally for the same price, which I accepted was going to mean I would have to wait a while. This dac seems to tick all of those boxes for me, so that is what I'll be aiming for in the future

[@noseonscent1935]

Great review.

[@carlob4016]

I have it from one year. It’s always stunnig, also with the tv and youtube. It’s my best buy ever!

[@downnoutdubin]

I just bought the Pegasus. Pairing with a Burson soloist 3x performance I recently bought.. This should be a magical setup.

[@douxreveur131]

Thank you very much for your test, accurate with a report of the musical results always valuable for us music lovers. I wanted to share a personal experience with my own small audio system because I was wondering if it was possible to improve the musical result without changing my Denafrips Ares II that I like very much. I chose a Matrix X-SPDIF II USB interface with a linear power supply and a W4S Recovery reclocker. The sound result was much better. But recently, I exchanged the W4S Recovery reclocker with a linear power supply for a SotM tX-USBhubEx reclocker (new value 420 euros but I could find it second hand). The result was not an improvement as I expected. It was just a shock ! As if my modest (but wonderfully musical) Elekit TU-8200DX and all my audio system (Totem Staff speakers) had been changed by a much more expensive one. Extreme bass, timbre, transparency, holographic image, everything was sublimated. It is a track which deserves to be tested and in any case, considered and which one speaks little. With my smiling greeting from France to you all.

[@davidatrakchi2707]

I spent a lot (in my humble standards) on the Ares2, so I still persuade myself it’s the best on earth. This does not prevent me from watching the new hardware around

[@davidatrakchi2707]

@@Spicycomment1 my advice: both dac's, bye a cheap bt devise and download from youtube

[@davidatrakchi2707]

@@Spicycomment1 will probably do one day, and it will make me wiser, taller and more good looking! 🥳

[@davidatrakchi2707]

@@Spicycomment1 you see, dac or no dac we already made the world a better place

[@lawrencesnyder]

Keep the good work

[@brooksc900]

Good one, thank you. I'm hoping to get one of these to significantly upgrade my listening journey and replace the Topping E70 velvet attached to my Bluesound node (N130) with a linear power supply.

[@chengo51]

I wish you could compare it with the RME ADI-2 Pro DAC Fs, it would be great. The problem for me with this Pegasus is that it doesn't do Pre with remote !

[@devmahadevan6127]

You are amazing! I have noticed that you explain well to a crazy music lover. I do have tube mono blocks and a pre amp , planning to up grade with SMRL9 dac for price point. ths.

[@delfinigor]

Excellent video. 👍

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

Take this as a constructive criticism but I don't think comparing with the topping and denafrips dac is really a fair comparison, taking price into consideration. If one of those could even compete with pegasus dac, that then would be worth including in the comparison. That being sad, I would really like to have your opinion on Singxer Sda-6 advanced version, SMSL VMV D2 and Denafrips Pontus II and comparing them to Pegasus. They aren«t exactly the same price but seem to be more in the same ballpark. Really like your work, keep it up!

[@iiWiReviews]

I get your line of thoughts but I can only compare it with what I have. I would also like to try D2 and Pontus. But regarding Denafrips I think that price wise its still closer to Ares II that's $280 less then to Pontus which is $640 more.

[@johenkay1129]

It's an amazing/high performing dac. Was my favorite dac before I got the Holo May and even then it's not far off...

[@MistaLova-Lova]

What does the May, in your experience, bring to the table for that significantly higher price? Thanks

[@johenkay1129]

@@MistaLova-Lova Their sound signature is very similar, they both have that r2r ladder sound ( I did put Synergistic Research orange fuses in the Pegasus though). One of the things I noticed with the May is that the mid range is slightly more dense in NOS than the Pegasus. Sound signature is very close. The second thing is the May's very very quiet/black background/noise floor. The Pegasus is a quiet dac but not as quiet as the May. I'm going to assume it's because of how the May has a separate enclosure for its power supply (the usb and pll implementation as well). The usb implementation on the May is also much better, what I mean is that sometimes the Pegasus would distort and make digital jumbled sounds when fast forwarding a track on a song. The May has never done that. The May also doesn't need a DDC to separate the signal coming directly from your pc to the dac. The May's usb is galvanically isolated. I've tried using a Matrix spdif2 and a singxer su6 with i2s and it worsened the sound compared to usb directly into the may. The Pegasus benefited from ddc's in my opinion. So, in my opinion, with the May you are paying for slightly better sound but everything being implemented much better. Better software/hardware implementation (separated power supply etc) + high quality galvanically isolated usb + equally impressive PLL(phase lock loop) implementation = a very dark background without the bugs/distortion the Pegasus can sometimes have. Edit: This wasn't a knock on the Pegasus in any way, it's remarkable that it could punch so high for the asking price. I was actually very tempted to purchase the Aquarius for a time because of my positive experience with the Pegasus, but I just went with the May to avoid any "what if" situations.

