How easily can you distinguish between different DACs?

IME, what better (usually more expensive) dacs offer is a sense of realism. They do a much better job of transporting you to the venue. They're simply better at capturing the nuances, emotions, and the soul of the music. Once you hear that in your system, it's hard to go back to a lesser dac.

Other than that, when it comes to the usual suspects -- soundstage, imaging, detail retrieval, etc., most competent DACs have that covered. If that's what you're primarily listening for, then I agree it's hard to tell them apart ... especially, when you're doing quick A/Bs and wearing your analytical hat so to speak.

Of course, the rest of the chain, and very importantly the streamer, has to be revealing enough and synergistic with the dac to really hear what it's capable of.

@lalitk  +3

It's like buying a Ferrari, then putting regular gasoline and the cheapest set of tires on it. Then you complain that it didn't really corner well on the track, and therefore, there's no difference between it and a Corolla.

@mapman I used the analogy to make a point. Obviously it's silly to think that a DAC is the same thing as a car. The analogy was never meant to be taken literally :)

Secondly, I don't think anyone here is advising to make a decision purely on the basis of price or brand name alone. The point is that for higher end gear to shine, the rest of your chain has to be good enough to let the gear show what it's capable of, and there must be synergy amongst the components.

BTW, I agree with you about plasma TV. My old Panasonic plasma (over 15 years old now) can still hold its own against newer LED TVs. The black background (resulting in better contrast) provided by my plasma tv is still superior.

So the difference would be that the cornering somehow just feels better in the Ferrari and so is a more enjoyable experience that justifies the cost.

Really? You think that's the only thing setting a Ferrari and Corolla apart? I don't have the means to own a Ferrari but I have driven one on a track every time I get a chance to go to Vegas. The acceleration, the way the steering wheel communicates the road to the driver, the way it sounds when gathering speed, the braking ability, and the overall exhilarating feeling you get every time you get behind the wheel ... there's nothing even remotely comparable to a Corolla.  All these are factors (or nuances) that collectively contribute to making the whole greater than the sum of the parts. The same holds true for higher end DACs as well. You simply cannot isolate a few measurements or one or two aspects of performance. You have to evaluate them as a complete package.

@asctim Let's agree to disagree. I found the differences between DACs as meaningful as Ferrari and Corolla. But I was only able to hear that once my system had evolved to a certain level. However, I agree that if your modus operandi when comparing DACs is to evaluate with the help of measurements than a $1000 Topping or SMSL is just as good as Lampizator Horizon. In fact, the Lampi is far worse as per the measurements.