2. digital
  3. 151714-10803

Can a dac really be future proof?

I’m talking via firmware/ software updates. I do get that some integrated amps ( McIntosh, etc) allows you to swap out the entire dac unit/card or whatever. 
I do get having firmware updates to improve stability, etc while the dac is fairly new. Or even let a new format “ kick in” due to final prep ( example MQA). 
How far can firmware - software upgrades carry you as dac chips and other hardware items improve? I can’t see a dac from 5 years ago with older generations of dac chips performing on par with the latest and greatest. Of course, I assume one’s listening taste is consistent for a particular chip/component. One may actually prefer the sound of an older dac over new one. Outside of that, how many years can software upgrades carry a Dac?

aberyclark

Showing 1 response by big_greg

big_greg
6,711 posts
 
DACs will get better numbers
Do you listen to numbers?

On topic, there’s always the next best thing that’s so much better than the thing before. We’ve seen that a lot with different types of sound encoding and movies and TV displays. With audio though, how much more can the human ear actually hear beyond the high-res formats that are already available?

If it sounds good now, why wouldn't it sound good 10 years from now?
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