DACs have the front end where the chip/tubes resides plus the power supply, the analogue conversion circuit, the cables, the case, the various connectivity ports, the feet, etc, etc. All of this combines to produce “the sound” and level of quality. The balanced RCA might be very good on a DAC but the USB port could be of super cheap quality. It all matters.
A cheap DAC might have a SS chip that measures well but the rest of the unit might be all cheap as possible components. The analog circuitry has a bigger influence on the sound signature than the chip.
This is why many audiophiles will take their time doing careful listening. Everyone’s ears and level of focused listening will be different. If you look at Amir’s graph listing all the DACs he has measured you will see that there are a lot of DACs that have similar measurements but many of them have very different prices, connectivity options and sound signatures. Success in picking one will depend on the rest of your system, your room, your music and how you (and only you) prefer your sound.
