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What DAC upgrade made you say “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

As the title suggests, what was your overall system and DAC at the point where you bought only a new DAC and said “DAMN, that sounds SO MUCH better than my last DAC”?

I’m a novice and so many people talk about improvements from new equipment as if they were only listening to varying degrees of static until they bought more and more new equipment which added up to them finally being presented with music. It’s like Salome and the seven veils. But when does the last veil get peeled away? 

So what system did you have and what DAC did you swap in that made you say “DAMN!!!!”?

I guess I’m looking for night and day differences, not gradual progressions……


pip_helix
smatsui
168 posts
 
Not yet but I will soon.  My guess, the KTE will come out on top.
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gcdijos
14 posts
 
I own an Oppo Udp205 which uses two ESS Pro Sabre chips. To me, it sounds great. 
I just listened to the dCS Bartok DAC which used proprietary ring technology - not chip based.

I was blown away at the difference. Yes, both units are in different price points, but I’m distinguishing, many times, you get what you pay for…I would recommend to audition DACs at different price points. Select maybe a few suggestions from this thread. 

Good luck!!
stuartk
2,980 posts
 
"Moving from a AQUA LA VOCE to a AQUA LA SCALA"

I'll never be able to afford that upgrade.

Good thing I'm totally satisfied with my La Voce!  
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gents's avatar
gents
114 posts
 
Before I knew what I absolutely wanted when I was rebuilding my system about 10 years ago, I ordered a Schiit Bifrost and a subsequent multi-bit upgrade. I liked it and got comfortable with it as components changed, but when I really started to fine tune it I thought it would be time to lose the budget DAC. After some reading, the Auralic Vega was where I settled in and it was indeed WTF change with my CJ ET3SE & 2550SE. Palpability just jumped to a different level, as you'd expect and it was a very satisfying change. Now, I have the itch and I think I wanted to jump back into the world of Schiit, from whence I came and step into R2R via the Iggy.
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