As @david_ten states, I agree there’s a lot to be gained by committing to a dac, but I also think that you learn a lot by comparing options side-by-side in your own system.
My approach was to order as many free-trial contenders as I could at the same time and then choose the winner. Sure, the dacs change over time, but you will also hear the basic differences in house sound at those early stages. If one’s in first place after 10 days of burning in, I highly doubt it could end up in last after 30. That comparison process will at the least give you solid "tiers" that are very unlikely to change no matter how long you spend with a particular dac.
Choose from the top tier and you’ll be happy, and will have learned enough not to be tempted by the new alternatives that pop up every month.
My approach was to order as many free-trial contenders as I could at the same time and then choose the winner. Sure, the dacs change over time, but you will also hear the basic differences in house sound at those early stages. If one’s in first place after 10 days of burning in, I highly doubt it could end up in last after 30. That comparison process will at the least give you solid "tiers" that are very unlikely to change no matter how long you spend with a particular dac.
Choose from the top tier and you’ll be happy, and will have learned enough not to be tempted by the new alternatives that pop up every month.