Analyzing DACs

Interesting to me, how these discussions become so incredibly polarizing. Isn’t it true that there are many variables to consider here? A good sounding dac is a good sounding dac. A dac that measures well does not guarantee that its output stage will be particularly pleasing. But it is possible that a dac that measures well can also be a great good sounding dac. It is possible for a poorly measuring dac to still sound unique and wonderful. So much of this is subject to personal trial and error. However objectivist we’d like to be, two individuals with the exact same equipment will find differences in their setups for reasons that extend beyond their equipment.

Circuitry and the arrangement of internal components, board designs, filter caps (or lack there of), chips, or discrete circuits, wiring (and the amount of it), etc etc etc. all render different results. Question is, how do we listen? What are we finding or looking for when we do?

Not a guarantee, and there are some price conscious outlier/somewhat giant killer components out there…but I have found that quality components paired with good design = good sound. But I suppose even that’s too subjective.

@tee_dee 

When you use the DAC as a digital volume control directly into an amp the DAC is lowering the bit depth and therefore taking resolution out of the bit stream.

If you want  less boxes then go with an integrated amp, I'm thinking you would very much like to have the volume control in the analog world.

Go forth and listen, then listen some more and then even more.  Talk is cheap. Trust you ears. They won't lie to you.

Regards,

barts

You cannot pick a components by measurements alone.  Price has nothing to do with sound quality.  You have not mentioned what type of sound you prefer so every recommendation here is completely useless.  Do you like a tube sound or SS sound and do you know why they sound different?
Most products use less expensive parts no matter what the price.  Parts make sound quality.  Power supplies are where you should start first.  Computer grade PS capacitors or Nichicon Supers?  Bradly resistors or Takman, Amtrans or Audio Note.  V-Capacitors?  If not then you get what you pay for.

As far as a DAC without a preamp, I would suggest that method until you find a preamp that helps your system sound better to your own ears.

You do not mention a price range.  So without that, I cannot assist you.

Happy Listening.
 

+1 @bigkidz "You cannot pick a components by measurements alone."

Glad to see this statement in the first sentence to advise newbies more. A few years back I followed ASR tests, bought (and later returned) a highly praised DAC, with 125-128db signal to noise ratio, and all of these great measuring parameters.

Then, later to discover all of the different type dac connections were not tested and reported, and after playing the dac for a while it was one of the most sterile and boring sounding dac units I’ve ever tried or owned. The dac got returned for a full refund, thankfully. Agree, you cannot pick a component by measurements alone if you care about how it sounds too.

I sense the preamp is an afterthought for some of these low end DAC/preamps. Super high end ones may warrant a discussion however. I read the MSB select manual; the OEM suggests direct to amp connection. I'm not playing in that league. A high quality DAC in the 3k-5k range is ideal. Holo Audio and Exasound DACs are interesting. And maybe the Qutest.