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No such thing as a future proof DAC...

I've been fooled in the past by digital gear manufacturers claiming their DAC or digital gear is future proof. Case in point was the Cambridge Audio CD2 player back in the 1980s that had replaceable boards for the DAC chip. Great CDP at the time but never was really upgradeable. Now, I keep on hearing about new DACs that are future proof (eg, BiFrost DAC). The only DAC that I know that has a long history for being upgradeable is may be the MSB DACs, but they can cost an arm and a leg. May be dCs, but again mucho expensive. Do you believe in the hype? Doesn't seem to be in the manufacturers interest to offer a truly upgradeable digital gear when a new version can be offered after a year that requires you to buy a new unit.
dracule1
Post removed 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Here is maybe a non-typical scenerio: I have upgraded my USB converter for 3 generations and my DAC for 3 generations. Upgrades can use modules for clocks, computer interfaces and voltage regulators. The problem is that inevitably everyone wants something that affects the baseboard eventually and then the older versions cannot be upgraded. Its the users demanding new technologies that usually drives this. If one built a really simple motherboard with virtually nothing on it, then maybe it could last 4 generations. However, this would cost more due to more modules and high-performance connectors.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi elizabeth:

are you suggesting that many current production dacs sound the same ??

if so, where is your evidence.

i have never heard two dacs sound the same. there are so many variables that it is counter intuitive to expect dacs to sound the same. would you not agree that a tubed dac should sound different than a solid state dac ?

my favorite digital source is an audionote cd2.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Nearly any "flavor of the day" DACs available now will wipe the floor with older models in terms of definition and soundstage, especially when the newer 32 bit dacs are compared to the older 24 bit.
dracule1 OP
1,085 posts
 
Douglas, better definition and soundstage in newer DACs may be true but most newer DACs seem to miss the mark when it comes to naturalness of timbre, pace and rhythm, and smoother sound compared to the older ladder DAC chips and some NOS designs. I dunno but I don't think newer necessarily sound better IMO.

But getting back to upgradeable DACs, most seem like marketing ploy. Some take too much of an advantage by offering too frequent upgrades you would think the designer has no clue.
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