What DAC upgrade made you say “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

As the title suggests, what was your overall system and DAC at the point where you bought only a new DAC and said “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

I’m a novice and so many people talk about improvements from new equipment as if they were only listening to varying degrees of static until they bought more and more new equipment which added up to them finally being presented with music. It’s like Salome and the seven veils. But when does the last veil get peeled away?

So what system did you have and what DAC did you swap in that made you say “DAMN!!!!”?

I guess I’m looking for night and day differences, not gradual progressions……

pip_helix07-13-2021 2:32am

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jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,612 posts 07-15-2021 at 05:24am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete seems to me the flaw in the op’s question is as much about how bad the prior dac was, compared to the new one you go from the dull lifeless onboard dac in a bluesound node or a yamaha streaming dac to a decent (but hardly outstanding) high end dac like a denafrips ares or a topping d90, you may go ’wow’ ... maybe but if we are dealing with 2 legit competent high end hifi dacs, there will be no ’wow’ - differences will be nuanced and subtle, if heard on a well conceived, properly assembled, sufficiently high resolution system
wturkey Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 732 posts 07-15-2021 at 05:29am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete The most recent PS Audio software update is pretty good. It’s not exactly a new DAC yet overall the sound quality is much improved.
travisg Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 85 posts 07-15-2021 at 12:20pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Went from using an Audioquest Dragonfly black to a Chord Mojo to a Denefrips Pontus ll. The resolution and detail that the Pontus brings, definitely made me go “WOW”
lalitk Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 5,099 posts 07-15-2021 at 01:26pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete +1, @jjss49 Exactly! I’ve asked OP to reveal his system and budget for DAC. No answer yet! I am willing to bet majority of recommendations here are not even pertinent or far off from his consideration :-)
spacecadet65 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 54 posts 07-16-2021 at 12:20pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete A short money upgrade can be buying a linear power supply for any of the less expensive 5V DACs that come with an inexpensive wall wart. I got a pretty good one on Amazon for about $85 that made a significant improvement over the stock supply that came with my Schiit Modius.