When Will the DAC Singularity Be Reached?

there is really no point arguing

folks, if you think they all sound the same, cheap ones and expensive ones, then that is great, carry on...

others among us have done the work, made the effort, actually bought them, compared them at length, in our own systems, we have our own understanding of how much $ buys how much performance, and we have decided with our wallets -- most serious audiophiles who have invested in their systems have had a lifetime of experience, of buying expensive items -- cars, homes, second homes, art, stocks, not to mention speakers, amplifiers, preamps, turntables ... we have come to trust our judgement, and we usually don’t waste our money on valueless items when we are attentive about those purchases

so it’s all good... $7/gallon box wines, nissan versas, harbor freight tools, all have their buyers... we can all just carry on, enjoy the music, with our own beliefs

anyone here is welcome to pm me, tell me in detail about their systems, their room, their choice of music and so on, i will suggest dacs worth trying (i have tried some 50 dacs -- without exaggeration -- from $200 to $18,000 since early 2020...) - you are welcome to look at my system page, cheers

What comes out of any DAC is voltage/current. This can be measured for noise and distortion, plus frequency response. This is all that can be heard! So all DAC's of comparable measurements will sound alike. There is no special unknown X - factor that differentiates one DAC from another. No "secret sauce" to justify charging five figures for a DAC!

I once saw a sign that said “Price, Quality, Speed. Pick Two.” This was in relation to commissioned work (at an ad agency) but works for so many things. Sure in Audio there’s overlap but often you get what you pay for. 

@jjss49 

I appreciate the link you posted- this man seems pretty down to earth. It will be nice to see/hear his thoughts while moving upward into higher value reviews/comparisons. 

@jasonbourne71

"This is all that can be heard! So all DAC’s of comparable measurements will sound alike. " Wrong forum and very silly comment. Even the minion master does not claim this, (or so he says.)