How much does a DAC do the more expensive it is?

DACs are like every other component. The higher quality the better it sounds… almost as far as the eye (ear) can see (hear). I own a Gungnir that I use for my office system. It is a great budget DAC… but it is not remotely capable of the sound quality of high end DACs… Audio Research, Berkeley, dCS… etc. 

But on the other hand, the streamer in front and preamp / amp / speakers need to be equally capable to take full advantage of it.

@simao

I don’t believe that cost alone is a catch all for DAC performance. I’m not suggesting that you are only saying this, just sharing what I think is right...

I listened to a lot of DACs before deciding on the Pathos Converto MK1. Saving space, a Class A ouput stage, and Burr Brown, Wolfson, or ROHM chips were on my hit list. Also, having the right connections on the back were of nearly equal importance.

This DAC is made in Italy (Italian company) has i2s (the same comm. the same protocol used by CD player outputs to amplifiers over RCAs or balanced inputs/ouputs. This is like a direct connection rather than something like ASIO, which can introduce latency and therefore result in worse audio quality.

I have found that some mega-buck DACs (such as those from dCS) are actually quite colored-sounding, which is not what I wanted as a freelance audio pro. A DAC from T + A had distinct but extremely compelling sonic traits. In the end, I knew they were not telling me the whole truth...There was warmth in many tracks, midrange forwardness, a lack of clinical presentation...

A truly transparent source component can morpth from souding brittle, digital (for lack of a better word) cold, etc. on one poorly mastered track, yet sound alive, somewhat warm, very realistic, and have just the right balance on another track.

Have you thinking - what the hell is this?! also hearing the half second before the recording starts is indicative of crystal oscillators configured like master clocks with the DAC chip being slaved properly; or a truly superior output stage. Tiny amounts of latency can vasty influence the perceived pace of a track. Some tracks sound slower, some sound much faster in terms of transient response and the quickness of instrumentals/vocals.

I have always bought audio gear based on the following:

- intended purpose (does the marketing material and write-up of technology implementation + product description align with the manufacturer’s stated goal?)

- Power consumption (I don’t care how much electricity I’m burning if I can discern a true "wire with gain" for amplification. I strongly dislike quasi Class A amplifiers; those that switch to Class A-B over a certain rated power ouput. However, some are probably much better than others.

- cost (doesn’t matter so long as I get exactly what I’m after when building a new system. If it can do something that another audio component of the same purpose cannot, it is worth the money)

- quality of internal parts (you need a good eye to discern this. Any audio equipment manufacturer can suggest superlative sound quality. parts quality and design implementation can tell you for certain if their products will actually do well in crticial listening tests from folks who know their stuff; and moreover, if you have laypeople who know nothing about audio telling you your system sounds amazing, lifelike, real etc. can see the artists or the performance in their minds - then you have a brilliant audio system and should be proud.

-  I don’t care much for looks with audio gear. I mean externally of course. interally, it better be good. I can spot when it isn’t. There are plenty of dead giveaways that can tell me if the company is just talking big game, while saving a ton of money in the manufacturing process by saving money on parts.

Hope this helps.

I have an Oppo 105 and 103. Never particularly liked either as CD player or transport. While you won’t like all expensive stuff, the best sounding tends to be expensive. You might want to try a better transport before trying a better DAC. I like your comparison to a better cartridge or phono stage. Yes a better DAC will do a lot for you. Again in proper context 

@jl35 Thanks for the info. I like the Oppo because of its Tidal streaming capacity. What would you recommend for a better transport that can still stream?