Next best exponential DAC quality level?
I recently did a shoot out of three DACs using my Hint6 + routing each of the other DACs to analog input on the Hint6:
(1) Hint6: ESS Sabre32 -- Integrated
(2) SMSL M500: ES9038PRO D/A ~$400
(3) Khadas ToneBoard(v1): ESS ES9038Q2M - ~$99
I played the same song passages on Amazon Music and was able to cycle through each Hint6 input corresponding to each DAC.
The result? Very small difference in terms of rendering. Maybe a more open sound stage with better overall balance using the Hint6 DAC. The Khadas was more bass / midrange pronounced w/ a more narrow soundstage. However, I wouldn't suggest that any were head-and-shoulders "better" over the others. In fact, they were all pretty decent with only small nuances (certainly not worth the price differences.
I decided to keep the Khadas for my small headphone listening area.
But it got me thinking - how much would one have to spend to realize an exponential difference in quality? Is the Khadas that good, or is DAC technology differences more nuanced than I originally thought (meaning, we're paying 10x for only 5% better).
Putting performance tires on a Corolla does not make for a track demon. Now would you deride the performance tires as snake oil since it didn't magically transform your Corolla, which by the way is a great car for daily commuting, into a sports car? Same applies to audio equipment. Nothing lives in a vacuum. Everything is system/synergy dependent.
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I currently have access to four DACs in my home -- I own 3 and have the fourth one as a loaner courtesy of a wonderful friend. DAC 1 -- Bluesound Node 2i (owned for more about 2 years) DAC 2 -- Audio Mirror Tubadour III (non-SE version; owned for 1.5 years) DAC 3 -- Luxman DA-06 (owned for 1.5 years) DAC 4 -- T+A DAC 200 (loaner) Please don’t listen to anyone who says there’s no difference in sound quality. There is absolutely a vast difference between DACs at different price points. The higher end DACs give you a wider soundstage, more air around instruments, better tone and timber, and most importantly a significantly darker background (compared to lower priced DACs) that results in a more detailed resolution. The better DACs also provide a sense of ease where the music just flows like liquid. The problem is that most of the ’it all sounds the same’ crowd is too busy reading graphs and charts, and never bother to actually listen to some of the better DACs in the market. I can tell you that the differences I mentioned are not subtle at all. You will immediately hear the differences provided the rest of your gear is up to the task. |
@phill55 My preference is in the following order ... Luxman DA-06> Audio Mirror Tubador 3 > Node 2i It's too early to comment on the differences between T+A and Luxman yet. One thing I did not mention earlier was that right around the time I bought the Luxman DAC, I went through a number of DACs in a 6 month period. Based on stellar reviews and great measurements, I bought the Topping D90. It seemed to do everything right ... on paper. Probably my least favorite DAC, despite it measuring better than many others. At first it impressed, but I just couldn't connect with my music emotionally. It never moved me. I would get bored after maybe 30 minutes of listening. Then a used Luxman DA-06 showed up in the used market and I decided to give it a shot. Now mind you, the DA-06 is at least a 6-7 year old design. Within the first 30 seconds, I knew it was a keeper. Sold the Topping within a week, no regrets. There's a reason DA-06 still commands $2k or more in the used market. However, the best DAC that I have heard in my home is the one that is included in Audio Research GSi75 integrated amp. The level of finesse and balance on that DAC was outstanding. I ended up selling the GSi75 for other reasons but sill miss that DAC. At the end of the day, it really depends on what one is seeking. If specs and measurements are the end all and be all for you, then more power to you. I see the usual suspects - the graph-readers, the 'everything sounds the same' crowd has raided this thread in full force. The rest of the discussion will only go one way now. No further comments from me. Good luck!
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@redlenses03 +1 I also think there’s a bit of a messiah complex at work here. There are certain underlying assumptions that form the basis, and certainly the tone, that is evident in many posts ... 1. Most audiophiles are fools who can be parted with their money easily. Since I’ve read about specs and multiple wikipedia articles on the technical aspects, it is my moral obligation to save these fools from themselves. 2. The higher DACs, or any audio component for that matter, are nothing more than unscrupulous manufacturers and designers who are out to fleece the audiofools. 3. I have a background in network engineering, and therefore that makes me an expert on all things ’audio’. I need to save the uninformed audifools from themselves. 4. Specs are vastly superior to actual listening experience. I can tell everything about a component by reading specs, graphs, and charts. Actual listening is vastly overrated. The audifools are incapable of understanding things like implicit bias, double blind tests, and pretty much anything. I need to save the audiofools from themselves, 5. Those who buy high end DACs only do it because they've got money to burn and its more about bragging rights than actual music enjoyment. It's my moral obligation to set these pretentious bastards right. 6. If I can't hear a difference between a $99 and $10K DAC, this must be the ultimate truth. Everybody else who claims otherwise is an audiofool. 7. I’m the smartest man on this forum, therefore anyone who disagrees with me is an audifool. |
