Question About DACs

After spending close to $10 k on my system I still wasn’t happy with the sound. I took a chance and ordered a PS Audio direct stream Dac and like magic every thing and I mean everything I ran through it sounded nearly perfect. The Dac before that was a dsd ps audio too for $1200 but it was just ok. I love this new Dac so much that I ordered the JR. Version for my office to play on my smaller system. They are pricey but well worth it. Also make sure you get the bridge. I ended up ordering it later once I realized how Roon worked and now stream tidal and Qobuz all night through it when I get home. 

Measurements are 100% accurate in predicting sound quality in DACs if you listen to them blind.

@mzkmxcv I think you will  have a problem proving that. There are many people hearing differences between dacs, even when listening blind. I have heard differences.

If it would be this easy all manufacturers could easily measure their offerings and optimize the sound. Most of them do measure and do optimize but I've almost never heard anyone saying that this is easy and that you can create a $100 dac that sounds exactly as the best dacs in the world. 

My guess is that we are measuring the wrong things or not enough things.

These forums are fun to read, but it’s just for fun with more opinion than fact.  Sometimes fantasy.
But still it’s part of the hobby. Addictive to some nice people that care to post and read. 

  My suggestion is to listen to
what you purchase first.  Measurements are useless compared to what you hear and like.  Like and pay for what you think sounds good.
 Today’s sales model stinks for those of us who enjoy shopping in a real world.

What CD player specifically?  How implemented matters often more than what chips are used. I can use chips well or badly, simple as that.  I have compared back to back a Schiit BiFrost multi-bit to the same designer's $4000 player circa 1994 9Theta DSPro) Closer than one might imagine, and the Theta, in all listener's opinion, was just a smidge BETTER. So much for today's stuff killing yesterday's. OTOH given he price delta its a great compliment to the modern day Schiit. So-so QC however.

@headphonedreams

Let’s say the frequency response is within +/-0.1dB, distortion below -90dBFS, crosstalk better than -90dBFS, no aliasing or images above -90dBFS due to the reconstruction filter, volume linearity within +/-0.5dB down to -120dBFS (20Bit), jitter suppression better than -90dBFS, etc.

I would like one reason as to how it could not be transparent.

If you have heard differences while blind listening, then it was an issue with the test (not double-blind, not level matched, and not quick switching), or it’s simply differences that don’t exist, which could be verified by also doing an ABX.

People just don’t want to hear that their $5000 DAC isn’t audibly better than a $250 one. 
 
How can we hear things that aren’t picked up by measurements? Solid state DACs aren’t like tube amps where the final sound output is based on the interaction between the tube amp and the speakers, a solid state DAC has a fixed output.