How good are $2 DACs?

Good case in point is the Bluesound Node 2i is difficult to beat.  I added a DAC and went back to listening to just the Bluesound.  Something to be said for MQA.  MQA just has a different level of presence. 

This is why despite all the knocks against CDPs and their "inherent" flaws, I'm sticking with them. You can bring up a list of all that can go wrong with them and yet prove that any of it will happen in any given circumstance. And, it's CD quality you're hearing, which when done right, rivals high rez.

All the best,
Nonoise

nonoise
And, it’s CD quality you’re hearing, which when done right, rivals high rez.

>>>>>And when done righter, beats the pants off hi res. 👖 Why settle?

Some years ago I bought a little Pro-Ject DAC for listening to music from my PC via free Foobar to my hi-fi.
Cost $12 as I recall from a local auction house and sounded great, way better than just the PC sound card. I was really happy with it.
A friend who said it would be crap (because of blah blah blah and not least of all, price) but had not heard it came over to listen to my new Rega DAC. When I played him some music that he thought was going through the Rega which cost $600, he really enjoyed what he was hearing.

When I got up and turned the Rega off and the music was still playing it left him spluttering in disbelief but still unable to believe his own ears.I was never really enamored by the Rega and found it a bit shrill in a lot of instances. I thought the Pro-Ject handled poorer source quality with more aplomb.

I was, however, not prepared for the differences in quality between the Rega and the Denafrips Pontus that replaced it!Different topology I know but still a way better sound than I was prepared for, with all sources of all different quality.I think there was a bigger leap in SQ, the further up the price chain I went.