Next best exponential DAC quality level?


I recently did a shoot out of three DACs using my Hint6 + routing each of the other DACs to analog input on the Hint6:

(1) Hint6: ESS Sabre32 -- Integrated 

(2) SMSL M500: ES9038PRO D/A   ~$400 

(3) Khadas ToneBoard(v1): ESS ES9038Q2M - ~$99

I played the same song passages on Amazon Music and was able to cycle through each Hint6 input corresponding to each DAC.

The result?  Very small difference in terms of rendering.  Maybe a more open sound stage with better overall balance using the Hint6 DAC.  The Khadas was more bass / midrange pronounced w/ a more narrow soundstage.  However, I wouldn't suggest that any were head-and-shoulders "better" over the others.  In fact, they were all pretty decent with only small nuances (certainly not worth the price differences.   

I decided to keep the Khadas for my small headphone listening area. 

But it got me thinking - how much would one have to spend to realize an exponential difference in quality?  Is the Khadas that good, or is DAC technology differences more nuanced than I originally thought (meaning, we're paying 10x for only 5% better).  

 

128x128martinman

Person1: But what about my choice

Person2: Science cannot measure that - so it is irrelevant

Preferences may be observed and measured in the context of which you talk about. Person 2 is possibly incorrect in the observation and any conclusion drawn from that can be doubted..

A fellow called Paul Samuelson proposed something about revealed preferences. It has taken on a few forms, none of which are without criticism (and that's fine), but its nevertheless illustrative.

I won’t go into details, but Wiki provides its usual barely friendly word salad.

 

@noske, that is really interesting. I have seem what I assume are related concepts in economic classes long ago, but don't remember this.

@cindyment yeah, and I like how its called GARP...cool.

Despite it involving fairly standard ideas (utility, indifference curves etc), it does have some issues including those mentioned in as few words as possible in the Wiki link. Whenever someone like Hal Varian becomes interested you know its graduate level complexity.

Also, it suggests issues that are being explored at a variety of levels which some correctly say diverges too far from classical economics, like the recent popularity of nudge theory in behavioral economics.

I guess what my point was that consumer preferences may be measured, analysed and squeezed at the most micro and personal of levels - AI and neural networks, eh? Ask the elites at Amazon, Facebook, and at a basic level maybe some way too close to home to even mention......

 

This forum could benefit from an ignore button.  If nothing else, it would give those who cannot keep from feeding the self-inflated profiles an option and are unable to just keep scrolling.  Its really very simple.

The one way streets never change.  Its a fruitless endeavor