If you still spin CD's their is a reference level Transport for reasonable money

@in_shore I believe Mike Powell / Verrastar out of the Atlanta area is providing repair / warranty services for the Vinshine Audio product line which includes Denafrips, Kinki Studio, and Jays Audio, etc.

I also believe Mike has recently also become the U.S. representative for these product lines.

Reach out to Mike or Alvin, should you have any concerns.

I thought there were at least two levels of each DAC, maybe three, with the SE being the top model. Has that changed? (I don't mean SE vs Balanced)

@in_shore   Which level of Rockna DAC do you have? Can you share your impressions in greater detail here or via PM to me? Also, have you had a chance to try out or listen to their Net Player paired with the DAC? Thanks.

It's a good read, @wig  Keep the credit card close by. : )

@lordcloud  Congratulations on going forward with the Denafrips Terminator.

I was planning on responding to your post which I believe you have self-removed. If you would like my take on the questions you raised, feel free to reach out via PM. I second @snopro  's assessment. 

All the best.

@lordcloud  Again congratulations on going with the Terminator.

If you are still evaluating DACs, you may want to consider the Rockna. There is one currently listed on Audiogon.

As you know I am very happy with the Terminator's performance in my system. However, these are personal journeys and if you are looking at other DACs, I think the Rockna should also be on your list as should the Aqua Formula xHD.

If you do get one or more in, be sure to share your comparative findings. All the best.

Even beer tastes better listening to the CDT2

+1 : )

@lordcloud   The Denafrips Terminator accomplishes the difficult and rare feat of being both transparent and musical.

I think that components like the Rockna, MSB Select DAC II, Aqua Formula, etc., try to be as transparent as possible, while the Terminator tries to impose a specific sound on the signal it receives.

And how do you know this?  You have said you would like to audition it, correct?

The statements you have made are based on reading (as far as I can tell from your above posts). They are not accurate nor valid, like the one above and the one below: 

If the Terminator wasn't voiced downwards

I have no problem at all with you choosing another DAC. At the end of the day it's your system, your money, your decisions. But I do have a problem with the statements you have been making.

BTW and FYI, Srajan's 6Moons review of the Terminator compared it as being exceptionally close to the then Aqua Formula. The current xHD version is described as being ahead now, however at a price point of ~USD $17K.

Per your own definitions, I don't believe the Aqua will meet your needs as both it and the Terminator are "voiced" similarly, per the reviewer who has extensive experience with the Aqua Formula and which remains his primary DAC. 

I think the Rockna is an excellent option. Your statement of what you are looking for is commendable in it's honesty, though I don't believe the Rockna will sound "bad" at all : )

I want as little of a component's sound as possible, and as much of the sound of the music as I can get. Even if that means it sounds really bad.

I also want you to know that both the Rockna and the Aqua Formula xHD are DACs that are on my list, should I decide to bring in other DACs, at some point in the future. 

I'm letting the other readers know that the Terminator will deliver exceptional performance at a fraction of the cost of the other DACs mentioned.

In my experience, since October of 2017, and with over 2000 hours of dedicated evaluative listening, I can state with confidence that it is a highly resolving and highly musical DAC.

@teajay   TJ, my apologies for my non Jay's Audio Transport posts... I felt the statements being made needed to be addressed...I hope you understand.

@lordcloud   All of our gear is 'voiced' as it is designed by humans, most of whom (one hopes all) listen to their products through development to commercial release.

I have over a year of deep experience with this DAC. With multiple changes in amplification, server, player, power, cabling and isolation, it has stood the test of time and has kept pace with each system related change. In fact, as the system has been fine tuned and optimized it has scaled beautifully.

This product walks that very fine line between timing+musicality coupled with an extraordinary ability to retrieve musical information and convey it with nuance and subtlety, all the while maintaining that 'elusive' balance.

It took me awhile to realize just how resolving and detailed this DAC actually is. It's not something it shouts out, which says volumes.

All the best in your decisions and choice.

Denafrips Terminator 6Moons Blue Moon Award 2017: "A 'Budget-Priced' True Reference DAC"

Perhaps the word 'Reference' isn't important....

BTW, the DAC in his stable for the comparison was the Formula and not the La Scala. Let's continue what you quoted above:

"Right there, at ¼th the Formula's price but with added DSD, the hammer fell....Ultimate transparency opposes ultimate body. It's bone versus flesh. Our Formula sat closer to the transparency polarity. By definition, this meant a slightly leaner more lit-up lighter presentation. The Terminator moved over a bit to the opposite pole. This included more voluptuousness and weight. Quite by design, it mellowed whatever glare the Formula couldn't exorcise on poor productions. Audiophilia calls that more forgiving. It means that more of your bad recordings sound better. Only radicalized audiophiles call that irrelevant."

Full page linked here for acknowledgement and reference:

https://6moons.com/audioreviews2/denafrips/4.html

They are opinions I'm repeating.

Yup, Third Person works like a charm. First person be torpedoed. : )

Heck, one reviewer, whose opinion I respect was mightily confused by this DAC. These are points in time, with very specific systems during those periods, not necessarily optimized ones to a specific component. So my findings are different than Srajan's. This is coming from a guy who values Srajan's take on gear and has purchased based on his recommendations. I will be purchasing a speaker he loves, in a few days. I also find it interesting and curious that Srajan is searching for amplification that offers much of what he "found" the Terminator's strengths to be, in his system at that time, for his current fave system.

I'm a high resolution listener and I'm saying I have been able to get the resolution you are likely looking for, at a fraction of what you are looking to spend. I can easily and inexpensively make this DAC lush, but I would not want to, nor have I.

Over the past year, many warm and less resolved components, including speakers, components, cables, etc. have found their way out of my system. The Terminator has stayed. I can easily make it less musical and focus the spotlight on the details...but that's not what I want or am about.

Far easier to get a resolved system than a highly resolved and highly musical system. The Terminator plays that way more difficult hand well.

My proposition saves you around 12K or more new. The Terminator sells well on the used market and your loss will be minor. The Rockna, or the others,...well... : )

That 12K bought me a reference level 2A3 amp and preamplifier.

And yes, I did actively consider both DACs on your list: the Rockna and Aqua; as well as the EMM Labs DA2.

I believe the Rockna will be the better option, given what you have shared, than the Formula xHD, that is if my 2 cents hold value, for you. : )

All the best.

There is a used Rockna in Houston. Might be worth the drive there to listen to it in person. I doubt many used options come up.