[@Biefstukje]

@@johenkay1129 what amp did you pair it with? Tube or solid state?

[@johenkay1129]

@@Biefstukje Paired with the singxer sa-1 and gs-x mini.

[@charlienyc1]

@@johenkay1129 This sounds just like the Pegasus I bought on head-fi. Were you the seller? 😀

[@charlesclifton1006]

Fantastic review. Totally agree with RUFF (comment below). I really like what you are saying about this DAC. (and) I just might buy it. I also like the look but moreover, the connectivity choices. I was considering the Aries 2 but then came to the conclusion that the Pontus would be more to my liking. Affordability became the issue. Be it true, that the Pegasus is all that you so elegantly describe (damned good job) ... I'd have to say .. I just have to hear it.

[@vangelo2252]

Following your review of the Topping D90LE, I pulled the trigger on it. Best DAC I ever had in my system! For me, I need something detailed & dynamic. If the sound from the Topping is described as 'etched' I love it. Can listen all day & not fatigueing at all....but most of all, never boring. Pretty sure after 2 months, the Pegasus would be boring me......Different strokes!

[@iiWiReviews]

D90LE is top notch for the thing you explained. Great choice. 👍

[@kinggodzilla7647]

R2R DACs simply sound more organic and 3-dimensional.

[@EvgeniyRC]

I think what you were talking about .GUSTARD R26 R2R is your dark horse that you're betting big on... Looking forward to this review. Thank you

[@robk5745]

I love you review and I was dead set on this dac till I saw that Jay video about quality control issues. It makes me nervous and am not quite sure if this is still a problem with this dac anymore? Great review man well done!

[@inigopatch420]

1.2k € with a 60€ coupon what a steal 😂 i thought it was 800€ or something , so small and cute and yet so expensive

[@net_news]

it's not so small!

[@genkifd]

welcome to the world of R2R dacs. waiting for your opinions on the Holo May, Audio GD R7HE and Terminator +.

[@williamcanada6195]

Hello, incisive, informative and well detailed review as usual ! I find your English to be Very Articulate and Far Up to Par for a second language user! Are you using this with your Serbian Pre Amp and Amplifier ?!? Well done, Bill from Northeastern France !

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! Yes I am using it with Acoustic Invader combo.

[@nc3419]

See if you can review the Musician Knight 1 speaker. I am familiar with all the other reviewers and feel you would be among the best if not the best to review this speaker.

[@josch614]

I would so love to have a r2r with a decent variabe output. Thanks for your review!

[@josch614]

@@johnm3544 Thanks for your reply! You are, of course, right. Now as you mentioned it I do remember - it was a little out of my league though...

[@charlienyc1]

@@josch614 You can pair it with a resistor network preamp. I picked up a Augio-GD preamp / headphone amp that sounds fantastic paired with the Pegasus.

[@Harvy75a]

Great review with comparison! Thx PS It is available also in black.

[@audiolife5038]

Until it stops working and starts making distorted noise that might damage your speakers (as mine did) . Returned it but it mysteriously got lost in the mail so I lost all my money. Musician didn't want to take responsibilty, even though I could document everything related to the sending, with correct adress. Stay clear is my advice!

[@progrock3603]

Did you buy it from the company Power Holdings Inc. from New Jersey? Arthur sells Musician and seems like a stand up dude.

[@audiolife5038]

@@progrock3603 No I bought it direct from China. Just illustrates how screwed we are if warranty issues occur. I will stay with US and European made products from now on.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@audiolife5038 This DAC sounds interesting, but I have read more than a few comments like this in regards to "issues". And "currently" only available on Ali Express... I own a few Denafrips pieces, and am extremely happy, especially with the service I have received from Alvin Chee and his right hand man Vincent at Vinshine Audio. Never an issue with any of my Denafrips gear, but when I had a question, the response time was usually within 24 hours, or much less. I feel confident dealing with Vinshine Audio, Ali Express, not so much.

