Audio Science Review = "The better the measurement, the better the sound" philosophy

If you stream most of your music like I do the DAC isn’t the issue, it is getting a pristine a stream as possible. The streaming services are the bottleneck IMO.

Find ways to upgrade your network, your ethernet, reduce the noise and jitter coming from your streamer, etc. Upgrade your content with hirez downloads, vinyl if that is your thing, etc.

Kota 1,Thanks for that youtube link.This is another one which discusses  similar issues in a very moderate and balanced way.

Here is the thing. A while ago I was looking around for a new DAC. I listened to about 8 and in no case was the cost of the DAC mentioned. I just sat in a chair and listened to the same music. One that I disregarded very quickly was the Topping.

This isn't a blind test. Not knowing prices isn't the same as not knowing which DAC you're listening to. Who controlled the payback? Third party who level marched ? These are some of the  reasons  I suspect your anecdote was dismissed on ASR . 

@cd318

Dare I suggest it’s a simple matter of vested financial interests?

The subjectivists approach actively encourages consumers to spend, spend, spend ever increasingly large amounts of money on equipment and cabling.

Most of them usually include an ad hoc performance league masquerading as a buyer’s guide that always correlates with increasing prices.

Which reminds me of Robert Harley’s contention, not just recently but also from some years ago, that audio components follow his own law of increasing/accelerating marginal returns (as opposed to decreasing).

So, if you spend another 10%, you will be gifted with something that is more than 10% better in every respect (appreciating that this has nothing to do with the level of expenditure, rather, a comparison between two levels).

It is odd how the forks at ASR and Amir's Army of Flying Monkeys clamor for blind test yet none are done at ASR.

These flying monkey's also call Amir a scientist because he has a oscilloscope, voltmeter and REW. I own a chainsaw doesn't make me a lumberjack.