The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype

There are more significant differences in recording style than DAC flavors (analytical vs. "musical"). Then add personal preference, and the vast majority of DAC are perfectly fine. For those discerning folks, you may need multiple DACs and match them to the recording.

As pointed out elsewhere, I experimented with a $250 and a $5,000 DAC and preference depended on track. Differences if perceptible at all were minute at best. Neither of the DACs was objectively "better". In that case, it was a cheaper chip vs. a more expensive R2R DAC.

So rather consider foot print and look of the DAC than thinking one may sound better for a variety of music and recording styles. If you like audio bling, go for it, put your bespoke ethernet/USB cable on lifters. If you want to be more frugal, know that you are not missing anything with respect to audio, if that is your primary interest.

@facten 

So out of curiosity why then do you have a $4K+ Holo May  DAC?

I was curious to find out if "better" DACs sound that much better. Rather than walking incrementally through various iterations, I rather go in all the way. I went by the YouTube review of the May by GoldenSound, whom I liked as he was the one who took MQA apart. -- I then was curious how a cheaper DAC, mainly for my secondary computer desktop system, compared to the much more pricey one. To be sure to hear differences (if there are any) go for an extreme comparison. Alas, not much difference.

@facten Yes, sunk cost idea. But I will not look for anything else for a long time.

I still want to compare it to the Topping D50 gen 1, and also the Dragonfly USB DACs. When I purchased first the red then black then cobalt versions, I heard slight differences through EarPods. Again, was curious, and they are relatively cheap. However, when the DF fails, I will get something more reasonably priced.

I hear plenty of clear improvements with tubes, phono stages, speakers, etc. Just DACs, it is not better/worse, just oh-so-slightly different.