[@PauloFerreira-hh6zv]

I was surprised you didn't do a more detailed comparison with the M500 MKII, considering that it was this DAC that dethroned Ares II from your system. I understand that you mentioned Tradutto and M400 because they have a price closer to Pegasus, but if the M500 was your preference and is cheaper, that means it has a better cost/benefit ratio than the others, which is positive. I ordered the M500 for myself yesterday, before this review, I hope it did well.

[@iiWiReviews]

I was thinking that the comparison with D90LE, that I've extensively compared to M500 MKII twelve days ago would be enough. Basically, M500 MKII is slightly less deteiled and narrower sounding but it still has plenty of fullness and smoothness. The soundstage on Pegasus is bigger and airer, and bass has a bit more grunt. All this said, M500 MKII is an absolute killer when you consider the asking price.

[@PauloFerreira-hh6zv]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you.

[@dungysphincter7974]

@@PauloFerreira-hh6zv I also have the M500 MKII...You will be extremely happy with it. I also have the SU-9, and the D300 from SMSL....They are all excellent DACs.

[@PauloFerreira-hh6zv]

@@dungysphincter7974 Thank You.

[@Beathoven007]

Not really into dacs but bought the Yamaha Wxa50 after one of his reviews. Superb amp. Regarding Dacs. I have only witnessed one situation in which I wanted to use a laptop for working on a production and that laptop had something like an annoying hidden dsp compressor. Then bypassing it and using a dac might be useful. Apart from that I never felt the need to use one.

[@goodsound4756]

You‘re the first giving this a positive review.

[@iiWiReviews]

Don't think so, I have actually only seen Jay giving it a bad one and I believe he got a faulty unit. Soundnews, Hewdphonia, Mono and stereo, and Tharbamar gave it very positive ones.

[@goodsound4756]

@@iiWiReviews except Tharambar (and there was controversy about him taking compensations for his positive reviews before) you refer to very small subscriber channels I never heard of (except soundnews). I am talking of bigger channels like Jay or Pursuit of perfect system, Z-Reviews etc. Thomas and Stereo did not review it publicly (he only makes a review video when he likes it, he was once asked). Don’t get me wrong: that all doesn’t lessen your opinion. My comment was just my expression of a slight astonishment.

[@iiWiReviews]

Can't tell what's happening there, maybe there were some QC issues in the beginning. This unit that I have now is kicking some serious but. Also, with all due respect to all other college reviewers, I don't really follow some of them. For example Z-reviews because while I still watched him he claimed that all DACs sound the same and if it's different then it is broken. So I unsubscribed early on, he has my respect as a fun person but I can't rely on his reviews personally. On the other hand, I do respect Jay and his ears, and that led me to believe he simply had a faulty unit. It's hard to tell.

[@dajikbatarang1]

@@goodsound4756 Didnt pursuit perfect system like this DAC?

[@davidfairchild1640]

Great review. Great point about how streaming with oversampling can diminish the uniquinees of the R2R sound. At this price point and with its limited feature set, this DAC seems perhaps somewaht comparable to the Schitt Gungnir Multibit.

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

hm, still not sure abt that, but yes its a good head to head

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

its maybe bcs im sort of so used to the sound, but i prefer the sennheiser

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

13:49 "Topping tends to outline tones" reminds me of an over-sharpened image -- the edges of objects become too defined, the contrast too high

[@henryt9731]

Seeing the Ares 2’s rca jack clipping on to the top cover just puts me off. This is a way better lookingunit in terms of exterior design

[@User_not_found_403]

I have a peg. Beat out all the other dacs I compared it to Ares II, ADI-2 fs. I even tried to eek more out of it by upgrading the fuses and using a D2D box to feed the I2S input.

[@charlienyc1]

Which one? I'm using AES-in more than USB, but am still looking to eek out a little more performance. Also, having the I2S input sit empty seems wrong 😄

[@User_not_found_403]

@@charlienyc1 a cheapie - Douk Audio U2 Pro with the fancier femto clocks. I had an earlier release of Pegasus and had to send it back for them to upgrade so the I2S would work.

[@D1N02]

So now the SMSL M500 MKII is on it's way to the exit now?

[@jaroslavfricek7772]

Wonder how it sounds with Aquarius amp…👍🙋‍♂️

[@net_news]

IMHO it lacks punch in the bass, besides that It's amazing, I love how it sounds.

[@net_news]

compared to Delta-Sigma! I don't have another R2R dac to compare.

[@z-collector7518]

I hate this tendency to put vibration isolating feet on things that don't need them!

[@Spock105]

According to some sources Musician could be partly a Denafrips . Denafrips has some OEM agreements with a few other companies with non-disclosure agreements.

