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

OP,

The price of units is a good proxy for quality as in, “it is generally positively correlated”, particularly as the price rises. Not true in mid-fi. For experienced audiophiles the words “if carefully researched and well chosen” captures what most of us mean if using price as a proxy for quality. You have to, make sure that what you are buying has the flavor you want and is compatible with your system. But within that context, in general the more you pay the better will be the sound quality. So, it is worth mentioning, because folks new to,high end audio might think that price without thought will get you there… and that is a recipe for disappointment.

Lots of upstarts trying to break in to the market may release new stuff that sounds really great on several dimensions… but may not meet the mark on several others. Companies that have been at this for decades understand sound quality to an incredible depth and produce components with great depth and nuance across all the variables. They carefully price their stuff competitively. Companies like VAC, Conrad Johnson, Pass, Audio Research, Linn, Boulder, dCS… etc., they have depth and value, and their prices, while high reflect true value. Not flash in the pan stuff.

+1 @ghdprentice

like anything in this hobby or others, in life in general

-- spending big money to obtain an excellent desired outcome needs to be accompanied by suitable knowledge and experience

-- those without the money and/or knowledge will sometimes harbor envy and thus express sentiments of ’awww well it won’t be good money spent anyways’ - getting the most out of life, as usual, is a function of what you put into it...

@ghdprentice gets it exactly right.

It’s just like anything else:

1) Designers try to make the best product.

2) At its price, it either represents the value you’re looking for, or it doesn’t.

I have nothing to add to what @ghdprentice so eloquently and politely wrote. As with everything in life, there is no free lunch