Yes. I’m located in a countryside of Japan, called as Nagano-prefecture.
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We are pleased to have you join us .
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Agreed!
I haven’t heard either of these. They are beautiful. I played them but was distracted and wasn’t able to listen to them critically, I will try again later today or tomorrow morning.
Thanks for letting me know about Stile Antico.
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You might also like The Josquin Songbook: Music for two voices and Vihuela.
Serene music and very well recorded with nice spacious ambiance and singers and instrument not in the centre.
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Last night I got to hear a MK 2. The owner did some comparisons to his Denafrips Terminator.
The MK 2 was far better imo. It had a more refined, hifi sound that I really enjoyed. With no loss in detail, the MK 2 had a more luscious feel. Using an amplifier analogy, the Denafrips was Class D, the MK 2 Class A.
If I cared more about my digital side, I might buy one and be happy.
BTW–I heard zero hiss coming thru his Focals.
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I wonder how it sounds compared to the entry level MSB Discrete DAC, how much of an improvement is to be gained with JK Richards nickel transformers?
Ron, I agree with you on the Denafrips sound, It is so PCM digital in its sound signature. I do not understand what people see in these throw back DACs that use resistor ladders or R2R configurations. I realize there are people who are serious about audio and SQ that love these DACs and I am not degrading them. I respect that they find that sound pleasing and thus choose those DACs. This truly demonstrates that in audio YMMV.
I have a Denafrips Pontus 2 and I like it very much. For the price (less than 1/5th the MK 2), it’s perfectly fit for purpose in my system. But then, don’t go by me, I’m a hopeless vinyl guy.
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Adrian from Audio Excellence in Canada (a PSA dealer) has a Youtube video where he compares the mk2 (stock) to the MSB Discrete, and finds that the MSB wins by a large margin. There’s a thread on that on PSA forums also
@kzk Another user here heard them both and he thought the exact opposite of Adrian! @Bob The review was already posted so can be self deleted.
Yeah, not surprising. Everyone may like something different. JA from Stereophile thought the Benchmark dac was better than mk2 but I’m sure there are many people who would prefer mk2 to the Benchmark.
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I have had the MK2 with the APS transformers for about a week now. They are still breaking in and sounding good. I’ll report after a recommended 200/300 hour stint. I will also reflect on the MSB Discrete DAC which I home demoed as well. Or, you can see my earlier posts in this same thread.
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Funny, I also owned the Benchmark DAC, and have moved on.
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Looking forward to your pending comments.
Ditto on vinyl! 
I haven’t heard any more or less “noise” with my Mk2 compared to the Mk 1. (But I use -20dB attenuators at my BHK 250’s inputs, so…)
I’m hoping Ted can make a light pass or two with a fine-cut file on some of the sharp edges. (Don’t round 'em over, though…lol.)
Any updates on scheduling for the revised firmware for the Mk II?
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8 posts were merged into an existing topic: The FR20’s Are Here