[@charlienyc1]

Elsewhere on KZbin, it was determined Denafrips and Musician very likely shared designers. However, the Pegasus came later than most of the Denafrips models, so it has a slight advantage.

[@sloboat55]

Boom Shakalaca, I dig the vid and the dac.

[@bruunm1975]

Getting this for testing today, had D90SE for 3 weeks and sold it right away.

[@davidho199421]

hi Markus, how’s your experience with it at the end? Appreciate if you could share your feedback

[@bruunm1975]

@@davidho199421 hey Davy, it sounded huge. But it had weird issues with the sync and would at times completely drop sound and sync with sample rate. Seller could not confirm if it was just demo unit or design etc. so I didn’t proceed with purchase. Instead I got a Denafrips Ares2. And it’s incredible. Less revealing (by a negligible amount) than Pegasus but so much more musical. Love it.

[@in2theair67]

Cool review 👍 What's about this DAC with DSD files ? You said the best sound is in NOS mode. Which mode for the DSD file ? I use Audirvana with FLAC files or SACD ISO files.

[@mwsaab9]

Love the channel and your VERY informative reviews. I have an Audiolab 6000 CD and have tried several delta sigma DACs and am always disappointed with the rather thin sound. Would the Pegasus be a good choice to pair with the Audiolab?

[@Biefstukje]

I got both. I can recommend.

[@alexk1239]

Thank you for the review! Does this unit have the same issue with Ares 2, that you cannot use both XLR and RCA?

[@net_news]

yeap, the manual says you should not use both at the same time.

[@PP-nh1lv]

What more do you get when you move up to the more expensive Aquarius model? Is it worth almost 4 times the price?

[@franzb69]

Denafrips

[@juliancrun]

A more balanced comparison would have been to compare it to the Pontus II.

[@iiWiReviews]

You might be right and I've found some impressions that Pontus is its performance equivalent... but I simply compared it to what I have. Also, price wise it is actually closer to Ares II.

[@philbarone4603]

Sounds like a rock n’ roll DAC.

[@Pawel_1977]

I had SMSL M500 MKIII and I still have SMSL MKII but listening to them makes me tired. The treble is too detailed and the sound is almost sterile and the original record is not reproduced, but it is generated (I do not know how many bits the ES9038Pro uses to initially recreate the neat signal and then add other details based on the generated noise). Since I bought a Cayin RU6 and later a modern DAC on the old TDA1541, I fell in love with this sound. Do you think buying a Musican will be a step forward or is it better to stick to the TDA1541? I care about the enjoyment of listening to music, not about numbers and graphs.

[@johan5660]

Great review and a splendid way to express your thoughts about the pegasus sound. I wonder why Jay in his channel Jay's iyagi, a year ago, reviewed so badly about the pegasus. Did he get a faulty pegasus unit or did Musician audio made improvements on the review unit that was sent to iiWi for this review? I wonder, should I buy the pegasus or aries 2?

[@iiWiReviews]

Thanks! I can only assume that Jay actually got a faulty unit. If you browse the head-fi topic for Pegasus you'll find several impressions preferring it strongly to Ares II and putting it as equal to Pontus. Similar story on the Soundnews website and comments below it. I trust Jay and I can't imagine he would bash this product or advertise Denafrips deliberately... So the only logical conclusion to me is that he had a faulty unit and rushed into the conclusion.

[@johan5660]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you very much for the encouraging reply.

[@klepp19]

@@johan5660 There are always duds. They happen to get one that was first generation. Mine is the newest version.

[@wric01]

Got the cheaper 700 draco, do you get the intermittent distortions on playback like buzzing clipping?(pause and play to make it go away.) I suppose got what paid for to live with Cheaper more error resistors.

[@iiWiReviews]

I got those few times during the course of one week. It was happening when I switched from one sample rate to another. I didn't pay much attention because for one it happened rarely, and secondly because many of my previous DACs behaved similarly so I guessed it might even be due to a streamer.

[@tjmski]

I had a few times during break-in with my Pegasus that I had a couple of, “What was that?” I haven’t experienced that in weeks now.

[@klepp19]

Try USB input!

