I went from two 2010's vintage low end USB DACs (Burson and Wavelength Brick) to a midrange (expensive even used) Bricasti with an Ethernet input. Much improved using USB and even better using Ethernet. So price (as a function of quality) matters, but so does the input. Like others here, I'm of the Ethernet input option being a requisite for when I replace the Burson). This also introduces the quardary of the DAC network card being superior to the Nucleus as a streaming device. Also at this point, I'm limited to what I've experienced at home, so with DAC's my N is 4 (1st DAC being a Cambridge DAC Magic 2000's era which I sold).
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?