Your first response is spot-on and exactly the right advice. Many DACs (other gear for that matter) can present well/similarly but only the better ones can offer greater soundstage depth and spacial cues. Utilizing headphones only gets you the sound signature but does nothing to demonstrate the aforementioned attributes, which for me are equally as important!
Do I need a headphone or speaker to appreciate high-end DACs?
This is a common opinion I hear on forums:
That to appreciate TOTL DACs you need a very resolving transducer.
My question is, to appreciate such quality, do I need speakers, or will headphones be enough?
Typical TOTL DACs i hear are from dcs, Chord, Mola Mola, Holo, Lampizator, MSB, Rockna, Weiss etc. To enjoy that level of fidelity, do I need speakers?
When I say "enjoy", I dont mean subjectively feeling good. I am asking about the differences being big enough to spot on in blind A/B testing, compared to say, a 200$ Schiit or JDS.