W4S DAC

@mahler123 yes, W4S would have been using ESS chips at the time you purchased, it sounds though as you may have bought one of their entry level series and with the various series, they offer numerous upgrades. I'm sure a basic DAC-1v2 would sound nowhere as good as a loaded-up DAC-2v2 or 10th Anniversary Edition at 2.5 times the price of the 1v2. Do you know what model you had?

@jsalerno277 +1 (well said)

@p05129 What DAC did you purchase for $4K then $8K respectively?

@mofojo Yes, I currently am using a Gustard R26 which is an R2R DAC, but as @jsalerno277 suggests, it does sound a little laid back.

DACs and streamers really suck in a way. You spend your hard earned money and 1 year later there is something way better. All of my friends have some sort of DAC streamer at various price levels up-to about $25k. I use a BlueSound Node and an OPPO 205. I like the BSN app. Lately the software and apps are working a lot better and sound great. My main thing is that everyone get their foundation setup properly. Speakers and speaker wire, preamp or 100% digital front end like a lumin, and an amp that properly pushes your speakers along with interconnects and power cords to the preamp (Digital streamer/DAC only) and amp. Once you do that almost everything should sound great even a $600 BlueSound Node and an OPPO 205. I see so many people not get their foundation right and then go down the rabbit hole trying to fix their system with tweeks, cables, and the worst Audiophile crime of them all. You only play certain recordings because others sound so poor. I kid you not, I can play anything on my system from heavy metal to Opera. Just imagine how good all of these Audiophile favorites sound! (Hey Now!) All jokes aside please get your foundation setup. Before you drop $5k on a new DAC. Spend it on room treatments. ATC in Illinois even has room treatments with nice pictures. IKEA has these cool octagon felt shapes you stick in the wall. Treat the first reflection point and you won’t believe your ears. $5k in room treatments will transform your sound. First reflection and some bass management will be amazing. IsoAcoustics came out with a larger stand that gets your subs off the floor. I hope this helps. 

@hsounds that is why you should step up and buy a streamer that is upgradeable, Innous, Simaudio, and that is a great foundation to build on. DAC wise I stick to R2R dacs. 

@hsounds Yes, all good advice, thank you, but I am in one of those situations where my listening room is also my living room with the kitchen off to one side.

I put drapes up on the widows to one side and bought some 2' x 4' x 2" thick acoustic panels for what wall space I have and honestly, I don't think it sounds any better than it did before the treatments, it also looks like crap.

Having electrostatic speakers I saw where one reviewer said the sound improved dramatically when he put some acoustic panels on the walls behind the speakers. I I did this in my situation, and it sounded awful, just sounded very flat.

I know people think this OCD Hi-Fi guy is nuts, but that maybe because he goes against the grain of conventional audiophile marketing (wisdom?). DAC’s are not evolving as many believe (or the marketing they buy).

https://youtu.be/EJHgVrdt2Dw?si=UNZjpf3dZdoeeEhq