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Mola Mola Tambaqui or Denafrips Terminator Plus?

I need to pull the trigger, but there’s no opportunity to audition them. So far my thinking is:

Terminator Plus $6,700
+ Good reviews, lots of them
+ DAC only, no budget wasted on volume control, remote, etc.
+ Buy direct from distributor, no dealer mark-up
+ Tambaqui is 40% more expensive
- Less well-know Chinese manufacturer

Tambaqui $9,500
+ Good reviews, but fewer than Terminator Plus
+ Relatively cheap in my market
+ Very reputable manufacturer
- Sold through dealer network, increased mark-up
- Comes with volume control, pre amp, ethernet, bluetooth and remote which I don’t use

I’ve considered the dCS Bartok, but the Tambaqui seems to beat it while being 30% cheaper.

I listen to Tidal through a Roon Nucleus. Two channel, no headphones.
Amp: Dan D’Agostino Momentum Integrated. Speakers: Focal Stella Utopia Evo.

Anyone heard both? Any help with this decision is much appreciated.

P.S. In the next few years I’ll try to audition a more "end game" DAC to match the rest of the system. For now it’s Tambaqui or Terminator Plus.
robert1976

Showing 4 responses by yyzsantabarbara

yyzsantabarbara
4,466 posts
 
It is @robert1976 that has the Momentum Integrated. I do not have it but I was in the same room as Dan A when he demoed the Momentum line a few years back. Sounded pretty good but I do not like the looks of the line.

I have the CODA CSiB and it is a killer integrated. I am getting the Krell K300-i integrated next week with supposedly new specs. That should also be very good. Both should appeal to the Momentum fans. 

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yyzsantabarbara
4,466 posts
 
I was considering both of those DACs but I decided on the Romanian AudioByte VOX | ZAP | HUB because I think the tech on that is incredible. The HUB is not available yet but expected to be shipping in March. This is an FPGA based DAC.

The AudioByte (or Rockna)  guys today, likely know more about doing DACs than Bruno did in 2012 when the Tambaqui was created. Bruno is no longer part of the Mola Mola design team. Whereas, AudioByte and Denafrips have the original folks improving on the gear.

Of the 2 choices I would go with the TP+ even though all those parts in it give me pause for long term ownership. 
yyzsantabarbara
4,466 posts
 
@robert1976 The Tambaqui algorithm or design was conceived by Bruno in 2006 (approx). I read an interview he gave on ASR web site on this. The Tambaqui was given a good rating on that site and he participated in the discussion to promote it. The DAC was first released to the market as an add-on module to the Makua preamp. This was a $6K option. This was regarded very well and Mola Mola decided to release the DAC module as a separate DAC called the Tambaqui. Some people preferred an external DAC.

I was initially thinking of getting the Makua since I needed a preamp and DAC. However, the Benchmark HPA4 preamp came into the picture touting the same sound as the Makua. I tried that out first at a much lower cost and it turned out to be a great choice. I was considering the Tambaqui next as the DAC. However, I went another way with the DACs by buying 4 cheaper DAC's which  currently have.
yyzsantabarbara
4,466 posts
 
Mola-Mola Tambaqui | HFA - The Independent Source for Audio Equipment Reviews (hifi-advice.com)  (new review)

The following thread may have a comparison with the T+. 
The Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC - DAC - Digital to Analog Conversion - Audiophile Style



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