kalali,
For the last 4-5 years I pursued my system upgrades and find that the best sound comes from components and accessories which work well together. Having said that, I think that having better quality earlier in the process is a good thing, so spending more on a DAC might be better than spending more on the "down line" components.
I had my eyes opened to what a better DAC could do, when I dipped my toe into the "higher end", buying my first SACD player, whose internal DAC made my regular CDs sound better, capturing much more detail than I ever knew was on those CDs.
About two years ago I bought a stand alone DAC (PS Audio DirectStream DAC), and that unit still puts a smile on my face.
As for the price, to say a $32k DAC is "worth the price", only you can make that judgement.
One thing I've found, shopping on Audiogon, is that there are people out there who seem to like to try new things, do so for a few months, then offer them on the site, where you can snag some good values. I've bought a few things that way, and haven't been disappointed. |
I think czarivey is correct, to a point. There are definitely some things on the $32K level equipment that are aimed more at luxery level rich people. However, the more expensive DACs do have elements that sound better. That being said, there's always a point of diminishing returns where you are paying a LOT more for a LITTLE bit of improvement. For those of us who can hear differences, things like "quality of power supply, power filtering, power regulation, etc " (what dlcockrum said) become very important. Also, a brand-new DAC is not necessarily going to sound better than a 3-5 year old DAC. It entirely depends on internal components. For example, I continued to listen to a 15 year old Krell HTS (processor/DAC) using lo-res DolbyDigital/DTS because this still sounded better than new TrueHD/DTS-MA processors (even though it was hi-res audio through HDMI). I tried several processors and only was satisfied with the newer Krell 1200U. I am partial to the Krell sound (I don’t like laid back sound), but it is just an example. |
Hi kalali,
If the question is, "Is an ultra-expensive DAC a good investment considering the rapid advancements in digital technology?" The answer, even among those wealthy enough to afford them, would be a firm "NO" if they continually chase the latest digital technology. Just take a look at the selling prices of past high $$ DACs/digital players. However, many of those owners have no thoughts of "upgrading" their older TOTL players/DACs either, so the VALUE is relative to the period of ownership satisfaction.
If it is your priority to be an early-adopter of digital technology advancements, then it certainly is wise to look to products like Oppo that are relatively inexpensive and hold their value well upon resale. Heck, many owners of the Oppo 103/105 units are already chomping at the bit (pun intended) to "upgrade" to the new 203/205. Why? Because the new model has X times more theoretical processor speed than the last model, even though the budget power supply in the 103/105 limits their sonic performance, not the audio D-to-A section? The just-released 203 model proves the point superbly. Designed to outperform Panasonic, not Esoteric.
However, if you look at some of the best SACD-capable digital players/DACs of the past five years, they still deliver SOTA sound in any real-life audio system. Again, the best models had superior power supply/filtering/regulation that differentiates them sonically from the latest less-expensive models with higher bit rate D-to-A chipsets but lesser power supply quality. Obviously, what makes the newer products superior for those using music servers/laptops/etc as a source is their connectivity flexibility and that is not to be disputed.
Best to you kalali,
Dave
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If $32k DAC is enclosed onto the marble chassis, it doesn't mean that it will sound better than one enclosed in metal one.
High End home audio is extremely dishonest business and it's blown like a soap bubble. $32k DAC is more boutique than professional similar to designer boutique wear or shoes. Same applies to everything else in high-end audio.
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I would like to think that a DAC or CDP costing substantially more than entry -level, performs better (sounds better).
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I've run a Bryston BCD-1 almost since they were first released, a good number of years ago. Last year I acquired a Schiit Gungnir (and a Cambridge transport) and alternated them in and out the system. They now reside in my secondary system. Taking into account the relative prices then and now, and the amount of time that has elapsed, I can only conclude that DACs are not directly comparable to the pace of progress of computers (a la Moore's law). I have no doubt that one of the good $3K DACs of today would have bested the Bryston, but that's another story... |
The only reason I had considered DACs in a separate group from the rest of the audio components was based on my assumption that the rate of improvement due to changes in technology is much faster in DACs. That said, I guess the point I should have considered is more relevant to willingness to pay rather than whether a more expensive piece is better than a lesser expensive one. Perhaps the right question to ask is will a very (very) expensive DAC today be equivalent to a moderately priced DAC five years from now. |
Hate to use price as the only differential, but I plunked several thousand for a new DAC (Mytek Manhatten) that even uses the same chips as my old DAC, the Oppo 105. The comparison isn't close, as the Mytek is the single greatest upgrade my system has ever known.
It's important that the rest of your system can note a difference if you upgrade. If you are using computer speakers from Best Buy, you won't be able to tell.
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mb1audio02,
Exactly, to the (one) word, what I intended to reply.
kalali,
Why would a DAC be any different than amps, preamps, etc.? Do you think that a DAC only has a D-to-A chip inside of it? The quality of power supply, power filtering, power regulation, etc come into play just as much as with analog components and actually even more since there are two power supply circuits to contend with, digital and analog, as well as eliminating jitter and noise from the interface with the transport/music server/etc.
Dave
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"
$32K DAC sound that different from a $1K DAC?"
Yes. |
Hello everyone,
Being new to the Forum on Audiogon.
I can contribute a suggestion here.
Schiit Audio has been offering notable somewhat unique DACs.
I have two versions of the Gungnir.
Both sound great to me, lossless files.
The Multibit version is about $1200, new.
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At least some people who design DACs say "No!!" - at least for a modern DAC vs. CD player
which CD player do you have?
But listen for yourself: buy from a place that allows returns and do a blind listening test
I could not tell much difference between a Cambridge Audio DacMagic (original), a Cal Audio CD Player (with PowerBoss), and an Oppo 103. I did not have a selection of the most revealing test music set up and did not have time to do many hours of listening, but it was clear the difference was not large. |
