How do you assess a DAC?

It is 100% a matter of taste. If you are looking at streamers look at the OS it has #1 priority, will the OS integrate with your desired streaming sources and formats?

In my system I use a streamer with ARC room correction into my Sony Signature DAC, best of both worlds. Room correction can do things a DAC can’t. Audio lab has the 6000N streamer on sale for around $400 but no room correction.

Martin Logan Unison streamer is on sale at $199 and has ARC room correction.

If you want to drop four figures on a streamer/dac Innuos, Aurender and HiFi Rose get a lot of love but no room correction.

There is the possibility the in-built DAC can be bypassed, this will give a opportunity to compare a presentation.

Give the Off Board DAC a chance using all options for a connection a trial.

I find (my tastes only) that SPDIF/Coax has always been my preferred connection for the device in use when comparisons are done between devices and available connections.  

Keep the DAC and streamer separate.  Get a good streamer and then upgrade your DAC when you can.  Just my $0.02 FWIW. 

Thanks for the responses. It’s a real minefield choosing a streamer compared to a turntable! There are so many different configuration (streamer with dac, streamer all-in-one inc. amp, very basic streamers like my current Sonos Port, etc.). 

If you are looking for good sound quality then you want a separate DAC and streamer. Both of similar quality. Typically separates sound a lot better and set you up to upgrade stepwise in the future. Yes, I would sell your DAC.

If you want a significant step up consider something like Schiit Yggdrasil DAC… this is a high quality low cost streamer that has better sound quality than you would expect for the cost. For a streamer, maybe a Lumin U2. While BlueSound streamers are most folks first streamer, I have found an equivalent quality streamer improves the sound significantly. I own Aurender streamers… they are typically at the top of the list in any category, but I am guessing they are a bit above your reach.

+1 @ghdprentice and @soix …..

Keeping them separate with both a having linear power supply, is the cold hard truth if you strive for premium performance.

I found that out with with personal experience with my BRYSTON digital player / server / streamer paired up with its matched stablemate BRYSTON DAC.

Thanks @soix @ghdprentice @akg_ca I’m going to look at separates. Budget wise I’m thinking max £4k for a streamer and then upgrade the DAC later in the year. It just seems that in that price range, the streamers all have an amp or dac onboard so I need to find the best quality streamer I can get without having to pay for one with pre-amp/dac that I don’t need.

Aside from what type of hi rez files a dac can decode, it’s all about personal taste, so let your ears be your guide.

I would definitely put Innous products on your list of standalone Streamers. I would also put Denafrips products on your shortlist of standalone DACs. The Teac UD701N will embarrass many $5K DACs and Streamers and put a few $10K DAC/Streamers on notice!

I love my Mytek Liberty 11 DAC. Very rich, precise sound for $1500, and can handle all the hi res formats. I am still using my MacBook Pro for streaming but will check out the Innuous Streamer.

I’m thinking max £4k for a streamer and then upgrade the DAC later in the year.

That’s a great plan and a really nice budget for a great streamer.  I’d recommend checking out the new Innuos Pulse streamer.  It’s a bit under your budget and packs a lot of Innuos’ latest thinking along with their excellent Sense app that’s constantly being updated for better performance and sound, and if ever needed they also have outstanding customer service.  Best of luck and do keep us posted on your future choices for both streamer and DAC and your thoughts on both if you could.  Best of luck in your quest!

@dinov  +1

OP, in my opinioin it would be most helpful to you if you could compare several DAC's/streamers including a DAC in your personal listening environment (room, gear). This, and only this will make sure you will be satisfied after your purchase.

'opinion' sorry...

Thanks again to everyone for their input. After a day of research and reading reviews online I think I’m going to go for an Auralic G1.1 with the 2TB harddrive upgrade and a Roon subscription. I can then sell on the Sonos Port, dispense with the Mac to DAC USB connection for the attached harddrive with my music on, and remove the CD player from the chain and get a USB powered CD ripper for any CDs that I have which I can’t find on Qobuz.

