How easily can you distinguish between different DACs?

@duckworp +1

Similar to my experience and sage advice...

Hey, I already owned an OPPO 205 that you can use with MConnect. I purchased the Ayre QX-5 DAC/ streamer via the network card. I tested them back to back playing all sorts of different songs on Tidal and Qobuz. They sounded different but one was not better than the other. In fact, I liked the little more warmth the OPPO presented. I might try the OPPO 205 against a Lumin P1 or X1. Most of the time I use my BlueSound NODE into a Wired for sound reclocker into the OPPO. It sounds really good and I love using the BS App. My system is pretty resolving so I can hear a difference in components and cables very well. 

Hello audiodwebe!  Differences between levels of quality are easy to hear. I have several Chinese made DACS with good  reviews. The differences among them are subtle. I was able to get a discontinued Sony DAC for half price and it was immediately more relaxing with only a very slight loss of detail. With the Chinese DACS, it was clear that the rear wall of a voncert hall was made of bricks - that's detail!  The Sony (I'd like to give you the designation, but I am out of the home due to a flood.) sound was more relaxed, immediately more pleasant and I couldn't telll what the back wall was made of. Who cares?! Beautiful music is what I want to hear and I've got it. I have two versions of the Dragonfly and a German made Dac as wellm and a Furutec DAC in the upstairs studio, a very pleasant sound as well.

Cables are another matter. The match between the cable and the DAC is important. Some folks swear by a certain cable, but your results may differ. My experience is that the Zafino USB cable (from Canada) beats everything else (even the Wireworld Silver Starlight 7, which is very good) in my cable connection. It is not pricey, it is just a quality product.  Happy listening.

@duckworp  - Simply for curiosity sake - what were the $1500 and $25000 DAC's you used?

@duckworp 

Nice comparison process between the two DACs.  Many posts about equipment here from folks who don't put the effort into actually conducting direct comparisons or listening tests in a manner that reduces inherent biases, and other posts that state opinions as fact without any reference as to how they reached the opinion, so I appreciate hearing about your methods.

I recently compared two DACs literally side-by-side so that I could quickly change the digital input and two output cables and even though the comparison was sighted, my bias did not win out.  I could definitely hear differences but the DAC that I wanted to sound better actually didn't to my ears.