DAC diminishing returns

@jjss49  Conditionally agree.

There has been fine line between neutrality and the analytical in my setup. I've been doing a lot of streaming setup experimentation over the years, there has been the rare case when lowered noise floor has resulted in too finely etched sound stage and imaging, so I can see the case for higher resolution resulting in diminished soundstaging.  Still, I'd have to say higher resolving setup nearly always results in better soundstaging. I consider improved sound stage and imaging as inherently allied to increased resolution. My theory on diminished soundstaging resulting from lower noise floor is due to mismatched clocks in various streaming devices.

@electroslacker ...there’s a DAC3 but even they feel that’s getting into diminishing returns...

It can be. Demos at home in your system helps a lot to decide. Had a very nice DAC3B here for several weeks. Great on paper. Returned it. Ended up with a different R2R Ladder chip DAC at less cost, a unit with worse specs yet it simply sounded more engaging and more musical in my system. Let your ears be the guide for your system and setup.

audphile1, When someone sends a product back after a trial period it's now a used item. The manufacturer has to sell it used or demo. That's the reason for the restocking fee, to cover the loss. Yes it's true, you will pay for a trial period, there are no free lunches. 

@charliee I get the reasons…was clarifying their return policy since the details were omitted and expressed my thoughts about it. 

@dsfreeh my thoughts about your question…

There are differences between DACs that’s obvious. One important aspect of “diminishing returns “ in my opinion is it is reached much sooner on a system that’s not up to the level to reveal the differences and make you appreciate your investment and not believe you were duped into buying a component the potential of which you just can’t realize because you have other bottlenecks in your system.

So basically my point is everything has to balance out. I have never heard a Schiit DAC or the Denafrips. With the denafrips figure anything goes wrong it will need to take a trip to China. That alone makes it a non-starter for my but that’s just my take on it. I would stick with something that has solid customer service and an authorized repair center in your country of residence. Just my $0.02