The Garlubidor DIVINTY R2R DAC. A Better Denafrips.
By Steve Huff
For the last several weeks I have been listening to a DAC that has truly changed my way of thinking about how good a DAC can sound at its price point. In fact, I am going to go on record here now and state we do not need to spend more on a DAC than right here with the DAC I am reviewing today. Yes, of course you can get “better” and no..this one is not perfect, or any kind of Unicorn, but it’s damn good… especially for the under $2k price point. Think of this as a better Denafrips Pontus.
I am talking about a DAC today from an all new company called Garlubidor (quite the name) and their DAC called “The Divinity”. When I hear that word… “Divinity” I think of something heavenly, something special and something good.
Before I get to the performance of this R2R DAC let me state that this looks alot like a DENAFRIPS DAC design. In fact, there was a Denafrips business card inside of the box. When I emailed Garlubidor and asked about this (asked if they are Denafrips) the answer was basically them telling me that Garlibudor is a totally independent company. When I checked online, yes, Garlubidor is owned by Denafrips. They are under the same umbrella but here with the Garlubidor brand I feel they are making things even better and bringing features many have looked for in a DAC.
love Denafrips DACs and have for years so if they are making them even better (at a similar price point) at Garlubidor then they will be on to something great. Even so, this Divinity seems to address some of the Denafrips brand shortcomings and comes in for a price of $1849, close to the same as the Denafrips latest Pontus model, which is also a superb DAC but the Divinity does not sound exactly like a Pontus 15th.
Spoiler: I know of no other DAC in this price range that can compete with this one. It has that R2R sound which is detailed with killer dynamics along with a balanced top to bottom performance. I’d take this over a Pontus 15th, easy,
Let’s take a look at the specs of the DIVINITY DAC, which is Garlubidors top end DAC at the time of this writing. They also have the “Phantom” which is their entry level DAC but today I will be focused solely on the DIVINITY.
- FPGA for digital signal processing
- 24Bit R2R architecture DAC
- High precision, low jitter active crystal oscillator 45.1584 MHz, 49.152 MHz
- STM32F446 proprietary USB audio based on AMR
- Sound control button (volume control)
- OLED screen (3.12 inches, orange)
- Customized, tripod shaped power tailstock
- Two low-noise O-shaped customized transformers+power isolation management
- Power input: AC 115V/230V, 50/60Hz (automatic selection)
- Panel buttons: standby button, audio input/confirm button, menu (confirm/exit) button, voice control button
- Display section: OLED screen (3.12 inches, 256 * 64 dots, orange)
- Remote control function: Supports (infrared), factory optional: GRC-2 remote control.
- Input support functions: USB audio, OPT, COAX, AES, I2S-1, I2S-2 (HDMI socket).
- Output support function: 2 sets of XLR (balanced) and 2 sets of RCA (unbalanced), which are left and right output channels respectively
As I unboxed the DIVINITY I was impressed with the heft, solidity and weight and again, feels like a Denafrips but I much prefer the design here of the DIVINITY. It has a large OLED display and very easy to read orange text. I love that it features a volume dial which means you can run this right into a power amp without the need for a preamp. Yep, I tested it as a preamp into my Galion A75 power amp, using the DIVINITY as the preamp and DAC. I also tested it at a fixed volume into the Enleum AMP 54R. In both scenarios it sounded fantastic, but more on that later.
The fit and finish here are superb, without flaws or any “cheapness” anywhere. This does truly have a high end vibe about it in the looks, the design and the features. Again, this is $1849 and my hope was that it sounded as good as it looked.
I started with it in a small system that is in a bedroom. This system houses two KEF R3 Meta speakers and right now I have my Galion P75 and A75 powering those speakers with an Eversolo A6II delivering the streaming music. This system sounds really great but not anything like my main system, so I used the DIVINITY there to run it in for about 72 hours straight.
While running in I heard a jump in clarity, refinement, spaciousness and dynamics vs the built in DAC of the A6II. After those 72 hours were up I moved it into my main system. This system right now consists of my O Audio Icon 12 speakers, an Eversolo T8 Transport and an Enluem AMP 54 R that is in for review. I also run a Vinshine Audio Taiheng power conditioner and their SW-10PRO network switch (also in for review). I also run a Devialet Astra in this system.
