The sound quality from DACs - is it all the same?

If that were the case one of the most prolific DACs would have never gone to market, The Border Patrol SE. On paper (measurements) it is awful. Listen to one and you will love the sound.

The folks at ASR are sheep. Not saying measurements are not part of the equation they absolutely are in mechanical engineering and it is how we validate. In audio not so much.

Audio science review is the antithesis of this forum. There people think the only thing that matters is the numbers--if it has the lowest THD and noise floor, it must sound best. Here people think all that matters is what they hear, even if their claims violate the laws of physics.

The answer is somewhere in between.

I think the DAC is very important to the sound in a modern digital system...I’ve sometimes said it is the most important component, but that is easy to say when you have the amp all dialed in...I will say that the DAC is the most expensive component in my system.

His claim about a $400 DAC shows that he isn't listening at a very high level.

Jerry

I prefer  not judge or accuse  a poster to be  a troll BEFORE he prove to be one sorry... Then i answered him without prejudice...

I prefer to appear naive or credulous than being injust...

All cheap Chinese DACs that I have heard are unadulterated C$*p.

The inbreeding has created so much retardation that they don't even understand that to run a commercial website you need sponsors and patrons.

Honestly who will advertise there? Fluke multi-meters?

I just spent two grand on fuses, yes fuses but Ted from SR pops in now and then and tells me I made a great decision.

Yeah fuses are different just ask ASR.