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You want a DAC that sounds *different.* What factor helps you find it?

I'm thinking about trying a new DAC, adding one to the stable. 

What's most important is that it sound different than my present DAC.

If you were to look for a new DAC to try, what weight would you assign to each of these factors in predicting a different character of sound? 

1. chipset
2. design of DAC --- R2R etc.
3. power supply
4. tube or no  tube
5. ? (some factor or combination not mentioned)

I've become somewhat skeptical of user reviews because of uncontrollable variability related to tastes, system components, and vagueness of language used by reviewers.

So, without some appreciation of the ability for the above factors to affect the sound character, singling out just one or another factor seems like random guessing.

I'd love to learn from you all. I'd be curious to know, for example, that most R2R DACs sound similar, overall. That would help by directing me away from trying another R2R DAC. Or maybe they don't all sound similar; ok, that keeps them in consideration.

Same question with chipsets, power supply, tube/no tube.

So, again the hypothetical -- simplified:

You want to get a DAC that sounds much different than what you have. What factor helps you find it?

128x128hilde45

Showing 3 responses by hilde45

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,876 posts
 

Great answers! Many factors I had not thought of.

A lot of these factors seem to be of the "What makes a DAC sound great" variety. I suppose I'm especially interested in the "What makes a DAC sound *different*?"

In other words, assuming I had a choice between two DAC's and they *both* had all the great aspects mentioned -- what would be the differentiating factor which would alter the sonic character between them?

Some of the answers above did touch on this, so I'm just re-stating the question in case it was somewhat muddled.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,876 posts
 

@tvad @bigkidz @ghdprentice

Thanks for your replies detailing how overall implementation is the only thing which makes a DAC sound different. So many threads focus on this or that chip or other single factors responsible for achieving something in a DAC, it’s nice to hear your accounts of why a *specific* element is not at work — in your experience.

@pwerahera

You’re unclear about what I mean when I say "different."

I didn’t want to specify what character of sound I’m searching for. I only want to learn what people’s experience is when they came across a DAC which didn’t sound like their other DAC’s.

In other words, I have no specific content in mind for "different." Different just means "different from the DAC in one’s system." If that’s not clear, I don’t know how to explain it further. You’re seeking "natural" in your system; that’s another word which cannot be broken down further, I assume.

@jjss49 Good point about "convergence." After all, if the system is not optimal in the regards you mention, differences may be hiddent by bottlenecks in the system.

@sgreg1 Good point about neutrality. I have a tube DAC now, and I’m curious about other non-tube Dacs. Then again, others have stated here that the specific technology of "tube" doesn’t make a big different (in their experience).

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,876 posts
 

@jjss49 This is very helpful. Thanks. I suspect I am seeking out difference (not upgrade, necessarily) but as you're articulating, it is a complex quest which not likely to be effectuated (as is my tendency, qua audiophile) with a simple purchase. This means I need to learn more concretely what some of these terms imply -- oversampling, dsp filters, os rates, etc. I know what they mean nominally but I don't know whether they are levers I can pull with my lower-tier BS Node streamer.

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