ARIES CERAT Kassandra II Reference DAC

MJ20.03.2025

Digital sources

After spending time with the Aries Cerat device I believe I better understand why there is so much enthusiasm about the brand in hifi circles. The Kassandra DAC, if set up properly, provides pure and strong sound that combines naturalness, dynamics, and tonal density into a wholesome whole. On top of it, it is an utterly musical device.

100% reference

Function and form

70%

Ease of use

96%

Sound

60%

Appearance

The Kassandra II Reference is an R2R ladder DAC (The R2R, originally written as R/2R, refers to a resistor ladder network consisting of resistors of two values, R and 2R. Editor’s note.). For Aries Cerat this was an obvious choice to avoid digital filters that are always present in delta-sigma designs. The logic is merciless: less processing, no filters = cleaner sound. In Kassandra Analogue Devices AD1865N-K 18-bit DACs are used, 16 per channel, working as 2x8 parallel switched resistor ladder converters to improve linearity and noise. A lot of attention went to clocking (the Kassandra uses its own SuperClock to re-clock the internal clock) and jitter elimination (the jitter is practically absent, in order of femto seconds). The ”clean & pure” design philosophy continues by excluding opamps from the design. The Kassandra uses a special transformer to convert current to voltage on the R2R ICs output. The gain stage is analogue and replicates solutions used in Aries Cerat’s amplifiers. In fact, the gain is provided by a single-ended tube amplifier that is biased by ultra-low-noise power supplies. The output impedance is selectable between 10V @50ohms and 5V @12ohms. It is useful. For example, when I connected Pilium Alexander preamplifier (driving Pilium Achilles stereo block), the input of the Alexander was overmodulated. Flipping the gain settings on the Kassandra solved the problem in 5 seconds. When I played direct to Audia Flight Strumento No.8 monos, the gain went back into the full position.

The format of the DAC is quite unusual in size (540mm W x 520mm D x 165mm H) and weight (60kg). As you will need to access it from the top (because all control elements are there), it is predestined to be ideally placed on floor, or at the top of a sturdy audio rack. Fit and finish is rugged and industrial, built like a weapon, not a Swiss watch. The connection to Greek mythology adds the flavour that is so typical to Aries Cerat.

Bass management

Weight

Slam

Articulation

Over the week the Kassandra was tested in two reference systems and compared to four very different DACs from Ayon Audio, Lampizator, and Wadax. Before I get to it, some general auditory observations.

The Kassandra Reference DAC provides high density sound that seems to be tonally very correct. If you are used to listening to DACs of sub 15k€ category, then the Kassandra will crush your wildest imagination of what a DAC can do for the sound of a system. It is a difference between listening to digital files at home and listening to real instruments playing from the open window of your local school of music arts. The sound of Aries Cerat is harmonically rich and the Stradivari’s viola (model Mahler 1672) that Antoine Tamestit plays in Bellini’s bel canto Norma opera was as close to a viola playing in a small concert venue as I am used to hear. The glow of the two tubes under the perforated lid of the Kassandra made me assume (that was before I actually learnt that this DAC is 99% solid state) that I would be listening to warm, embracing and romantic sounding device. The sound of it, however, was comfortable 21°C; it was well centered and not leaning to either cold or warm side of the music spectrum. That resulted in a very authentic listening experience with high amount of ‘rightness’ to it. Then there is the dynamics.

Clarity & delicacy

Detail

Air

Transparency

The dynamic capabilities of the Kassandra II Reference surpass what we are used to in this category and beyond. It was best heard with well-recorded jazz pieces (like Chiara Pancaldi’s Wouldn´t It Be Loverly), where microdynamic modulations of the instruments and the voice were expressive as much as the macros, when the microphone ‘pops’ of the vocals spit out from the speakers lightning fast. Ditto for a live piano recording (Phoebe’s Samba, Live in Santa Cruz) where Benny Green played as if it was the last performance of his life and dynamic runs on the piano’s keys were superbly present and alive.

A drumstick hitting a drum rim was another example of how the Kassandra was competent. There was no chance you’d not recognize the piece of wood hitting the piece of metal, yet the Aries Cerat perfectly conveyed the modulations of how the wood flexed and letting me know the hardness of it.

It took some time before I could enjoy the Kassandra in full. Within an hour or two the DAC went from a device sitting between the source and the amplifier to its complete disappearance. When there are electronic parts in the path of signal, you know it no matter how good the playback is. But the moment when the parts disappear is also easily identifiable – that is the moment of you melting in the music and forgetting about the devices. I guess it would be advisable not to switch the Kassandra off at all. However, the constant playing time would shorten the triode tubes life. Aries Cerat suggests around 9000 hours before the tubes may need replacement. This means roughly a year when they are on nonstop. The new set (2x E280F) is offered at around 300€. I pay same amount of money a year for servicing my bike suspension. Of course, when you switch the Kassandra off regularly, you’d get years of music and may forget about the tubes.

