@lordmelton I assume you have a half way decent system and can hear differences between DACs. Have you ever listened to entry level DACs through your system? If so, do you notice similar issues with them?
Differences between models of expensive vs inexpensive DACs
For those who have tried many different DACs from very inexpensive to very expensive, do you find that the lower end DACs all sound similar in the same less than optimal way, or is it that the more expensive DACs all sound more similar in the correct way? In other words, are the better DACs starting to converge on the same good sound, or are they actually diverging more in their sonic presentation? In recent times I've only worked with relatively inexpensive DACs and those all sound the same to me.
Showing 4 responses by asctim
@soix I agree there’s more to a DAC than just the DAC chip but won’t the chip ultimately be the limiting factor assuming everything else is executed to perfection? I’m of the understanding that the companies who manufacture high end DACs are not capable of making their own chips. Or perhaps there’s a synergy between the characteristics of the chip and characteristics of the rest of the unit that counteract each other's deficiencies, the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. |
@jjss49 That's what I'd expect - the cheaper dacs would be more colored in various ways while the more expensive dacs would be approaching the same ultimate standard. Years ago I saw a comparison of the exact same studio shot made with two brands of lenses at the same spec. One was much more expensive than the other. The shots looked identical until they were viewed side to side, in which case the higher contrast and deeper black of the more expensive lens became evident. It controlled blooming better. It's really hard to notice that when not viewed directly against each other because our eyes adjust contrast. |
Thanks for the responses. It seems like there may be convergence among many designs as they reach the performance limits of the DAC chips they're based on. There may be some outliers going for a specific modification to the sound in the output stage. I'm getting the impression that I'm not hearing differences between dacs because it is a subtle thing compared to things like how a different amp might sound on any given set of speakers. I've definitely heard that effect. Or the same speakers in a different room. I've had situations where I couldn't believe my ears, thought the speakers were broken or something they sounded so different from one room to the next. Years ago in the 1900s I had a Sony ES CD player that I thought had a flat, lifeless sound to it. Easy on the ears but boring. So I spent $800 for a Theta Cobalt DAC. That was a lot of money for me at the time. The Theta had plenty of oomph to the sound so I was happy with it's added zest. By the early 2000s I compared the Theta to a cheap CD/DVD player's analog output and to my ears the Cheap DVD player bested it. Since the early 2000s either cheap DACs have gotten better than my ears, or they've gotten better than the rest of my equipment, or both. |