The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype

@jasonbourne71 , There’s a bit more nuance to a dac than distortion, sinad, transparency whatever. They can quite significantly change a soundfield, spatial cues, perceivable detail with dsp tricks (fpga, etc).

Get a simple Creative soundcard and try the different tweaks on their dsp engine.

I have a couple of prepros that will let you create a very different experience everyday if one wanted (through dsp).

But, since the vulture priced dacs are typically sold to "purist" guys who are a bit technologically challenged, the dsp tricks.."flavors" are more hidden away.

A DAC is basically a sound card. Expensive DAC’s are trophies for the gullible rich to impress their clueless buddies!

Dac & wire upgrades will mostly be meaningless until you sink some cash into treatments that actually work.

If you room doesn't start to look like some of these examples ...just forget it, i.e. if you are sitting in the living room and subject to divorce if the room starts to look like a high end studio, save your dac, wire, etc pennies and move on.

https://youtu.be/T-ydC9IB0G8?si=LztuIx3nWU-xoQAg

https://youtu.be/tKWAI21G0bc?si=lCtZXcw40hN0KAqU

https://youtu.be/btLXMzAq1_A?si=V0MenTkfVoetKEC0

If you are a DIY/handy guy with construction & lumber, it will be cheaper.

Even the bow wow bow wow moron in the OP's video is bound to have his pants blown off in one of my rooms... But, in whatever crap room he's sitting in with speakers stacked on pizza boxes, the realtek dac in his computer and an Aavik dac shall all sound the same, that would be his unfortunate reality, whatever...

+1000.

If ya can't hear any differences stop barking like Barky Bark in OP's video, delete the hifi forum accounts, stick the bose earphones in and walk the dog.

I've seen so many of these discussions.  End of day, if you can't hear a difference, you are in the wrong hobby, and you are wasting your $$.  

Some of us DO hear profound differences, sometimes sublime differences, and as we can afford to burn money on this hobby...we do.