The Eversolo T8 is a bargain for what it is and makes me wonder why we need to spend more for a streaming transport. It is sitting atop a Vinshine Audio Network switch which I am evaluating now.
Garlubidor’s website says this about the Divinity DAC:
“Divinity is a mid-to-high-end R-2R DAC that achieves ultra-low distortion and background noise while preserving the original sampling rate. It features a fully balanced R-2R ladder network design (independent high-speed CPLD per channel), low-phase-noise oscillators, and full-digital input FIFO buffering with reclocking technology.”
So this one is a NOS DAC as it doesn’t oversample and there are no options in the easy to use menu to do so. It retains the ori9ginal sampling rate that it is fed, and I like this as I usually haven’t been a fan of oversampling with DACs. There are three buttons on the front of the Divinity. One for power on and off, one for menu and one for input selection. The black looks like this:
So we have XLR or RCA out as well as plenty of inputs such as I2S, Coax, USB and Optical. There is even an AES input here as well.
The Divinity also uses the “box within a box” design that seperates the power supply from the main board. This is good as it keeps noise away and yes, this DAC is silent without hum or buzzing. Also, it uses silver wire internally.
When I placed the Divinity in and pressed play on my Tidal Playlist I sat back in my chair with a glass of bourbon and dimmed the lights. Let me get right to the point here...The Divinity is DIVINE. The sound was nothing short of spectacular. The DAC I had in prior was the Fezz Equinox which is a tube DAC. I love the FEZZ as it offered up an airy, light-footed but sweet sound that had some tube flavor injected from the single tube it employs. The Fezz sells for $3k and is made in Poland. It’s a larger sized but lighter BOX than the Divinity and does not have a display at all, just the power switch. No remote, menus or anything to configure. Plug and Play.
The Divinity on the other hand, the one that costs almost half of the Fezz doesn’t use a tube but is an R2R DAC with that R2R vibe that so many love. Think a Denafrips Pontus type of DAC but with more detail and more of an open sound. More of that sound, but with improvements such as a bit more air, more impact, and very impressive dynamics. This is not what I would call a “warm” DAC, but it’s not lean or bright. It’s more neutral which is nice as it lets the music come through as intended without excessive color added. Meaning, this DAC doesn’t impose much of a character to the sound as some do. It delivers what is on the recording and does so with depth, layers, height and imaging to die for if your speakers are up to the task.
The Enleum AMP 54R is quite a special integrated amp. It’s the statement flagship piece from Enleum and sounds every bit of it. This will be in my best of 2025 video soon, but where will it land? Stay tuned.
When listening to this system the Divinity was sounding like a true high end DAC that would usually cost much more though it did bring with it that R2R character which is detailed, large and spacious. Paired with the Eversolo T8 the sound was sublime, Of course the Enleum amp here is helping with the magic, as are the Icon 12 so I decided to switch out the amp and speakers to dive deeper into the Divinity. What about using it with more price appropriate gear? Yea, let’s do it.
The Galion TSP75 and NAVY tubed preamps.
I swapped in my Galion A75 and P75 combo and this setup sounded a little more muted..or warm than the Enleum, so I was hearing the character of the pre and amp here, 100%. It was a shade darker, less open and less “wow” than when the Enleum Amp 54R was in but this is to be expected. The Enleum is a $25k integrated amp and the Galion is under $4k for the set. Even so, the Galion punches way above that $4k price tag and the Divinity was bringing nice dynamics, pop and again, the details were sublime. The sound crafted here was room filing with a nice wide soundstage and vocal clarity with some heft and body as well. Energy!
I then brought in my Pure Audio Project Duet 15 speakers and tested this with the Galion pieces as well as the Enleum. The Galion with the Divinity was yet again, excellent here with the Duet speakers. I was hearing everything I look for such as that spatial reproduction and drive, Clarity was superb as was the airiness. I then placed in the NAVY Preamp from Galion and removed the P75. Now I was hearing a more lit up more open presentation as the Navy is m0ore neutral than the P75. This sound was closer to the Enluem but not quite the same.
