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Are DAC's overpriced?

External DAC's are pretty expensive imho... BUT I don't know that much on how to choose one. I want mostly cd's in my small two channel system... I am rebuilding after selling my Logans and Mac amp to go back to "drivers"! The Logans wore me out with Maintenance.  Should I buy a new cd player or get a new DAC for my old player?  
128x128captbeaver
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
Massdrop Grace SDAC, Topping D30, Schiit Modi 3, Khadas Tone Board (can be used bare, but would advise using a case). All are excellent and are <$150.

EDIT, seeing as your CD player pliekly only has digital coax or Toslink, then scratch off the Grace DAC, as it’s USB only.
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captbeaver OP
167 posts
 
The CD player is a Denon DVD 2900... she has served me well... I'm thinking about selling my Mac pre and buying a Parasound P6... has all the features and (I think) a great DAC built in. It's confusing for me... 
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@captbeaver 
 
The P6 is good if you want that.
david12
1,454 posts
 

I think you could rather say, is all HiFi overpriced? My answer would be yes. Having said that, DACs may be one area where there are bargains or relative bargains. Companies like Mytek,, Metrum, Rega. Chord, and others, make some great kit at reasonable prices.

Looking at HiFi from a business perspective, the problem seems to be about scale. The golden age for Hifi, the 60's to 80's say, then every home aspired to a good HiFi system, now only a small %. If you are spending money on R&D, tooling production facilities and you only sell a few 100 or 1000 units, it is going to be expensive.

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