Musician Pegasus II R2R DAC REVIEW! ~ The Sound Advocate

The Musician Pegasus II R2R DAC brings a world of heavenly high-end sound at an amazingly low price!

The second version of the Musician Pegasus R2R DAC is so good that it is hard to find the correct words to describe its immensely fulfilling audio quality and musicality. *Version 2 of the Pegasus adds adjustments to some of the capacitor specifications and capacities for improved sound quality.

The Chinese company Guanghou LEZHIJIA Technology Co. also known as MUSICIAN Audio in the US, manufactures an array of analog and digital electronics. The Musician Pegasus is constructed of aluminum slab, has three blunt cones, elastomer-tipped feet, and only three buttons on the front of the device. It costs a pittance of $1099. While on its front faceplate, the right flanking button selects conversion modes and the left bordering button chooses input, the larger central button engages the gadget with a long click.

It has many if not more (in some ways) of the beauty of my current reference, The Mojo Audio Mystique X which by chance, happens to cost about $5000 more~ mind you, I have compared these two products extensively, and as you will see further on, the Pegasus leaves little to be desired as compared to the Mystique X with its excellent sound qualities!

LET’S DELVE INTO THIS GIANT KILLER

Pegasus came in a large package, and I have not encountered any of the R2R ladder DACs that are both lightweight and small. For added safety, the Pegasus DAC has been covered in a large quantity of foam to hold it neatly and it is easy to remove from its solid box.; a power cable is included in the box.

With just a few buttons and multiple red LED indications, the front panel is straightforward. However, it’s not only about aesthetics because the back of Pegasus is very easy to set up and its panel is perfectly displayed for easy use while having some excellent connectors, such as the gilded IEC power socket from the well-known Furutech brand.

This 24-bit R2R + FPG DAC includes on its front panel an adjustable oversampling (OS) and non-oversampling (NOS) mode switch. (The aforementioned is the way this little beast SHOULD BE USED!)

In very expensive DAC’s the team of engineers develops a filter that best represents their ideal of sound purity. The essential reconstructive filter is a major contributor to the overall sound quality of all DACs. This is especially true for distinct oversampling plans like MUSICIAN’s. When you are in the oversampling mode, we are primarily paying attention to how their filter performs. The NON oversampling modes are those that the DAC’s designers selected for the best listening experience!

Otherwise, these days, inputs include the standard furnishings supplied. (and finding an I2S input at this price point is attractive!)

Although Pegasus provides the standard digital inputs—USB, SPDIF, optical, balanced AES, and HDMI, all my sound assessments, which are included in this review below, were made using the SPDIF digital input. (Do not let enthusiasts proclaim a lack of quality here, for if your system is of the highest resolution, that’s what you will hear with the SPIDIF connections!!!)

RCA (2.2v RMS) and XLR (3.55v RMS) are among the outputs. The voltages of both outputs were somewhat lower than those frequently encountered in modern high-end DACs. However, since many DACs have far higher output voltages, which cause gain problems in many users’ systems, I found this to be quite enjoyable.

There was no instruction manual included but most users will find working the connections a breeze to understand and use accordingly.

SET UP AND SOUND QUALITY

My current test equipment consists of The Pass Labs XP-12 preamp, Argent/ Pur monoblocks (review coming shortly), Mojo Audio Mystique X (R2R) DAC and my current favorite, and reference at its price point, The Q Acoustics Concept 500’s. I use the fabulous Innuous Statement for streaming, (with their sense app for program sources) with which most of my listening was performed via Qobuz.

I make no apologies here for using most of my classical selections to audition for the Pegasus. It is the only way to get excellently recorded program material to differentiate the Pegasus’ naturalistic sound qualities as pertaining to close to live concert hall recordings and their virtues or fallbacks.

Make no mistake, I enjoy great pop-rock music, but they are by no means a way to evaluate great audio equipment; no, it will not suffice as it is electronically manipulated in almost ALL CASES! The classics (with a minimum of microphone placements) will exploit the Pegasus to its utmost as well as show its few weaknesses as I begin the listening sessions.

I was immensely impressed with the Pegasus straight away, as it presents music in a relaxed, smooth, open detailed, and fluid way. It is silky smooth, overtly transparent in the midrange, and most importantly it has barely any compromises in the mid frequencies. It did not take long to observe its ordinarily accurate sound stage presentation which sounded amazingly natural, and precise with all types of music, particularly classical, which is immensely hard to portray even through a most articulate sound system.

This type of presentation reaches way above its price point and Pegasus could be considered a singularly qualified “high-end” DAC/. The musical sound field includes tremendous amounts of bass impact, subtle detail, and great midrange musicality overall.

Superior and inferior music files can still be observed, but the less excellent ones are not as severely penalized. As we all know, the quality varies greatly, therefore I believe this will benefit audiophiles who stream a lot of their music. I believe it’s important to note that better-quality music files will always provide the performance boost you anticipate.

The Pegasus had a level of pace and timing which is superb for a DAC at this price. There is no digital stress or hardness to music that can be a sign of less well-engineered R2R DACs on the market… the Pegasus just sounds composed, smooth, and unwavering in its musical delivery and is so relaxingly elegant and harmonious. It is so immaculately sincere in its melodious prowess that you want to keep listening to it and programming more of your favorite sources. The Pegasus simply sounds focused seductive, and steady in its musical delivery.

