Analyzing DACs

In my opinion, the DAC is the second most important component after the speakers - it is creating the signal you listen too.

Quality does in improve with price, but I don't know what price it stops being really noticeable.

Good DACs cost alot of money, and good preamps cost more than amp much of the time. I find volume control on the DAC chip to be much inferior to a preamp.

As for Amir, and ASR. As a person with "Scientist" in their job title, all I will say is that he is not doing science. Measurements are important because they can let you know if there is a design flaw, but measurements will not tell you what it sounds like.

@teedee

One might assume that the simplest audio chain is sonically best, but my online empirical research shows a mixed bag - sometimes the sonics sound better with a preamplifier in the chain. Some surmise the preamp may somehow be conditioning the signal to be more favorable (ohms?) to the amp.

The HoloAudio May DAC would be my choice based on online reviews. Perhaps you can stretch to the Lampizator Baltic 3 DAC at $6.6k - reports that it’s sonics are way above it’s price point - it appears to be a very rare bargain.  

kennyc

... my online empirical research shows a mixed bag ...

Online empirical research? That's oxymoronic. "Researching" online is the exact opposite of empirical research.

Online empirical research? That’s oxymoronic. "Researching" online is the exact opposite of empirical research.

finally, a serious post in this train wreck of a forum thread LOL

Listening to music is a subjective experience. Measurements of meaning should significantly correlate with the subjective experience or at least some component of it. This, for me, is where the measurement argument runs out of steam. Measurements don’t tell me what I hear. I like certain sonic representations thru my stereo systems that are different. I have four systems that all sound different yet each is musically satisfying to me though I do like my reference best. I trust a few reviewers ears based on my listening to equipment they have reviewed. There is at least one Audiogon retailer who has yet to steer me wrong on a purchase. I could not tell you very many of the measurement specs on my equipment nor could I tell u what measurement explains why my PassLabs amp sounds different than my Ampzilla monoblocks.