How much does a DAC do the more expensive it is?

So what do those much more expensive DACS do for sound?

I like the analogy that a DAC is like a cart. DACs shape the sound. They can smooth out edgy highs, preserve the all important mid-range and tighten up bass. but...EVERYTHING matters.

2 months ago I thought my $600 Bluesound Node (current model) was pretty darn good, and I was also a digital cable naysayer. 

Out of necessity, I upgraded and tweaked my digital front end (details in my virtual system). I still have the Node but I will replace it at some point now that I know what I know:)

You get what you pay for but if you are patient and do your research, a killer digital front end can be had for under $5K. But if money is no object...go nuts.

There are exceptions to the rule many R2R dacs have a very natural character,

tube dacs have their own complementing character .

Each company has their own way and different design .

the more expensive dacs many times have more high quality filtering for lower noise , as well as better clocks  they did deeper in imaging, sound staging and low 

level details , I have heard many dacs visiting  many homes within our audio 

get togethers.  Imo $7k under a very high quality dac , my personal favorite 

theT&A 200 dac. It beats many dacs at 2x the cost , that being said 

The Gustard  R2R 26;is my current favorite under $2k dac , saying that ,the Audio  magic M1 fuse Highly recommended to complement it to be at its best forunder $2k total. 

It is a fallacy that the more money gets you the better product. It may be true in some instances but it is total bs in many others. Only your ears will tell you. Not the money spent.

thanks for all your replies. Money and price were simply the easiest metric for me to use, having been immersed in analog and vinyl up until recently and dependent simply on the 105 before something hinted I should try a Gungnir. 

It’s going to be difficult to part with my 105. That unit is golden. Still, if a better transport can be had, then I can move the 105 to its duty as a blu-ray player in the theater system (i.e., the family room with the Onkyo).

@macg19 Unfortunately, money IS an object. Blah.

When you find the right DAC, it will not be about lack of coloration or smoothness.  It will not be about speed or openness or lack of sibilance.  It will not be about resolution and detail that brings out the sound of the singers lips touching or being able to feel the size of the room that the performers are in because you can hear the faint echoes off of the walls or the stage.  It will not be about the drums so clear and sharp that they make you jump or the feathery light shimmer of the cymbals that give you chills and make you long for the feeling to never stop.  The right DAC will make the music connect to you on more than an emotional level.  That one in 10 songs where the music will wrap around your soul and each heartbeat will pause, just momentarily waiting for that next beat in the music.  When you find that DAC, it will be like the gem you have been searching for your whole life and once you find it you simply gaze into that gem and it fills you with euphoria.  When you find the right DAC, it will not be about measurements, it will not be about cost.  It will be like that gem.

Gee, I'm such a poet and didn't know it.  We have a wide cross section of experience on these forums.  I think the wisdom of the wise is often passed over by the newer hobbyists here.  No problem, we all tend to do that.  Audio can be very personal and we each have to try and learn for ourselves.  It's not uncommon to enter this hobby focused on measurements.  We must.  We need something to ground ourselves as we sort out the bewildering amount of options.  So Watts/channel and THD are of primary concern.  Eventually, like a master craftsman, we go beyond measurements and learn to feel what is right.  Someone well experienced in audio can dial in a phono cartridge beyond what can be measured with a ruler.  An experienced person can position speakers in a room without a tape measure.  That person can find the right spots for the speakers knowing exactly when it feels right.  Go measure the speakers and don't be surprised if they are together within 1/8" from the walls.  And if one speaker is a 1/2" different from the wall vs the other speaker, you might feel compelled to move it.  And suddenly the magic is gone.  Hopefully you are able to put it back exactly where it was.