I went from two 2010's vintage low end USB DACs (Burson and Wavelength Brick) to a midrange (expensive even used) Bricasti with an Ethernet input. Much improved using USB and even better using Ethernet. So price (as a function of quality) matters, but so does the input. Like others here, I'm of the Ethernet input option being a requisite for when I replace the Burson). This also introduces the quardary of the DAC network card being superior to the Nucleus as a streaming device. Also at this point, I'm limited to what I've experienced at home, so with DAC's my N is 4 (1st DAC being a Cambridge DAC Magic 2000's era which I sold).
You want a DAC that sounds *different.* What factor helps you find it?
I'm thinking about trying a new DAC, adding one to the stable.
What's most important is that it sound different than my present DAC.
If you were to look for a new DAC to try, what weight would you assign to each of these factors in predicting a different character of sound?
1. chipset
2. design of DAC --- R2R etc.
3. power supply
4. tube or no tube
5. ? (some factor or combination not mentioned)
I've become somewhat skeptical of user reviews because of uncontrollable variability related to tastes, system components, and vagueness of language used by reviewers.
So, without some appreciation of the ability for the above factors to affect the sound character, singling out just one or another factor seems like random guessing.
I'd love to learn from you all. I'd be curious to know, for example, that most R2R DACs sound similar, overall. That would help by directing me away from trying another R2R DAC. Or maybe they don't all sound similar; ok, that keeps them in consideration.
Same question with chipsets, power supply, tube/no tube.
So, again the hypothetical -- simplified:
You want to get a DAC that sounds much different than what you have. What factor helps you find it?
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Interesting, other than @jond with his AudioNote and @djones51 with his MHDT Pagoda mentioned, surprised we’re not seeing more replies yet about R2R Ladder vs. Delta Sigma DACs and related designs, and implementations. Each of these can sound quite different from each other depending on price ranges your’e in. I’m back to re-investigating more about some of the better resistor vs. chip r2r r2r ladder designs, and not considering delta-sigma DACs any more - - due to higher cost to own a worthy unit. Churn and debate this, a "deeper sound stage with R2R based DAC designs". Happy listening. 😀
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Great answers! Many factors I had not thought of. A lot of these factors seem to be of the "What makes a DAC sound great" variety. I suppose I'm especially interested in the "What makes a DAC sound *different*?" In other words, assuming I had a choice between two DAC's and they *both* had all the great aspects mentioned -- what would be the differentiating factor which would alter the sonic character between them? Some of the answers above did touch on this, so I'm just re-stating the question in case it was somewhat muddled. |
Choice of optimal rendering in both streamer and dac critical, really should be thought of as package deal. Using non optimized connection or port on either of these two components won't allow for full potential of dac to be heard.
I'll soon be investigating virtually every rendering scheme available with recent ATX board based server purchase, should be interesting.
The question then becomes, whether optimal rendering is done internally within dac or in streamer? I presume both have pluses and minuses, implementation everything.
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