@helomech
...don't get me started on ASR. I just went down a ChiFi rabbit hole and can say most of ASR is blinded with very specific measurements that really aren't audible by the majority of people. Don't dare say you can actually hear a difference with different DACs or you'll get ostracized. What's funny is the Chinese manufacturers AND Amir actually release frequency graphs showing how they tune the sound of the same DACs ASR lauds and swears all sound the same. (Specifically, Topping rolls off the highs a bit and fattens the bottom end on their flagship Sabre-based models compared to SMSL/VMV, which does the opposite, and I believe Topping also tunes the soundstage more for headphone users.) People on ASR also will admit the stock cables have a negative impact on sound, but also, don't dare bring up using a high-end cable and imply it actually makes a difference.
In the real world, people care about more than just SINAD and THD. Stuff like product reliability, long term support, etc. matter.
