Aries Cerat Kassandra II Ref DAC: Wow!

Believe High Fidelity

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USB cable at home. I just need Stavros to give me a surprise and tell me that the Kassandra has ended earlier than planned and full happiness....;)

Well I hope he doesn't I have 2 more he still owes me. Hope my clients get it before Christmas for the ultimate 120lbs stocking stuffer lol
 

Legolas

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It's like when you were a kid and stayed up all night on Christmas Eve. Only now the toys cost 20K+ not 3 USD LOL.

Actually, my obsession with audio started at a young age, about 10 years old, when I built my first speaker. A kit with plans for the cabinet. Sounded great, looked hideous.
 
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nonesup

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Hi Julian.
Could you tell us why you preferred the integrated Genus, about Diana?
 

morricab

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Hi Julian.
Could you tell us why you preferred the integrated Genus, about Diana?
Hi Francisco,
We have both here in Switzerland (actually we have Diana Forte, Diana Integrated and Genus). After getting the Diana Integrated and Forte we realized that it is difficult to get them to customers for demos at their residences. They are at least a 3 man lift to move about. The Genus is a more friendly 2 person effort and sonically fully captures what Aries Cerat is all about. It is a great sounding amp that allows full dynamic expression of the music, is extremely transparent and yet tonally correct. For us, it was necessary to have a smaller unit (still 70Kg!) that we can "take on the road" more easily.
 
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nonesup

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Ok, but still there will be differences in the sound, I suppose. Could you tell me what they are?
Regards
 

morricab

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Ok, but still there will be differences in the sound, I suppose. Could you tell me what they are?
Regards

Mainly the difference is dynamic explosiveness. The Diana Integrated has a bit more of that (but really only a bit) as you might expect from a larger power supply and larger output transformers. Tonally, they are very similar, despite Diana being all DHT...it might be a bit "creamier" but only very slightly I would say. Transparency is essentially equal as well...Genus might even win here. On a dynamic (i.e. not horn) speaker, the Diana integrated might have a bit more bass grunt, which could help if it is used on speakers with harder to control woofers (low impedance). The tradoffs of reducing the size of the amp from Diana size to Genus size are very small indeed. Of course if you consider 25 watts sufficient and want to go to the max then the Concero 25s would be an interesting choice. These are about 70Kg each, so even more ambitious power supplies than Diana with the same simplicity of 2 stage circuit like Genus (this also makes a lot less heat).

That said, we used Genus at our recent show with tiny Boenicke W5s (which are only around 83-84db sensitivity) and Kassandra and people were slack jawed at the HUGE and dynamic sound this produced...it even surprised us, given that Genus is "only" 25 watts. We were playing quite loud as well...no one could believe their ears and eyes (there was serious congnitive dissonance at the discrepancy between size of speakers, amp/DAC and sound).
 
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Legolas

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Header-Product-Page-Concero65.jpg
What about the Diana Forte? It is a beefed up Diana Integrated, minus the pre-amplifier section. BUT you get 60 watts of SET power not 25. It is a beast for sure and has embarassed many top tier power amplifers. Email Stavros for details on that.

Your REF 5 has enough gain to feed the Forte, probably no need to sell that. I also considered the Forte but I don't have a pre-amp good enough for it, thus the Genus was my choice. Your Rockports are less efficient than my Zingalis, so the Forte power would a great match in your system. Plus tubes right through DAC > Pre-amp > Power amp = audio nervana.
 

nonesup

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Well that will be a possibility to consider in the future. In two years I have to pay the Kassandra, after that time ... everything is possible.
 

nonesup

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Mainly the difference is dynamic explosiveness. The Diana Integrated has a bit more of that (but really only a bit) as you might expect from a larger power supply and larger output transformers. Tonally, they are very similar, despite Diana being all DHT...it might be a bit "creamier" but only very slightly I would say. Transparency is essentially equal as well...Genus might even win here. On a dynamic (i.e. not horn) speaker, the Diana integrated might have a bit more bass grunt, which could help if it is used on speakers with harder to control woofers (low impedance). The tradoffs of reducing the size of the amp from Diana size to Genus size are very small indeed. Of course if you consider 25 watts sufficient and want to go to the max then the Concero 25s would be an interesting choice. These are about 70Kg each, so even more ambitious power supplies than Diana with the same simplicity of 2 stage circuit like Genus (this also makes a lot less heat).

