This is a consumer Review of the Pegasus DAC purchased for my home-office …. A room 12’x 12’ w/ a 10 ft ceiling. The DAC is hooked it up to my PC (JRIVER media center 21) via 15’ of USB cable. The PC uses Windows 8.1 and the driver install & connectivity was a snap. Associated equipment; a Clone 25i Integrated (an exceptional integrated in itsRead more about review stating Musician Pegasus R2R DAC own right and certainly for the money), AAC IC-3 Classic RCA IC’s and Wave Touch Audio’s – Antero bookshelf speakers; a dual driver system w/ AMT tweeter (sweet) and 5” mid-bass driver – Sensitivity 93 dB. This system performs at its peak in smaller or mid-size rooms. Note: It is written on the Musician site that XLR output is “superior” and should be used but the Integrateds I have for this room have no balanced inputs.

There are a couple of Reviews out there on the Pegasus and I find them to be on the whole, accurate. This DAC does have an impressive build quality at almost any price range with a finish that feels great to the touch. The chassis plates look to be of anodized aluminum (thick), but with a gloss-like finish I’ve not seen before – very nice. One more thing, and you just don’t see a photo of this anywhere in Reviews or on the Pegasus site, but the multiple “pin-point” LEDs in a bright RED are quite stunning and especially in contrast to a black finish (my choice).

SQ: Just out of the box – zero break-in time. The Site says allow about 300 hours – leave it on continuously for 12.5 days and you’re good to go. First, the unit is DEAD quiet and I mean D-E-A-D~! With no playback, I turned up the volume of the Integrated to maximum, put my ear to the speakers and there was nothing. I listened to a variety of genres including mainstream rock, classical, new age and some smooth jazz and I preferred the NOS mode which gives perhaps a more natural sound although the differences between NOS and the unit’s oversampling mode are largely subtle and an untrained ear will not hear a difference. The stage is of good size and with depth, needless to say it filled the room easily and with the volume up a bit, the music brings on a greater sense of substance and presence. The DAC is quite dynamic and very capable of offering subtle nuances or microdynamics and especially (it seems) in classical tracks. In terms of mid-range: strings have an alluring smoothness and violins/cellos have an appealing visceral, ingrained quality. Voices are very well imaged and have a natural sustain & decay character.

Overall and In general the Pegasus’ strengths are clarity, detail, transient focus, fluidity, transparency, a purity of tone and very good dynamics. Seriously, what else could you ask for at this price point? I’ve had many DACs in this room over the last several years, including Mytek, Chord, Auris, Schitt and others, but this, my first R2R topology, is at the top of the list. And the bass extension, the lower octaves, are the best I’ve heard in this system - full & rich. I also have a tube Integrated (Triode TRV-300SE) that I’ll try next w/ this DAC. Is the Pegasus of the caliber of say, a Lampizator Pacific or a Soulution 760? No, of course not, but you’re not spending many thousands of dollars either.

Yeah, I’d say that even at double the price, you’d still be doing well. And if in fact, the use of XLRs offer a superior sound (vs RCAs) as promised, then you’re in for a special treat …. that’s for true~! :))