Denafrips Terminator

My friend and I swapped his Terminator for my DSD for two days. We do this often. It’s fun but sometimes it can turn out to be expensive.
First off the Terminator is gorgeous.
After two long days of listening, they’re very different. I love them both.
Terminator is extremely detailed. The DSD is more analog sounding.
The Terminator is like Professor Markham, Macro Economics 201, who required us to sit up straight and pay strict attention to detail.
The DSD (Snowmass) is more like Jennifer Aniston sitting on your lap, giving you a scalp massage while you listen.
I’d be happy with either but I won’t be selling my DSD. And my friend won’t be buying one.

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The Terminator has a remarkable parts count. It is fun to look at its insides.

Good review.

Glad I didn’t succumb.

Define “Gorgeous”. This is a serious question, JSYK Ron.

It has a simple, clean design. Well executed I expect it to be appealing.

It is hard to tell from pictures.

Hence my question, as I didn’t get that feeling from pictures.

The other thing that gives me pause. What happens when one or more of those jillion caps (or whatever) craps out? Not taking any sort of position here, just Ladder-Curious.

It feels “bank vault” solid. The surfaces are smooth and flawless. The buttons have a silky feel. The led’s are tiny which is definitely my preference. It’s surprisingly heavy. Their are lots of input choices and outputs feel solid and tight. “Denafrips” is beautifully engraved in the faceplate. And there’s no useless display.
A negative is the “graphics” are tiny and I need glasses to read them.

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My friend Larry’s answer to that very question is that they troubleshoot over the phone and then send you the board to replace.
Servicing is my primary issue with manufacturers with no US service presence.

I don’t have any feelings about those impressions, as they are for me, unboxing sorts of things. Your sound review is more meaningful to me. And I’m more in the Anniston-In-My-Lap Camp. So, as I mentioned - Glad I didn’t succumb.

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As further proof audiophile are aging, I note the mentioned hot babe is in her 50s.

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For which most of us would be taken to task for being “cradle robbers” :man_shrugging:t2:

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LOL…

(Not that there is anything wrong with that.)

I keep a DSD for the way it sounds to me, but I don’t think anything else I have ever read about it has added more to my positive ownership experience. :grinning: @RonP, I salute your talent for clever audiophile analogies.

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It sounds like quite an aural experience.

The Holo May DAC is the new “King” of the R2R’s but I’m keeping my DSSr. Here my take on it :

Thanks to New Record Day Ron for the loan. I had the same findings @RonP .
No remote control for me is a huge deal breaker !

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Now where did I leave that 10 foot pole???

I remember when a remote control was a broomstick with a slot cut in the end to change the channel :wink: We called it the God stick.

I also remember the 4 clicker tuning fork remote, one of the first I believe.

Jennifer Aniston will do just fine too. I’ll take warm (slightly) and enjoyable over analytical all day (and night) long.

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51…same age as me. Friends premiered 26 years ago (almost). I feel old Elk. :frowning:

Time certainly zips along.

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Yes, and 52 is when it hits warp speed and the dilythium crystals start to really glow.

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