Is there any such thing as a bad sounding DAC these days?

@mikhailark Reviewers like Amir at ASR also include multitone tests to look at more extensive IMD phenomena:

In terms of music comparison, there is software like Delta Wave Null Comparator that can facilitate doing exactly that. To use with DACs, you have to confront that the ADC will have digitization limitations. For speakers and headphones, you have microphone/space considerations that are better accommodated using systems like Klippel that use repeated measurements to achieve anechoic approximations in regular spaces.

I recommend Audio Science Review as a resource for learning more about measurement techniques.

@markwd - yeah, I am familiar with the guy. He is just hobbyist, some former Microsoft guy that made money on stock options and thinks he knows everything. Typical corporate VP buffoon.  Multitone is OK, but still not enough.

@chervokas - to be entirely correct, it is just Fourier Transform (FT). FFT is a Fast Fourier Transform which is an algorithm (one of many) that implements FT in discrete form for a typical computer chip. FFT is only approximation, it is NEVER precise as Fourier sequence is infinite for complex signals like music. Thus, ANY transfer to frequency domain and back (such as for Dirac) is somewhat lossy. Discrete chips and methods all have limited precision.

@mikhailark Well, attacking him (inaccurately, nonetheless) doesn't actually demonstrate the validity of your claims. You will need to actually show that the limited precision of a given FFT measurement results in audible differences. You could also try out the Delta Wave system and see if you can use that as a path down the golden road towards enlightening us all!

You can also check out my presentation of the debunking of Fourier indeterminacy and related claims in fora here and at the Roon community. Personally, I have nothing invested in any of this, but I find it curious how assertive so many folks are about their limited knowledge.  Epistemic humility is the cornerstone of scientific progress.

Please show!

@markwd - I owe you NOTHING dear. You go to ASR and discuss "audible" with your buddies and test new awesome $100 DACs.