DAC UPGRADE QUESTION

You might find some interesting differences/improvements by comparing R2R type DAC's versus chip based dacs. Increased price doesn't necessarily mean better performance. IMO.

OP, your thread is like so many others here: Help me choose a DAC. People ask because there are so many DACs and it’s impossible to audition them all. Many of the best ones, and best values, are sold directly and not through B&M dealers. They all seem to have the same ins and outs. They all seem to have their adherents. The critics say they all sound great.

The usual response is: buy the DAC I have. I really like it. And it’s a great value. I could say that, but why would anyone care. Then you will hear from dealers who write with certainty that, for the right price, they can set you straight.

My suggestion is that you stop writing and start reading . . .right here.

This is probably the best forum for the purpose. All important DACs are written of here at length by actual purchasers and users. They will tell you how they listen to music, what kind of music they listen to, what else in in their system. They will tell you what a particular DAC brought to their music that other DACs did not. Some have experience with many DACs (though sometimes it’s hard to figure out why--could simply be hobby-driven curiosity. It’s a treasure trove of information. They’re not like the critics; many will tell you that they sold a DAC because it didn’t measure up. Scroll down and see which DACs get a lot of attention--some for the right reasons and some for the wrong reasons.

Use the forum. It will serve you well. It’s kind of . . research, a bit of work.

I would simply add, without recommending a particular DAC that he actual digital to analog conversion, of which so much is made, is probably the least important component of a DAC.  Great DACs have been made with every type of conversion be they DS chips, R2R chips or discrete, and FGPA chips, which are chips individually programmed, usually partly DS.

As in every other audio component, the best quality comes from a great power supply and fine, discrete, analog output stages. 

I strongly recommend ANK, but have them build it.

ANK Audio Kits – The authority in high end audio kits

I am not expert at all in dac...

but if i was upgrading my basic one , which satisfy me completely, i will pick a Choueri BACCH dac...Before throwing money, check his credentials and his realization... In case... I must admit that this is the only upgrade i will ever need...I like my actual system without being able to fault it...So imperfect it is , nothing is perfect at any price, i did not detect any fault in my actua headphone system.It is after my dedicated/room now lost, the best i listened to in my life , Stax included...

Why Choueri dac then ?

it is not just a dac...

It is a " virtual room systems" for speakers and headphone with ears measurements ... It is a patented system of filters which introduce no timbre degradation and made headphone as speakers out of the head... And it make speakers working WITHOUT the room acoustic problem at all...And trust me on this, the room acoustic is the most important problem in audio with speakers and not the dac, save if the one you own is bad...

i am lucky because my headphone is one of the rare one already speaker-like but it will be way more externalized in the room with Dr Choueri dac ... I never listened to it, no... but i read all there is and it is enough to want it... Choueri is a top physicist and a top acoustician..

Apart from this dac i will never need anything... I dont even need anything without it right now 😎😊 I am not only lucky , i work a lot to create my 2 systems... ... read about Choueri in case...For a reason i dont understand this dac/ virtual room system is not well known...It kill any other dac because no other dac suppress all acoustic room problem with no timbre degradation..

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/theoretica-applied-physics-bacch-sp-adio-stereo-purifier/

The only problem for me is that my 700 bucks system satisfy me completely, because my amp is top and my headphone over the top... 😊 The BACCH filters in hardware dac will cost 15,000 bucks ... Less expansive if we use a laptop as source and hardware for the Filters set... Anyway as i said it is the only possible upgrade for me...

I have Dave (modified with three Farad Lps) and Mscaler.

But after trying out Starkrimson Pecanpi + which cost 900$, I ended up buying it.

I do not mean Pecanpi+ bumped out Dava and Mscaler.

But the former sounds slightly fuller than latter while matching close in details and soundstage.

Pecanpi+ is also streamer but I use it as standalone Dac only.

My source is Aurender N30

My pre amp has several inputs and I switch between Dave and Pecanpi+ using remote control depending on music and my mood.😀

Thomas