When Will the DAC Singularity Be Reached?

ASR lost me when they have some Topping DAC rated higher than the Tambaqui in his hierarchy list. Sorry, but I’ll take the Tambaqui all day.

Lower cost DACs have reached a "pretty doggone good" level in the $500 to $1600 range (from say a Geshelli Labs AKM based J2 with user changeable op-amps to a Gustard R26). And hey, in my $12K system, I probably couldn’t tell the difference between the Gustard R26 and the Tambaqui. So, yeah, it is about buying enough DAC but not too much DAC if you get my meaning.

Regarding the so-called misnomer of "digital amp" there are some sites that explain it better saying no, it isn’t a magical digital to analog device but rather a technology from a few years ago that is finally ready for prime time because the use of GaN based devices allows it to work much better and satisfy most audiophiles.

Here’s Peachtree’s blurb about it on there GaN 1 amp:

"First and foremost is the GaN-FET amplifier module. It has several inherent advantages in a power amplifier that even the best MOS-FET designs simply cannot achieve. A GaN-FET power stage provides a precise high-power reproduction of the Class-D PWM signal with extremely high linearity. This linearity eliminates the need for ANY feedback, ultimately allowing for the best possible audio quality providing clean, clear middle and high frequencies and a tight, solid reproduction of low frequencies. GaN-FETs track the complex audio waveforms so much more accurately than MOS-FETs resulting in significantly more transparent and natural sound. The difference is something even a casual listener can hear and appreciate. The GaN 1 is also designed so that it does NOT even require a digital-to-analog-converter (DAC). The digital audio signal at the input directs the amplifier outputs to drive the speakers. Although DACs have continued to improve over the years, there is no DAC better than NO DAC! This concept is not a new one as similar devices often referred to as "Power DACs" made quite a splash in our industry years ago, but this time around, using the concept with GaN-FETs raises the bar to an entirely new level."

Well, maybe. I’d say I’d want to see some measurements just for fun of how that output stacks up against a good DAC feeding a regular good old Class A or AB tube or solid-state amp. But hey, technology can be a wonderful thing as it gets better.

There are Denafrips and other R2R dacs (5k and below) that seem to sound superior to relatively older 20k+ Dacs i’ve heard.

Having said that, the ASR descendants of imbeciles who claim that any dac is only as good as the realtek dac in their PCs should be duct taped and kicked out back to their boomboxes that sit on pizza boxes (speaker stands).

The real question for those of us on the fence a bit is what DAC to invest in at any price point?

Are R2R based DACs the "holy grail" all the YouTube reviewers say they are?

Is that "wide and deep soundstage with natural tonality" they say R2R DACs give real or an artifact of the DAC architecture? In other words, did the sound engineer actually hear that or are the R2R DACs adding it? Not that it wouldn’t be pleasurable or fun, but does that mean that even expensive chip based or FPGA based DACs are always going to give you less?

But some say the chip-based DACs offer better, slamming bass than R2R but R2R offers all that other jazz without the digital harsh edges on notes. At the end of the day do we just have to choose what is most important to us or will DACs achieve a symbiosis offering the best of both worlds? I’m speaking of DACs in the $2K to $5K range.

@yage

"A well engineered DAC that sells for $100 is going to sound great and possibly better than any other DAC costing more (including thousands of dollars more) in a blind test."

Sorry but that is a very sill comment worthy of an ASR minion. To be clear, no one is arguing that the more you spend, the better the Dac, (or any other equipment) is. However your blanket statement is way off beam. The Dacs I have heard that sound the best, in blind tests, despite what minion leader thinks, are expensive. There are some excellent lower priced Dacs as well, but to argue that a Dac built to cost like a cheap poorly put together Topping can sound better than a top end Dac is delusional.

iiWi Reviews….he does an outstanding job at raising these types of questions with current offerings. He’s basically defending the qualities of unique designs with a different approach to the output stage - Lampizator and the use of tubes in the output stage to be exact. I really believe that - when you’re really using your ears - different designs approaches can render limitless possibilities. Circuit design creativity will always bring about change, but also tends to be expensive when offering something more special:

https://youtu.be/ncZdxm0khTg