@jjss49 That's what I'd expect - the cheaper dacs would be more colored in various ways while the more expensive dacs would be approaching the same ultimate standard. Years ago I saw a comparison of the exact same studio shot made with two brands of lenses at the same spec. One was much more expensive than the other. The shots looked identical until they were viewed side to side, in which case the higher contrast and deeper black of the more expensive lens became evident. It controlled blooming better. It's really hard to notice that when not viewed directly against each other because our eyes adjust contrast.
Differences between models of expensive vs inexpensive DACs
For those who have tried many different DACs from very inexpensive to very expensive, do you find that the lower end DACs all sound similar in the same less than optimal way, or is it that the more expensive DACs all sound more similar in the correct way? In other words, are the better DACs starting to converge on the same good sound, or are they actually diverging more in their sonic presentation? In recent times I've only worked with relatively inexpensive DACs and those all sound the same to me.
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OP, How you use the DAC chip… how many… power supply etc… determines the sonic output. So, while the DAC chop as limiting factor, it is not… just one of a myriad of factors. Which is why long strings centered on R2R or ESS chips really just detract from the real issue. Even inside a DAC component… it is a system and making it sound correctly, it is a matter of all the components together.
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op old post below, fyi - perhaps a useful summary of the topic
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curious... please share which 3 expensive dacs you tried... and what front end fed them their input signal... and if you don't mind, rest of your system, for context many thanks |
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