In my opinion, manufactures are doing everything they can to "get a leading edge" in technology - instead of focussing on music. Overall the dac chips gives very little to the complete sound. I would say the digital part in total would contribute no more than about 15% or so to the complete sound. The psu and analog stage, combined with pcb layout matters more.
I used to own arguably the best Delta Sigma dac ever made, the Vimak DS-1800 Mk2. Vimak invented Delta Sigma dac technology, and the DS-1800 to my knowledge is the only dac of its type implemented with a discrete architecture. Such an incredibly complex design would be too expensive today. Now all Delta Sigma dacs use miniaturized chips. Yet even the Vimak would be soundly beaten out by most high end dacs today. But that’s not because of digital audio converter. Component and material quality, psu’s, upsamplers, tolerances etc have also improved over time, as has manufacturing equipment. And there are many more manufacturers in the market today.
I currently own a Vitus SCD-025 Mk2 cdp which uses two Analog Devices AD1955 dacs in mono mode. I recall asking Hans Vitus if they’d compared the AD1955 to other highly regarded NOS dac chips like the BB PCM-1704k or TDA-1541A double crown. I was told they had compared them to everything & that in the context of their design requirements, there are others that are good, but not directly better - just "different".
So in summary, yes I think dac technology is now mature and should remain so for some time, however new standards will continue to appear over time like DSD and MQA. My spinner supports up to DSD128 and 32bit 384KHz PCM, but not MQA (though I personally think MQA is a gimmick). Hence if you were considering buying a high end dac you plan to keep, it makes sense to look for a dac which is modular in design (like Vitus) that enables upgrades over time. My 2c.
I used to own arguably the best Delta Sigma dac ever made, the Vimak DS-1800 Mk2. Vimak invented Delta Sigma dac technology, and the DS-1800 to my knowledge is the only dac of its type implemented with a discrete architecture. Such an incredibly complex design would be too expensive today. Now all Delta Sigma dacs use miniaturized chips. Yet even the Vimak would be soundly beaten out by most high end dacs today. But that’s not because of digital audio converter. Component and material quality, psu’s, upsamplers, tolerances etc have also improved over time, as has manufacturing equipment. And there are many more manufacturers in the market today.
I currently own a Vitus SCD-025 Mk2 cdp which uses two Analog Devices AD1955 dacs in mono mode. I recall asking Hans Vitus if they’d compared the AD1955 to other highly regarded NOS dac chips like the BB PCM-1704k or TDA-1541A double crown. I was told they had compared them to everything & that in the context of their design requirements, there are others that are good, but not directly better - just "different".
So in summary, yes I think dac technology is now mature and should remain so for some time, however new standards will continue to appear over time like DSD and MQA. My spinner supports up to DSD128 and 32bit 384KHz PCM, but not MQA (though I personally think MQA is a gimmick). Hence if you were considering buying a high end dac you plan to keep, it makes sense to look for a dac which is modular in design (like Vitus) that enables upgrades over time. My 2c.
