DAC diminishing returns

Whipsaw ,…LOL 

@in_shore

You find it amusing that I heard some similar characteristics in the Merason that some reviewers have also mentioned?

I understand that you may have different impressions, but that was precisely the point of my post. Variables such as the related components matter.

DACs are fascinating.  All DACs present you with a tradeoff between detail and soundstage.  If you are looking for fine inner detail, great separation of strings, etc... be prepared to compromise in terms of soundstage.  If your priority is soundstage, be willing to compromise in terms of absolute detail.  

Couldn't agree more. IMO the soundstage is from the 2nd order harmonic distortion.

Same with amps. The Benchmark ABH2 and DAC3 won't give you soundstage but they will give you very high detail.

IMO, what is better is what our system needs to create balance with our preferences. Some call that synergy.

Pro Audio folks poke fun at us, but our goals are just different. Some AV folks also laugh at us, but trying to make music sound believable with only two channels ain't easy. ;-)  

Since you already have a Schitt DAC - why not try this for 15 days... and... see if you like it!  And return it if you don't.  At $2199... it is a "friggin bargain" and sounds great to boot!  Can't beat that deal....

https://www.schiit.com/products/yggdrasil

I have had the Yggy for 2 years and have "never looked back."

i never felt there is a tradeoff between detail retrieval and soundstaging... in fact in my experience, excellent detail retrieval enables excellent imaging and soundstaging...