8 Reasons why you should buy an $50,000 DAC

Does Audio Note make a $50K DAC? 

That must be a rhetorical question. 😂

It sounds better than the $49,000 DAC…

One reason is I will buy because I can afford it , second audio is my passion .

Interesting fact and interesting journey! 

Thanks for your thread i understand better your intention now ...

It is why i insist on acoustics ... My 1000 bucks system satisfied me after electrical,mechanical and especially acoustical optimization...I am retired but most people dont have the money  as a studio and your friend, nor the time to learn basic acoustics and experiments ... Then they buy costlier gear in an illusory pursuit... Their sound experience will become good with better designed gear and price but they will never reach the optimum peak and certainly not the maximum acoustical peak experience.... Money dont replace acoustics...

My deepest respect enjoy your dac/system ...

lol @larryi

@mahgister I completely agree with you. I am writing my next to next post about that experience. My friend has a professional recording studio, a room on which more $100000 was spent, his pro audio ADC/DAC costs 700$, but never in my life even if I spend a million on audio gear would I equal the sound he gets in his studio.

Looking back, my DAC purchase made very little sense, it’s retail price (I did not pay retail) was more than the rest of my system, which was at the time all Nagra gear (purchased used).

If 50K$ was nothing for me, I wouldn’t have written this post making fun of myself and my silly audiophile decisions. But I agree the way high end prices are rocketing they make you feel like $50K is nothing.

I recommend you spend $95,000 for a DAC  

For example, “The MSB Cascade DAC, priced at $95,000, features a tri-chassis design dividing digital processing, analog conversion, and power supply into three dedicated units: the Cascade Digital Director, the Cascade Analog Converter, and the Cascade Power-base.

It uses eight new Hybrid DAC MKII modules for ultra-high resolution and ultra-low noise digital-to-analog conversion, paired with a custom oven-controlled dual crystal 33-femtosecond clock for precise timing. The DAC boasts a fully balanced, constant impedance, passive analog volume attenuation output stage and accepts analog inputs through a low-noise buffer stage. It uses MSB’s proprietary Cascade-Link optical interface to transmit data noise-free between the Digital Director and Analog Converter.

The Powerbase features discrete silicon carbide rectifiers and ultra-low noise linear power supplies, with the entire system designed to maximize purity and clarity of analog playback. The Cascade DAC also offers advanced streaming capabilities, including MQA decoding, Roon Endpoint, and high-resolution PCM and DSD support. It is available in silver or black finishes with optional custom accents”.  

IMHO, NOT FOR ME!