I’d suggest looking at the Innuos Zen that is a streamer and also has an onboard CD drive and onboard storage so you can rip all your CDs directly into it so all in one box and is about the same price as the Auralic. Plus it includes their excellent Sense app that gets high marks for both sound quality and interface and is constantly being upgraded to improve both, and they offer very good customer support if ever needed. Just another option to explore.

https://www.tweekgeek.com/innuos-zen-mk3/

Apologies Side22olto, Read something wrong, anyway my bad.

I have a separate DAC and streamer. I have found that a simple Bluesound Node 2 can be made to sound much better .. paired with a better DAC. At this time my DAC cost me 4x more than the Node 2. But I have upgraded my DAC three times and with each more sophisticated DAC the sound improved. I think If I were to spend north of $2500 on the streamer and north of $2000 on the DAC I could get better sound but I am not willing to do that..... mostly because i like the BluOS platform and I don't want to spend extra cash. I am at about $2800 now...

Thanks again to everyone who left helpful advice, I’ve now settled on an Auralic Aries G1.1 with a plan to potentially upgrade my Audiolab M-DAC+ in the future to something like a chord.

Enjoy. I use an Innuous Zenith Mki( got a super deal on demo model). Recently upgraded to a Lab 12 Ref DAC (R2R). Very pleasnt sound. 

Digital to analogue converters are so subjective.  I have a few inexpensive Dac's (Schiit Modius AKM4493, ifi  Zen Dac Signature original version).  I also own an older Audio By Van Alstine  Insight Multibit dac from the late 2000's that would retail for about $1200 in the present day. 

I find that each of these components sound good to me in the systems I use them in.    I have never owned any  mega buck dac's, so I really can't say based on my own experience, if their price is justified or not.  I do know that I have often preferred the sound of audio equipment that does not test as well objectively as some of their counterparts.  

I have heard several of the mass produced inexpensive offerings from China, and find them to be less than involving to listen to.  However, I have read some very positive  reviews on some of the more expensive gear offered by companies such as Line Magnetic. 

It seems that the best audio components are designed with both objective and subjective goals.  I remember reading a comment sometime ago in reference to an audio manufacturer, that compared audio design to creating a gourmet food recipe.

The inference was that this manufacturer had a gift for voicing their audio products.  And likened this person to a chef who created their gourmet meals with just the right amount of ingredients to obtain the exact flavor they were  looking for.  Or in the case of an audio component,  the specific sound that the audio designer was looking to create.  

It would seem that the best audio designers use this concept,  and in doing so pay more attention to how a component sounds than how it performs on a bench test. 

jimmyblues1959, well said and I agree. Enjoy what you have and enjoy the music. I never let statistics or measurements guide my opinion about what I hear.

@side22olto

Might want to hang on to that Sonos Port.  Roon will see that as an endpoint  you could use that in a 2nd system.  

@melbay 

Good job on stretching your $ on great sonic choices.  

@jbuhl thanks for the suggestion. What would be the benefit of a second system?  

@jbuhl thanks for the suggestion. What would be the benefit of a second system?  

Lots of people have 2nd systems or N systems.  I have 3 older Sonos Zp90 (before the Port) that are all accessible from Roon.

1 in my office,1 at my HT setup and 1 in my garage.  My office system is just a zp90 to a $100 Schiit dac to a pair of Audio Engine active speakers. 

Thanks for the response. My set up is the streamer going into my main amp and also playing to 5 other rooms with Sonos speakers in but as you can specify which music plays in each room separately or grouped I don’t think I’d benefit from a 2nd system. I’ve just upgraded to Era 100s and an Era 300 and am selling the Play:1’s so makes sense to sell the Port too.

Be interesting to see, but i bet those new Sonos devices show up in Roon as endpoints. should be able to group/separate them as well.