[@IDontExist14]

Please do a ranking for each price range , its missing on youtube

[@trubadyr99]

I always wondered how some newest lesser-priced R2R DACs compare to those such as Pegasus II, Venus II, Terminator II, and Terminator Plus. Also, is any audible difference between Musician Pegasus and Gustard R2R DAC reported by different users? How about the perceived audible sound quality of Terminator II and Terminator Plus? Are those differences so considerable that they justify the price difference between them? Also: is it possible to match, say: the best Topping DACs to the best R2R DACs if a delta-sigma DAC is used with some good DSP boxes which use some great software (such as Dirac, for instance) or pure software players which use good music-shaping software (Roon comes to mind)? I am searching for the best value in the best possible audio reproduction.

[@theredon2]

This looks good. Have you use it with the I2S to play SACDs? Thanks!

[@fearwolfbrewery5014]

You should try their preamp Monoceros!

[@radicalrealmrecordings42]

Are you aware the Pegasus II DAC is now out for review?

[@ronniefranks4351]

I’d like to try some of these Chinese-made DACs but I’m concerned that if it breaks, repairs would be nearly impossible.

[@liamporter1137]

👏👏👏👍Awesome closing especially about the knockoff comments. Those comments might be left by Musician competitors 🤣.

[@peterlarkin762]

In europe, including taxes, the Pegasus seems to be €450 more than the Ares 2.

[@Biefstukje]

I got the ares ii for 850 euro but had to pay customs 80 euro. I got the Pegasus for 1250 euro. That is 320 difference. In Europe

[@user-dd9pg8qv6x]

tell me, how are things going with the musicality and the involvement of this DAC? Is there any analyticity or detachment?

[@rokiedecentra9656]

i am thinking if EQ can make one dac sound like another because things like the bass have to come from somewhere dont they

[@NiSHAN256]

How is the SE output compared to the balanced? my amps are all SE and I'm seriously considering this DAC.

[@iiWiReviews]

It's very good to my ears. Balanced does sound better but that's also due to the fact that my preamp is fully balanced so that influences the result too.

[@mehmetcamat4458]

I am planning to get the pegasus after listening your review. Do you still think it is better than chord qutest and denafrips ares 2?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes I do. In fact, my friend that owns Qutest is using this Pegasus right now and selling the Qutest.

[@dungysphincter7974]

How does the Pegasus compare to the SMSL D300?

[@iiWiReviews]

D300 also sounds very natural without sharpness, but Pegasus offers more dynamics, more bass authority and more deteils. Now if that's worth this kind of price difference is very individual thing.

[@diogo2t06]

Nice video, thanks, do you can review de fiio k9?

[@xstensl8823]

do you ever listen to Classical music? how does this DAC portray it?

[@iiWiReviews]

Rarely, but I believe it's good for it too because of rich tone timbre, big see-through soundstage and precise instrument positioning. I never felt Pegasus congested the sound when music becomes complex, it's very composed, and I believe that's important for classical peaces.

[@xstensl8823]

@@iiWiReviews well, the Ares2 is outstanding on Classical. i will never go back to DS

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

@@xstensl8823 do you feel like resolution is lacking on the Ares2 for classical? seems to be the main criticism of it as a tradeoff for the smooth analog sound. Only reason im considering the Musician Pegasus instead

[@xstensl8823]

@@BigChungusthe3rd i think the Ares2 has a purity of tone that i hear. i play flute and the piano.

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

@@xstensl8823 welp, still no idea if I should go Pegasus or ares2. Thank you for your input

[@wyup]

you forgot to compare directly with your actual smsl m500 mk2, which replaced Ares II. Will you replace it now with Pegasus? On the other hand I'd like to suggest that part of Pegasus lack of consistency among reviews might be because it may need a preamp like your AI to sound good: output voltage is 3.55V on XLR (instead of 4.4V nominal).

[@NeilBlanchard]

I *think* the standard for single ended line out is 2.0V and for balanced, it is 4.0V. So the Pegasus would appear to be louder from its singled ended outputs, and quieter from its balanced outputs?

[@iiWiReviews]

I was thinking that the comparison with D90LE, that I've extensively compared to M500 MKII twelve days ago would be enough. Basically, M500 MKII is slightly less deteiled and narrower sounding but it still has plenty of fullness and smoothness. The soundstage on Pegasus is bigger and airer, and bass has a bit more grunt. All this said, M500 MKII is an absolute killer when you consider the asking price.

[@samueld4832]

Hi I’m wondering how does this r2r dac sound compared to the SMSL-10 ? Would love to know what you think. Thanks. And your reviews are super!

[@iiWiReviews]

I compared them directly in the SU-10 review that was done recently. Video is tagged as usual so you can find that part easily.

[@samueld4832]

@@iiWiReviews Great, thanks so much.