Analyzing DACs

What a wealth of great information despite different views on components. Thanks for chiming in.

I like the advice to test in my own environment and trust the ears. Reviews and measurements have their place but a poor room set up and equipment matching might matter more.

I currently have a fairly entry level set up:

Bluesound N130>Brooklyn DAC>Parasound P 6>Parasound A21+>Revel M106 speakers.

My concern is that a $3k-$5k higher quality DAC requires an equivalent or better separate preamp. It sounds like the jury is out. Whether the preamp section is good enough I'll have to determine the best set up for my room and tastes.

Also, from my experience with my current equipment, some tracks are mastered at high levels. I assume the double gain (eg from the DAC and the preamp) exacerbates the loudness. Some tracks sound like screaming vocals. I assume that won't allow me allow to realize the full potential of the amplifier if I have to listen at low levels.

I won't even spark the debate about cables and power cords!

I sense the preamp is an afterthought for some of these low end DAC/preamps. Super high end ones may warrant a discussion however. I read the MSB select manual; the OEM suggests direct to amp connection. I'm not playing in that league. A high quality DAC in the 3k-5k range is ideal. Holo Audio and Exasound DACs are interesting. And maybe the Qutest.

@mastering92 

Which tracks? I’d love to fix them.

Try listening to White Flag by Dido. The initial 10 secs are beautiful. However the track is painful as the vocals kick in.

BTW, my streamer is connected via USB > Brooklyn DAC > P6 via XLR > A21+ via RCA.

@petaluman 

Have you compared them against each other, section by section?

This is something I'm trying to analyze, though it's quite difficult to match the volume. I find the Brooklyn plays louder. I'm unsure whether the detail I hear is a result of higher volume or simply better DAC on the Mytek.

Your advice is sound. I may go that route, though many reviews poo poo the P6's DAC.

@mastering92 I strictly stream Qobuz. No files here.

I'm curious how everyone evaluates a DAC disregarding the measurements. What is the hallmark of a good DAC? I suppose one could spend insane amounts of money but is there such a moneyball DAC?

I really enjoy hearing detail and separation. That is I can hear each instrument and clear vocals. That's why I find Dido tracks great.  Using a proper set up to listen to a track from my college days is such a satisfying experience.

@batvac2 Good to know but beyond my skill level at this point. 😀

Thanks for all the knowledge sharing here. Now, on to the experiments...

I spent some time on youtube university learning more about DAC technologies. I found British Audiophile's review of the Spring 3 DAC interesting. I'm not an engineer by trade, but through my experience as a tech analyst in finance I understood most of his thoughts on the different tech inside the DAC.  I wonder how much time is spent understanding the guts of the DAC versus reading reviews. In any case, more food for thought. 🤔

Anyone have thoughts on a dedicated DAC (eg. no headphone amp) vs. a multi-function unit? I haven't found extensive info on the pros/cons of such units? Also, I wanted to explore the longevity of DACs. It appears that DAC tech is ancient. While it has been around for years, the process itself has not evolved much. In other words, a 10 yr old DAC functions much like a current one. The features around the DAC essentially are the "upgrades" (eg. power supplies). If that's the case, I'm inclined to hang onto my Brooklyn. Not only that, but it also does full MQA--a feature many $3k+ DACs don't offer. A member here posted in this thread that the MSB select is older tech yet it seems to be among the echelon of high end DACs today. Any thoughts would be appreciated.