After selling my Wadia 861 CDP in 2006, I've utilized PC audio since then.
I consider it a canard to make conclusions mainly, or solely on audio output types.
Thus, my experiences suggest that the correlation between output types and sonic results is NOT one that is particularly informative, or useful. Thus, it wouldn't be one that I would recommend using for decision making.
I would suggest that a DAC be chosen based on its sonic capabilities, NOT on the type of its output.
Limiting oneself to a computer based output type is akin to limiting oneself to other audio types -- e.g. tubes vs solid state; box speakers vs horns vs electrostats vs ribbon and planar magnetic vs open baffle speakers; digital vs analogue; etc.... Each of these output types have their pluses and minuses. More importantly, each can be executed well and others, not so much! The same can be said for DAC output types.
If there were one type of any audio output source or method that was better than all of the others, this hobby would be much easier to master and we wouldn't need so many posts in a forum such as this.
I consider it a canard to make conclusions mainly, or solely on audio output types.
Thus, my experiences suggest that the correlation between output types and sonic results is NOT one that is particularly informative, or useful. Thus, it wouldn't be one that I would recommend using for decision making.
I would suggest that a DAC be chosen based on its sonic capabilities, NOT on the type of its output.
Limiting oneself to a computer based output type is akin to limiting oneself to other audio types -- e.g. tubes vs solid state; box speakers vs horns vs electrostats vs ribbon and planar magnetic vs open baffle speakers; digital vs analogue; etc.... Each of these output types have their pluses and minuses. More importantly, each can be executed well and others, not so much! The same can be said for DAC output types.
If there were one type of any audio output source or method that was better than all of the others, this hobby would be much easier to master and we wouldn't need so many posts in a forum such as this.