The sumptuous treble delivery is not surprising; it may be slightly softer than some other DACs, but depending on the type of music you’re listening to, it could be an advantageous feature. The voices of both men and women are incredibly realistic, and natural while having an “instinctual” presence. They also have a clean, unforced tone with a somewhat unique and pure tonality. Because they create a musically rich balance throughout the huge soundstage, orchestral performances and operatic voices are incredibly faithful to the source.

The bass, initially I felt was a touch softer than I am used to, but with more listening it’s balanced quite nicely and exhibits an overall even impactful presentation with the Pegasus. The bass response is clean, compact, and tight. Bass drums, cellos, and double bass sounded wonderful while upper massed violin strings were superbly satiny and extremely natural. The bass again has a fine fundamental character and flow to it.

The NOS button is an interesting one with it OFF, in its default position with the overall sound from the Pegasus portraying outstanding depth and width on the soundstage. With the NOS selected to ON (oversampling off) the sound is much more lavish, delicate, and intricately real sounding, the timing is better and the presentation with very accurate loudspeakers is more palpable and evenly balanced sounding. I preferred the sound with the NOS enabled with no oversampling, which is as it should be. Some audiophiles may prefer a more demanding upfront sound if that is your preference. You have a good choice here.

COMPARISON

I naturally compared the Pegasus II to my reference DAC, the Mojo Audio Mystique X DAC (R2R) which comparatively speaking is much more expensive. Although I discovered some fine similarities, certain expressions of sound quality differed.

I don’t normally use the term “organic” to describe sound quality, but I can safely say that the Mojo Audio Mystique, had a touch more of a solidity in its bass response and an organic overall “resoluteness” than the Pegasus. On the other hand, the Pegasus was equally impressive in its “airiness around instruments” wonderful and stable center imaging, and a uniquely relaxing treble quality that offered a truly equitable presentation as compared to my Mystique X.

They are both great DACs to listen to and use in the most distinctive high-end systems. I have the opportunity to use both now, but if your budget is a bit tight, you can not avoid being tempted by Pegasus II, especially at its significantly lower amount of money!

SUMMARY

All things taken into consideration, only a fool would bypass a DAC of the quality of the Musician Pegasus II DAC. There are audiophiles and music lovers who fawn over more upsampling, elaborate, and costly DACs; not because they (necessarily) sound better but because of their prestigious nameplates and cost. I feel sorry for those types. Music is the essence of a great product and Pegasus has this in spades!

Do not be fooled by its price. This is a performer that could take four encores in a concert hall orchestral performance! The Pegasus II R2R DAC has so much going for it that its natural, innate sound characteristics can not be overlooked or denied. Openness, transparency, subtle treble (while not bright), excellent midrange integrity, and detail; this is what Pegasus offers as it transforms your audio system into a gem of gems.

When fully warmed up Its supremely smooth treble, a lovely, illustrious midrange, and delicately tight bass response with all your favorite sources, be it rock, jazz or classical music is its hallmark. The price as evaluated warrants an outstanding buy! A great component, excellent build, and magnificent sound. This unit is a keeper!

Reference Components used for evaluation: Loudspeakers: ~ Q Acoustics Concept 500 loudspeaker ~ Digital: Mojo Audio ‘Mystique’ X DAC ~ Innuos Statement server/streamer ~ Audio Note (UK) CD3.1x/2 player/DAC Analog: Audio Technica LP-7/ZYX Bloom 3 mc cartridge Amplification: ~Pass Labs XP-12 preamp, Pass Labs XA30.8 power amp Argent/Pur Mono-block amplifiers~ Cables/ Conditioners:Inakustik AC-3500p power station &, AC-2404 reference Air Power Cord ~ Argent/Pur 12 loudspeaker cables~ Audience Front Row speaker cables /interconnects ~ Clarus “Crimson” 75-ohm digital spdif / Audio Art 1 e” AC Power Cord

*Version 2 of the Pegasus adds adjustments to some of the capacitor specifications and capacities for improved sound quality.

Features

Proprietary R2R + DSD Architecture
True balanced 24BIT R2R + 6BIT DSD (32 steps FIR Filters)
Low Noise Power Supply
FIFO Buffer
Digital Signal Processing via FPGA
DSD1024, PCM1536 Supports USB & I2S Input (the audio source needs to be compatible with the native interface)
Proprietary USB Audio Solution via STM32F446 Advanced AMR-Based MCU
Licensed Thesycon USB Driver For Windows Platform
Driverless On Mac & Linux

DSD
DSD64-DoP On All Input
DSD1024 On USB & I2S Input

PCM
24bits / 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192KHz On All Input
1536kHz On USB & I2S Input

Sampling Mode: Non-Oversampling NOS / Oversampling OS

Digital Input
Coaxial * 1 via RCA
Optical * 1
USB * 1
AES/EBU * 1
I2S via HDMI LVDS * 1

Analog Output
RCA: 2.2Vrms
XLR: 3.55Vrms

Specifications
Frequency Response: 10Hz~60KHz
THD+N: 0.002%
S/N Ratio: 123dB(A-weighted)
Dynamic Range: >120dB
AC Power Requirement: 110-240VAC, 50/60Hz (Worldwide Voltage)
Power Consumption: ≤20W
Dimension: 280 x 250x 50 mm
Package Dim: 375 x 330 x 115 mm
Package Content: DAC + AC power cable, No remote control.
Weight:3.9 Kg
Color: Silver / Black