Tonal accuracy

Timbre

Dynamics

Temporal resolution

In the corners of the front top steel plate, there are two knobs protruding up from the chassis. The right one switches between two S/PDIF digital inputs, the right one switches between one USB and one AES/EBU input. As all coaxial inputs are isolated by transformers, the manufacturer says it is possible to use XLR-to-RCA adaptors to use your existing AES/EBU cable for S/PDIF inputs. The left knob one also enables the “double re-clocking” mode of the Kassandra that reduces jitter. The jitter is already low with the internal clock, the difference between the two modes is very subtle. Need to say that the re-clocking only works for 44.1kHz sample rates.

Another feature is exposed when the rear top steel plate is removed. There is a display, two toggle switches and two knobs next to them. With the toggle switch the knob is activated. Each channel has its own switch and knob, and the display shows the value to which the L/R tube is biased. The value goes from 180 to 290 and corresponds to 1.8V to 2.9V of the bias. I can tell you that this adjustment is a very powerful instrument to voice the Kassandra exactly to your preferences. It like sitting behind a mastering console with just one “grand master” knob. This adjustability gives you many options how to compensate the sonic signatures of sources, amplifiers, cables, and even albums. Why to search for a different preamp to make the sound thicker/leaner (and much more) when turning a bit two knobs is all that you need? It soon can be your curse too – when I set the bias to have fantastic sound of one album, I reset it for another. During my experiments I tended to move in 220 and 250 range, as the extremes were too much in one or other direction. The higher I went, the punchier and more controlled the bass was, but also start to miss the density and colours. I must admit that although I wanted to outsmart the distributor, who recommended the value of 228, I did not. In the end, my final listening preference stabilized at… 228. Your preference may vary, that´s why the knobs are there.

With all the 4 knobs around the chassis the control of the Aries Cerat Kassandra II Reference is simplistic and minimalistic. I liked it.

Spatial resolution

Holography

Soundstage width

Soundstage depth

As far as the thermal management is concerned, even though there are two tubes the Kassandra stays cool after a half-day listening. The mass of the thick stainless-steel plates and side panels, and the thick slab of black glass instead of a front panel make for a good heat sink. The only disadvantages are weight and the fact, that the chassis is prefabricated from pre-cut metal sheets and joint by many bolts. The chassis rattles and quite significantly so. When I transported the DAC in the trunk of my car, I heard it from my driver’s seat. When the DAC was on the parquet floor, it rattled when I walked around. The high amount of the cylinder-head bolts won’t let you choose where to put any aftermarket feet under the Kassandra too. You just put them where they can be put, as we did with the Stillpoints Ultra 6 V2. By the way, the Kassandra benefited quite a lot from the Stillpoints.

Definitely, I would like to see better craftsmanship, but can that be achievable at the same price point and with the same performance levels? Or would I have to pay much more the have this performance and a better crafted chassis? I guess the latter. That’s also one of the conclusions when the Aries Cerat Kassandra II Reference DAC was compared with some elite competitors.

Wadax Studio Player (43k€) is a premium all-in-one digital powerhouse combining CD/SACD disc player, streamer, and DAC. In this duel, the Kassandra had an advantage of much better front end. While the Wadax used its own built-in streaming engine, the Kassandra was fed by the USB outputs of the Taiko Olympus 3-box system. The Wadax provided more control in bottom end, it was cleaner sounding in mids and treble, and its soundstage was more spacious and exact. In turn, the Kassandra was smidgen denser and more colourful in midrange, albeit at the expense of sounding less relaxed and more mechanical. Lampizator Horizon DAC (55k€) is a tubed device and one of the finest DACs available. Versus the Kassandra, the Horizon provided convincingly more resolved and better textured sound, with more vivid colours, better dynamics and more midrange delicacy. In turn, the Kassandra was a bit mightier in bass (at the expense of textures and definition) and less flavoured (the Horizon had its usual slightly warm sound signature).

To conclude, the Kassandra stacked surprisingly well against the DAC aristocracy, yet it also showed the room for improvements. Quite understandably, it is half the price. For like-to-like comparison, the Signature version of the Kassandra (48k€) or Ithaka Minor DAC (56k€) would be more appropriate.

I am thankful that I could spend time with the Aries Cerat Kassandra II Reference. It is a big and heavy device (it weighs more than 20 units of the popular Topping D90 DACs) so think twice before you buy. But if you buy, you won’t be disappointed.

Price as reviewed:585 000,- Kč

Recommended resellers

Mecca Highend s.r.o., Vraclav, +420 732 576 216

Manufacturer's website: http://www.aries-cerat.com

Associated components

Sources: Taiko Olympus XDMI system, Wadax Studio Player, Ayon CD-35 HF Edition SACD, Lampizator Horizon DAC
Amplifiers: Audia Flight Strumento No.8 mono amplifiers, Pilium Achilles power amplifier, Pilium Divine Alexander preamplifier, Nobsound XLR passive volume control
Loudspeakers: Silent Laboratories 3-way prototypes, Kroma Atelier Matilde, YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2
Interconnects and speaker cables: Krautwire Numeric Digital, Stage III Concepts Xphynx USB, Ckahron XLR, Cerberus speaker cable (single wire), Synergistic Research SRX XL
Power conditioning: Telos Power Station Tai Chi Yin and Yang, Telos Grounding Station, Stage III Concept Leviathan and Poseidon, Synergistic Research SRX XL, Synergistic Research Galileo PowerCell SX and Active Ground Block SX

Gallery

ACCUPHASE DG-58