That said, we used Genus at our recent show with tiny Boenicke W5s (which are only around 83-84db sensitivity) and Kassandra and people were slack jawed at the HUGE and dynamic sound this produced...it even surprised us, given that Genus is "only" 25 watts. We were playing quite loud as well...no one could believe their ears and eyes (there was serious congnitive dissonance at the discrepancy between size of speakers, amp/DAC and sound).

Could you tell me the differences in sound between Diana Forte and Concero? and the input impedances of both
 
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Legolas

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Could you tell me the differences in sound between Diana Forte and Concero? and the input impedances of both
I have asked Stavros via email. He may spot this thread. If I get a reply sooner, I'll come back here with it.
Input impedance is generally 30-50K or there abouts for power amplifier inputs. Stavros told me today the Diana Forte would would very well with the ARC Ref 5, so it must have enough gain and a good output impedance match.
 

Legolas

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Stavros said this today about the Forte v the Concero:
Concero has a much beefier PSU in all stages, better biasing circuits. Also better interstage transformers.
 

nonesup

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Ok.
Thank you
 

defstathiou

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Just became an owner of an Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref II DAC...and could not be happier!

The Kassandra could be re-labelled as an "emotion generating" device. It could also be used for "music therapy"! How could this be the result of a DAC? I really don't know how Stavros has done it...but well done to him! His abilities are truly extraordinary! I cannot imagine a more natural/musical DAC to be possible, yet Stavros has decided that there can be - with the Kassandra Signature and LE models!

In fact, I think buying the Kassandra DAC has been the best way I have found so far to spend my hard earned savings. Thank you to Aries Cerat / Stavros Danos for giving us such an extraordinary product.
 

Legolas

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Just became an owner of an Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref II DAC...and could not be happier!

The Kassandra could be re-labelled as an "emotion generating" device. It could also be used for "music therapy"! How could this be the result of a DAC? I really don't know how Stavros has done it...but well done to him! His abilities are truly extraordinary! I cannot imagine a more natural/musical DAC to be possible, yet Stavros has decided that there can be - with the Kassandra Signature and LE models!

In fact, I think buying the Kassandra DAC has been the best way I have found so far to spend my hard earned savings. Thank you to Aries Cerat / Stavros Danos for giving us such an extraordinary product.

Congratulations! I completely agree with you on the sound of this DAC. I forgot the analysing and hifi aspect of it, and found I just enjoy listing to it for hours and very loud LOL. Must be my Harley Davidson moment (old guy acting up). I have the Genus landing in a few days, can't wait.... stocking up on the big bottle 813s as we speak.

813 RCA NOS FRONT.JPG 813 RCA NOS BACK.JPG
 
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nonesup

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Well, it definitely could not be for Santa. I hope it can be for the "Reyes Magos”
 

nonesup

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Well, my Kassandra along with the new USB cable already have 250 hours.
I have no ability to do a review like professional writers and some forum members who do it very well.

If I had to choose the characteristic that I consider better, I would say that it is the "naturalness" in the sound, understood by this as the opposite of the typical digital sound. If I make a comparison with my lumin A1 (it's very easy because it's still installed in my Rack), I can see that it is more dynamic, the image is wider and higher, gives me more microdetails..... all yes, but not the night and the day (and this confirms how good the Lumin A1) , but where it cannot compete is in what I call "naturalness", in the clarity that plays an orchestral "Tutti" and in the purity of the timbres of the unamplified instruments. There's just a day and a night.

It is not cheap (although with the prices we see today.....) but I think it's worth the money I paid for it.
 
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