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Does good technology guarantees musicality?

Nowadays many audiophiles think that if you DIY a state-of-the-art DAC with the implementation of the right technology and with the use of the best parts money can buy, then you will automatically get a good (and musical) sounding DAC. I personally think that this way you can get a (technically) good sounding DAC, but it is still questionable if it would sound musical too. I mean technically perfect is not synonimous with musicality. Many people are able to build a technically flawless DAC, but only a few are able to build a musical sounding DAC. Do you agree with this?

Chris
dazzdax
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
Tvad- I went in the other direction, already having an Esoteric UX-1 with arguably one of the best transports made, and then having my Denon upgraded again very recently by APL to be used as a 32-bit DAC. Same result - got tired of dealing with the unreliability(laser) and very average sound. The digital input on the Denon now opens all sorts of possibilities......
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shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
But do you only want to have accuracy without distortion?


All I am saying is that technically perfect gear is not satisfactory to most audiophiles as they want "musicality" (some kind of pleasing added coloration to the sound - that audiophiles agree is "musical" but which a measurement would identify as added distortion in the form of harmonics, phase shift or added emphasis and/or resonance - things that are generally incompatible with accuracy but sound great)
usblues
1,217 posts
 
Good question/theory Chris.....after living down the block from the Twilight Zone for decades,its been decided without upgraded/modded ears,its irrelevent dare I say hardly necessary to go beyond stock equipment including DAC's to go beyond stock enjoyment.Though some would say its the chase not just the catch that continually promise you with those technical rainbows,YMMV,Bob
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Implementation is everything in front-end gear, particularly DAC's. A good implementation can use a 10-year old D/A chip, but sound better than a new design with a newer D/A chip with better specs, and this is fairly typical. Case in point is the great specs on the AKM DAC chips, but they are not very musical IMO.

I do not recommend purchasing based on the latest chips inside. The designers skill, experience and innovation is more important IMO.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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