The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype

@niodari

Of course, amplifier and speakers have a greater effect.

I would have to hear a demonstration of what you consider to be "more or less similar fashion".

For me, tonality and musicality are first and foremost and in terms of these factors, I’ve heard fairly dramatic differences in presentation that are most definitely not adequately described as "more or less similar". Variations in recording equality are another variable in the equation. I’m talking about what the DAC itself contributes, all other things being equal.

@stuartk , My point of view is that we all depend too much on the quality of recordings we are listening to. Even on a poorly recorded music, the amps and speakers make huge difference, whereas the differences between DACs are much less. I do not count really bad DACs which do exist (some time I was using Blue note Node 2i but just which is not bad as a streamer,  but its DAC is really bad). At the same time,  I still use a $130 ifi zen DAC for  streaming from my lap in my studio system, and I have a T&A $7000 DAC with a Melco streamer in my main system. I still prefer the latter combination, but I do enjoy streaming in my studio system as well, the SQ is not really bad. I do hear more distortion there, but all recordings and audio gear have some degree of distortion. When I am completely dedicated and concentrated to the music I am listening to, I do enjoy more clear and clean sound in my main system, but this does not demotivate me to listen to my other audio system. 

You mentioned about the differences in "musicality and tonality". What differences in tonality or musicality you can hear listening to Led Zeppelin I-VI with different DACs or to Miles Davis Kind of Blue (which is one of the best recorded early albums of Miles Davis)?  Can you be more specific on differences in "musicality and tonality" that you note, on which kind of music? How you perceive the "musicality and tonality"  in Jimi Hendrix albums, or take much better quality recordings on  ECM or more recently on ACT jazz, or on the classical music (which was always recorded much better than the Rock and perhaps also the jazz)? 

@niodari

It’s a reality that some recordings will never sound very good, no matter how expensive the gear. In fact the more resolving the gear, the worse such recordings may sound. It seems a waste of time to me to focus gear upgrades on trying to garner improved sonics from such recordings but then, if much of one’s favorite music is poorly recorded/produced, I suppose it’s understandable. Thankfully, I don’t find myself in such a predicament.

Differences I’ve experienced in DACs:

1) Tonality -- some emphasize the upper mids and highs while others are more rolled off and emphasize the lower mids/upper bass. I happen to be very sensitive to highs/forwardness. I’ve played guitar for 50 + years and tonality has always been a top priority in choosing guitars. I don’t like muddy sounding guitars or bright sounding guitars. Same with audio. It’s not easy to build a guitar that is both warm and clear sounding. Many overemphasize upper mids and highs and truncate bass in an effort to improve clarity and so-called "balance". Much current audio gear, to my ears, sounds like it's voiced to sound "lively" or "energic" and to me this typically translates to fatiguing. 

2) "Organic" vs. "Clinical" or Natural vs. Analytic: Some DACs I’ve heard have sounded "dry" while others are more ’liquid". I lack the vocabulary to explain this further, except to say that I associate leaner mids and tipped up highs with the clinical sound. Some DACs have behaved more like lab equipment, akin to a microscope. They’ve emphasize resolution above all else, which sounds very unnatural to me. Not my cup of tea.

3) Bass and 4) Soundstaging

There are other categories I’m probably forgetting. The above are the most obvious to me and reflect my particular priorities. As always, YMMV. I’m more of a music lover than an audiophile so there are factors to which I pay little attention that might figure largely in your gear choices.

As @moonwatcher correctly states:

We all have different ears (hearing) and sonic priorities. Some may say natural tone or body of sounds and the attack and decay are most important, others will say soundstage and imaging. Some want it all, if they can get it at a price they are willing to pay. We choose our priorities.

 

that's why is great to have a secondary system, and some stuff I only really like in my car...