Ares II

About the Ares II

The Denafrips Ares II is an entry-level R2R ladder DAC from Denafrips, featuring proprietary R2R + DSD architecture with true balanced 24BIT R2R + 6BIT DSD decoding using 0.01% precision resistors and 8 meticulously matched resistor arrays (4 per channel) to minimize linearity errors. It delivers a natural analog sound signature, praised for competing with higher- Inputs include USB (PCM up to 24/1536kHz, DSD1024), 2x optical (PCM 24/192kHz, DSD64), 2x coaxial (PCM 24/192kHz, DSD64). Outputs are balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA. Recent firmware updates (e.g., July 2023) addressed dropouts and enhanced the signature organic sound with improved clarity. It remains actively supported with ongoing firmware releases and is not discontinued, though a 15th Anniversary edition exists.