Going back to the Enleum Amp 54R took things to a new level, again, This amp is pure magic and is the only integrated I have heard that bests the Devialet Astra for pure all out sound quality (though not features and convenience, and sound quality is different really, rather than “better”. In fact the Enelum sounds like no other amp I have ever heard in my lifetime. Using its voltage mode was and is stunning.
Now I was hearing the Duet 15 sound wide open, every detail brought forth and while the bass wasn’t as big as with the Icon 12, the sound was spectacular, open, clear and again I was hearing what the Divinity was doing, or should I say NOT DOING. It just let the music flow and allowed each amp, preamp or integrated amp show their character. Even so the sound is natural with a wide open soundstage here and with the Enleum, Astra and Galion Navy there was some impressive holographic things going on within the soundstage.
Going back to the Icon 12, there it was. All out magic with the Divinity in play. For fun I took out the Divinity and brought in my Eversolo A6II into the main system as streamer and DAC. The sound shrunk, became a shade darker and duller in direct comparison and the details faded, soundstage flattened about 15% and while it sounded great, the all out magic was not there. The Divinity is truly a fantastic DAC at $1849 and performs to a high end level, maybe even as good as some $5-6k DACs I have heard. Compared to something like the LAIV Micro DAC that I love (under $1k) the Divinity present a more open and larger stage with less mid warmth but more details being exposed and easier to hear.
This DAC runs only in NOS mode which means it will not oversample the music. Many prefer this mode as it can sound more natural, and it does. This does in many ways remind me of a Denafrips DAC but even better. While it doesn’t reach the heights of say a Terminator from Denafrips it, for me, outshines even the Pontus which is incredible as the Pontus is considered end game by many.
Using the Divinity as a Preamp.
When I hooked this DAC up to the Galoon A75, my resident power amp for reviews and testing, I wanted to compare it to the A75’s natural partner, the P75 tubed preamp. The P75 is fantastic and has body, warmth, and drive while the A75 brings power, punch, clarity and airiness.
Compared to the P75, the Divinity was a bit sharper in sound as a preamp, more clarity was delivered but it lost some of the tube goodness that the P75 brought. I prefer the P75 into the A75 but I have to admit, the Garlubidor is excellent as a preamp if you value a more neutral presentation. The volume dial is quality and feels good when turning it up and down, again, nothing cheap feeling here at all. The remote is also nice and useful.
DOES IT GET BETTER?
Yes, it can and does but not for this price. While we can spend over $100k just for a DAC these days we can also send $50 if we wanted to. The performance of DACs in these price ranges vary wildly but I have always found a sweet spot in the $3-$6k range but admit my all time fave dream DACs cost over $10k such as the Weiss 501 MKII, the Nagra Tube DAC and the DCS Lina. We can get more but man, that “more” costs us big time!
The Divinity is not as refined in sound as the three I just mentioned above, but they cost $10k+ more than the Divinity.
if I were in the market for a new DAC and I had $3k to spend, I could see myself buying the Divinity as it will take a lot more cash to surpass what it does. Yes, I have heard probably over 100 DACs now and yes, I have heard those $200-$900 DACs made by some and I have also heard DACs in the $120k range. None of those super affordable DACs (even those made by a certain USA company) sound like or as good as the Divinity to these ears. This is a knockout DAC at a reasonable price for what you get in return. I love this DAC and it’s now been in my reference system for a few weeks, and I have had no desire to change it out for anything else, at all. That’s the best compliment I can give it. We have tons of DACs out there to choose from that sound superb but the Divinity brings clarity, an open almost see through soundstage and it leaves no detail unheard. It images like a champ as well, but again, the rest of your system also will matter here. The divinity also has the right amount of body and bass, without “puffing things up” to cause blurred images. It’s excellent and a DAC I doubt anyone would be unhappy with, unless you have been spoiled by the exotic DACs out there that cost as much as a new SUV, lol.
I have never heard a DAC this good for under $3k. Yea, it’s a great buy!
You can buy the Divinity DAC right here at the Garlubidor website.
