DACs and reproduced sound


I am trying to understand how to think of DACs effecting reproduced music (I am new to the hobby). I think of a DACs "role" as taking a digital input (1s and 0s) and a cleanly as possible processing that digital signal to an analogue output - goal is not impart anything on the processed data. The difference between a good and bad DAC seems like it should be on how well it does that. Or, said another way, from a review of a Benchmark DAC:

"The old regulars know exactly my position regarding the stupidity of ascribing a “character” to the sound of an utterly neutral signal path. Oohing and aahing over the vast improvement in soundstaging, front-to-back depth, bass delineation, or treble sweetness obtainable with this or that electronic component may sell high-end magazines but is totally unscientific and delusional. What the Benchmark DAC1 HDR adds to or subtracts from its input signal is borderline unmeasurable, so the sonic character of its output is obviously the sonic character of its input. It’s as simple as that. It has no sound of its own."

I sort of think of amplifiers and speakers (I am digital only listener)as being more important in "imparting" a particular musical flavor (warm, bright, etc.).

I am a bit new to the hobby so I would like any insights or be educated on DACs some more.
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Showing 5 responses by shadorne

The comment was surely about the analog preamp. A good preamp should indeed reproduce the input signal as closely as possible and good preamps should sound nearly identical, as they reproduce what they are fed. It s very hard to hear the difference between one excellent neutral preamp and another. No surprises there.

DAC's do sound different as they process the signal although differences are also very small but many people can hear these slight differences when listening critically and switching back and forth on the same track.
Also, measured distortion is only one among many criteria that determine sonics, whether in loudspeakers or in CDPs

Agreed good point - like phase for example - you can get a big difference in soundstage/imaging even though timbre may be the same and distortion negligible.
It's a panglossian notion that the failings of one area of a system can be ameliorated by the failings in another. Not IME.

Agreed. My point was that worrying about the performance benefit of an incremental reduction of 0.0001% distortion seems like worrying about a pimple on a cows butt when you are drinking the milk. Considering that speakers already add far far more distortion why worry.
if no component is perfect it follows that no preamp is neutral.

By neutral I mean it does not add coloration deliberately. There are plenty of examples of audio equipment that add coloration deliberately to create an effect or a particular sound.
Real-world devices simply aren't that accurate.

Agreed. However at around 1% distortion we start to have trouble to hear or identify distortion. At best speakers may have 0.3% distortion over their entire frequency operating range at full power (if they are exceptional quality).

Perhaps the point Peter is making is that extra ultra precision in modern line level analog equipment can quickly approach "diminishing returns" given the acuity of our hearing and the relatively crap performance of speakers and room acoustics in general...

Agreed, "perfect" is completely the WRONG word... as Kijanki points out NOTHING IS PERFECT... (except my wife and kids)

"Good Enough given the sad inadequacies of other audio system equipment" is more like it but "Perfect" ....certainly and absolutely NOT.