How much does a DAC do the more expensive it is?


Having spun an Oppo 105 for many years on its own before adding a Schiit Gungnir (bought for a generous steal from a wonderful seller here), I was immediately struck with how much more presence and detail the Schiit added to the Oppo's presentation. 

That Gungnir, even new, pales in comparison pricewise with 4 and 5 figure DACs I see for sale here.

So what do those much more expensive DACS do for sound? I mean, how much more information can be dug out of the digital files? Is it akin to what a good phono stage can do for a cartridge?

128x128simao

Showing 1 response by akg_ca

@ghdprentice

+100 …. Nailed it!

@simao

Everything is built to its pricepoint, with an audio performance that follows in lockstep.

if you still have doubts, just go do a simple audition A-B bakeoff between, say, a BLUESOUND NODE doing its yeoman service duty and compare its performance to a stand-alone $3K + north unit, as a very graphic example to prove the point,

The high-end units superior design (HINT: think linear power supplies as just one example) , their superior component parts, and itheir superior build quality separates the high-end contenders from the pretenders. The audio performance improvements are not subtle.It is dramatized further when you step up into hi-rez digital files at better than simple cd quality 44 kHz/ 16 bit.

Intuitively, with a hi-end unit, the choice of a worthy digital cable in, analogue cables out, and its power cable, all become part of the system equation on your road to audio nirvana.