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The sound quality from DACs - is it all the same?

I've been talking to my cousin brother about sound quality. He is a self-proclaimed expert audiophile. He says that Audio Science Review has all of the answers I will need regarding audio products.

In particular, he says an inexpensive DAC from any Chinese company will do better than the expensive stuff. He says fancy audio gear is a waste of money because the data is already bit-perfect.  All DAC chips sound the same. Am I being mislead? 

He also said that any DAC over $400 is a waste of money. Convincing marketing is at play here, he says.

He currently owns a Topping L30 headphone amplifier and D30 Pro DAC. He uses Sennheiser HD 569 headphones to listen to music.  I'm not sure what to think of them. I will report my findings after listening one day! (likely soon, once I get some free time)

- Jack 

 

 

jackhifiguy
deludedaudiophile
493 posts
 

@kcleveland 

My headphones have distortion <<0.01%.  I am not sure there is any speaker made with distortion that low. My DAC and headphone amplifier have far lower distortion than that.  No speaker and amp you have is going to be more revealing.

I am not amazed when there are no difference between DACs, interconnects, or what is streaming the digital signal. There is no reason for the difference to be there.

jackhifiguy OP
151 posts
 

@mahgister 

I think this would help to explain: 

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33873218/

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,011 posts
 

Thanks very interesting article indeed ...

It is very true and i experienced it when tuning my room ....

Timbre of voice and instrument is determined by a time envelope and a spectral envelope...But by amplitude of certain frequencies range too...

 

Then a Dac is one thing ... Acoustic magnification of any good dac power is another thing...

@mahgister

I think this would help to explain:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33873218/

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,813 posts
 

I have 2 DACs and my Vault connected to my pre and they all sound different 

sisserman
8 posts
 

This topic has cost me a ton of money over the years.

When the upgrade bug sets in I always seem to change out my DAC thinking there will be some magical moment.  This opinion is worsened by the many reviews who proclaim one DAC is so much better than the next.  Steve Huff on youtube is one of my favorites.  Great videos and he's so passionate....   The Wiess DAC is so warm, the Dave is holographic, omg... the May and Terminator... on it goes.

I've owned almost off of them....  most recently the DAVE.  When compared to my Benchmark DAC3, the differences are so amazingly slight I'm left disappointed.  There is a difference, but you almost need instantaneous ABing to tell and even then I'm trying to convince myself it's really there.

Best to get a good DAC and keep it.  Even my Topping DAC is almost identical to the Benchmark.  I've sold all those expensive DACs and put the money toward the amp and transducer.   

Hope this wasn't useless

steve

  

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