How easily can you distinguish between different DACs?

@audiodwebe

comparing dacs is a step in system building. but for instance, having speakers and amps that are competent to reveal differences is a requirement to hear dac differences. or if you are using headphones, the quality of the headphones and amp.

most dacs are decent, although it’s hard to generalize. but beyond the concept of decent, many times there are differences, sometimes merely matters of taste, other times clear performance differences. sometimes the dacs are so close there are not apparent differences. you have to keep an open mind. and there is a learning curve to hearing differences.....that is a factor in doing compares. maybe you want some other ears to hear the compare too to get other perspectives? someone you trust with more experience?

so first things first; what is your system? i looked at your details and it only shows an interconnect. so hard to comment further.

personally i have done many dac compares, my last one compared the MSB Select II dac and Taiko Extreme server that i owned to the Wadax Reference dac and server. at the end of the direct compare, i sold the MSB and Extreme and bought the Wadax combo. the Wadax was clearly better based on my compare results.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/wadax-reference-dac-and-server-arrive.34173/

it was a big effort. and i used my vinyl and tape as a reference. there were very significant differences and i had some listeners over to my home to witness the compare and help me with objective feedback, as it was a big deal and important to me. it took a few weeks to properly compare both dacs and both servers.

but the system and other references were an important part. and also comparing servers is an aspect of a dac compare. but it starts with having a system that can demonstrate differences.

Thanks, everyone, for your shared experiences.  I do appreciate it.

Normally, how I evaluate new gear is to put it in and live with it for a while. Sometimes, the new piece doesn’t play well with whichever pieces are in play that it gets removed within a day or two.

I normally don’t do A/B comparison back and forth after a few songs.  And to me, that sort of comparison gets tedious after a short while.  Picking apart 30 seconds of a few songs gets old pretty quickly, and I generally give up and try to get my mind away from that “analyzing the sound” mindset I get into because once I get there it sometimes takes some time before I can take that hat off and start enjoying the music again.

I sometimes will have to put my 901 Series VI into my system to cleanse myself of audiophilia.  With the 901s, they sound good pretty much anywhere I put them and since my expectations aren’t high, I get back into just listening to the “music” again.

BTW, the two I was comparing was the Perfectwave and Benchmark DAC3.  I heard differences, but am not sure that can’t be attributed to the different XLRs I used going from the DAC into the preamp.  The rest of the system is a Schiit Freya S and mono Aegirs.  I’m late to the Schiit game but man, does this combo sound great!

So good, in fact, that I got my Aleph 2’s back from Pass with new internals this week and an Aleph P sitting by and I’m in no rush to swap the gear.  The speakers now are the Dulcet BEs.

I need to put the Pass gear in, though, just to make sure nothing happened during the transit.  

Thanks again, all.
 

I've been through a number of DACs. Different chips, SS, R2R, tube buffers, etc. They all have their own sound. The bits might all be the "same", but how they get converted to digital is different and sounds different. 

You may not be able to tell the difference. I would consider that a curse and a blessing. A curse, because either your ears or the rest of your system aren't up to the task of differentiating changes in sound quality. A blessing, because you won't need to spend more on a better DAC.

Sorry Jason, but all DACs do not sound alike any more than all turntable cartridges sound alike. Listen closely, pay attention to the sound and what you are hearing. Some DACs have better attack, decay, dynamic range, more musically accurate sounding timbres, with a darker background, and some people say, just as important as the sound, is the presentation in a soundstage (width and depth) and imaging. Many convincingly say that in the mid-price tiers, that an R2R DAC will offer better soundstage and imaging. YMMV because of your hearing, your training in listening, and such. To hear these differences, you do need to know what you are after - and what is important to you. After all two-channel audio is more than about "full range sound, for some people is about creating the illusion of a concert happening in front of you.

As John Darko says of the few standalone DACs he’s tested (none have been R2R AFAIK so far) that he loves the little Chord Qutest the most because it is the most musical to his ears. But he even says when doing comparisons that he can’t tell a huge difference, he calls it "splitting hairs". But to be fair, most of the DACs he has tested are in roughly the same price range. I’d like to see him get in some $4000 DACs and see what he says then in his nice acoustically treated listening rooms.

The thing is all DACs will make "sound". from a sub-$100 SMSL SU-1 to a $4000 Holo May. Whether or not you perceive a difference or a major one will depend on many factors. Most people CAN hear a marked difference between something as inferior as the onboard DAC in a WiiM Mini and pretty much anything else calling itself a DAC.  I own a Mini and use it with a Schiit Modi 3+ in my garage, and even the Modi is a noticeable step up. 

If you spend $1100 on a DAC then listen to a $2500 one and can’t hear anything much different, then simply save your money and call it a day. But know that there are people with ears and systems that can hear an improvement on up the food chain. I’d love to hear a $9000 Tambaqui DAC but doubt I’ll ever get that chance.

Right now I’m saving my pennies to get an R2R DAC, just not sure which one while I worry about longevity and serviceability after the warranty period is over.