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

The one thing no one has mentioned (as far as I have read) is service and support after the sale.  Good customer support and service is a hallmark of the high end hifi industry.  It has a lot to do with good gear keeping its resale value because people know certain brands are still supported years after the original sale.  That service can also include in home setup and adjustments from specially trained individuals.  A lot to be said for good customer service.  We Americans have grown accustomed to seeking out the best deal so much that now we have to pay for service and support after the sale.  Apple, Best Buy, et al have set up a nice side income with their monthly payment plans for warranty support.  So for those looking solely at the bottom line point of sale, they prefer to spin the roulette wheel in hopes that their new component never fails.  The other problem is that many things we buy today are no longer supported after just a few years.

I'd love to see the look on my grandparents faces if I could have told them that one day people would pay $1500 or more for a telephone and then throw it away in just a couple of years as it becomes obsolete.  Not to mention the $17/month extended warranty fee.  We have given away so much with respect to customer service.

Most fun I have had with my Terminator lately is fabricating various brass "drains" of the pointy and sometimes not so pointy varieties to replace the rubberized feet that came with it. I am astonished at the different ways a DAC can be made to dance by modifying its supports.

@charles1dad wrote: "Good observations. I would bet a paycheck that your Topping DAC measures better than your LampiZator Baltic 4. I’d also bet that it doesn’t sound nearly as good as the Baltic 4 DAC."

Charles 

I bought a D90SE soon after it first came out.  I think it's still the highest measured DAC on ASR but I haven't been on there in a while to verify.  Anyway, I was looking for a new DAC for my PC setup.  I had an older Ayre Codex and my PS Audio Stellar DAC was away for warranty issues.  Bottom line, I sent it back.  It sounded low-fi and cheap, probably on par - or maybe a tad better than my Schiit Modi Multi-bit 2 DAC.  I put up a more descriptive review on Amazon at that time.  I gave it 3 stars, which surprises me.  I must've been in a great mood that day.

Interesting thread. I’m an audiophile voyeur but a mid-fi owner…and think my hobby benefits measurably from many threads here. From the perspective of available time, budget and living space size, I’m locked into making the most from digital sources, so DAC talk matters to me…followed by cable info :)

FWIW, the quality of my listening has gone up a lot by using the Auris Audifi WiFi Receiver, an amazing device for micro-dollars. The interface is phone based and can handle many hi-res music services at lossless file size. The ESS Sabre DAC inside seems to push a dynamic range that matches the potential of my AE Techron serviced 1984 Crown PS 200 (155 WPC into 4 ohm Wharfedale Lintons and a REL T5i with Mogami cables and interconnects.)

Thanks all for helping our household “listen way above our budget.”

Much of what is praised over at ASR is mediocre Chi Fi .    My former DAC , the RME adi2 was the darling of ASR until some cheap Chi Fi DAC bettered it's specs....and then that was the favorite of ASR

My current DAC is completely void of features , the only thing it does better than the adi2 is sound better.   That RME is good but the  excellent sounding LAB 12 DAC is much more engaging to listen to.