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

@simao

you likely know that you really can’t tell that a component change is better or worse for you unless you try it at some length in your own system

hearing something sound good in another person’s system only provides a rough notion of the potential a component may have in your own... there are so many other interceding variables .... otoh -- hearing something expensive sound mediocre or bad in another system tells you nothing useful, for the same reasons

with digital, it is not just the price/quality of the dac, but the streamer, the selected cabling/connection option, the purity of the local feed (there are many threads on this topic)... so it is even more complicated to get right than just paying up on a more expensive dac

this is where a good forum like this one, with many experienced, dedicated contributors, is useful... you can get a sense of who is using what, if they are happy, along with some idea on the overall quality of their system, and their dedication and experience level

just some quick examples, many well spoken, well established folks here do very well with aurender streamers, network acoustics and uptone audio lan cleansers, msb bricasti and weiss dacs are quite often cited, yet rarely (if ever) criticized (same for, say, dena pontus or mhdt orchid at a more modest price tier), and so on... reading all the contributions over a stretch of time, from credible contributors here, tells you something useful

@simao 

You're welcome! 

So many here seem to be fixated on cost rather than value when it comes to DACs.  Value can be difficult to determine when it comes to DACs since the technology is not as mature as vinyl, tape, speakers or amplification.  I don’t see vintage 30 year old DACs going for big money.  Changes in digital technology appear to be leveling off, but who knows until we look back 10 years from now.  Still, many DACs have more value than others.  It is not just about cost.  Performance, reliability, adaptability and pedigree (well known manufacturers) affect market value both as a new and as a used unit.

Someone may purchase an $1100 DAC and be pleased as punch with the sound.  After comparing some $600 DACs and $2500 DACs this purchase seems to be the best all around choice without breaking the bank.  In 5-10 years this DAC might resale for $50-$100.  Another person found his ideal DAC and paid $11,000.  This DAC, from a well known brand- and that certainly adds a little to the cost has a beautiful sound with a large airy soundstage befitting the rest of his high end stereo system.  In 5-10 years this DAC will likely fetch $5000 on the used market, baring any new significant technological breakthroughs.  Remember, high end turntables were selling for very reasonable prices on the used market from the late 1990s to about 2010.  Wish I had jumped on my dream turntable back then.  Point is that both DACs have a cost of ownership and that is the thing to consider.  So now, the person who snatches up the $11,000 DAC used will likely enjoy his purchase immensely with potentially a lower cost of ownership than the person who bought the $1100 DAC new.   And if that is the case is there really any debate needed about the sound quality expensive DACs vs inexpensive DACs?  (Other than someone must pony up the price for new gear.)

$11,000 DAC used will likely enjoy his purchase immensely with potentially a lower cost of ownership than the person who bought the $1100 DAC new.

Tony, accepting your hypothetical numbers the person who bought the $1100 dac loses $1000 in value while the person who bought the $10,000 dac loses $5000 over the same time. That does not equate with a lower cost of ownership for the more expensive piece in my book.

This whole “cost equals sound quality“ argument in hi-fi is very suspect. Here are a couple of reasons why. 

A.) In many, if not all hi-fi components, the case equals more than half the cost of the component. Thus, you are paying for looks not for sound necessarily. I believe this is typified by the value proposition. Many have acknowledged for Schitt t audio products. Decent quality in a cheap case sold at a reasonable price. PS – I don’t own any of that particular companys products. 

B) it is well known in marketing that price automatically equates with value in the minds of the majority of consumers.

C) the inability to totally characterize sound quality through measurement plays into the hands of the marketers in B. 
 

and OK I will admit that there may be some boutique brands out there, using exceptionally high component quality who have developed intellectual properties that make their products worth extravagant prices. I don’t know. What I am saying, however, is that the opportunity exist for lots of deception through effective, marketing and appearance in shiny boxes and if there are not a lot of people taking advantage of that, then I guess we don’t live in a capitalist society.