@stuartk We all may perceive the sound differently. I just like tube sound and prefer my tube DAC over all other ones. I am just now comparing two class D amps. One has a notably less distortion than the other, while the second one has much wider upper mids and highs, as you like. I still prefer the first amp, but it's really difficult to choose. Different DACs may sound differently, it is a matter of a taste who likes what. And not necessarily a more expensive one dominates a cheaper DAC in all aspects, in fact, I did not have a DAC that dominates in all aspects other DACs that I have/had (the $130 ifi DAC has very notably wider high mids and highs than much more expensive Chord, though the latter one gives less distortion (so you may lake the ifi more than the Chord). Take two women, both beautiful in a different way. Some people would choose one of them and some other another one. Overall, the differences between two decent DACs would not be so notable than the differences between different amps and speakers. One may spend the difference in the cost of two DACs for a better amp or a better speaker. Of course, one with an unlimited resources may spend his money on a most expensive DAC (which, still may not be dominant in all aspects).
The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype
Over many decades I have owned my share of multi-thousand dollar dacs.My current is my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5, which I have owned for ~ 4 years. I have made many changes to my system, including cables and it has shined a light on every one, so I tend to agree with the YTV . Your thoughts?
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I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said. How two people perceive the actual differences between two DACs will definitely be impacted not only by their respective priorities in terms of sonic factors but also by their hearing. And of course, this is not even considering differences in ancillary gear and listening spaces! As it happened, the particular group of DACs I auditioned in the past spanned a very wide spectrum, in terms of musical vs. analytical/warm vs. bright. If I’d chosen a different group of DACs, the differences might’ve been far less evident and I might well have determined that one DAC pretty much sounds like another. |
First, AP Mastering posted another YouTube regarding the fact that the viewers who took his test could not tell the difference between the different portions he was playing. He had over 1,000 responses and his results are extremely statistically significant. That doesn’t mean his test proved what he set out to test, only that viewers who tried to determine how many cuts were in his loopback were unable to do so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbcEgxm6RTU Second, my own opinion is that there are small differences between DACs that may show up on a particular system set up in a particular way. I think the biggest differences are the different types of conversion be it what kind of chip vs r2r vs fpga. I heard a friend playing a very cheap DAC which sounded alright but adding a more expensive (not that much more) DAC opened up the soundstage significantly. I A/B’d a T+A Dac vs an ifi iDSD pro and couldn’t really tell the difference. This was not a blind test either. I think AP Mastering has it correct that most people could not tell the difference between dacs if they are volume matched and in a blind test if the dacs use the same conversion method. |
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