It would appear that smaller artisan boutique manufacturers will price their components at a comparatively higher price than a large company. If I were to order a DAC from some arcane manufacturer in Eastern Europe and there are only a handful of these DAC’s that exist in North America, I’d expect to spend everything that I have in my IRA Roth. Now am I getting my money’s worth, probably but not necessarily. There are some fairly common DAC’s on the market that do not break the bank but they sound very good. The primary reason for a great sounding DAC is based on that companies engineering team. It is difficult to be hired as an engineer with a large company with a rich history. Also, quality parts are desirable but the price of a DAC doesn’t guarantee that the internal parts are going to be of the highest quality. For me, the primary criteria for what a DAC should do well is to make digital sound analogue.
How much does a DAC do the more expensive it is?
Having spun an Oppo 105 for many years on its own before adding a Schiit Gungnir (bought for a generous steal from a wonderful seller here), I was immediately struck with how much more presence and detail the Schiit added to the Oppo's presentation.
That Gungnir, even new, pales in comparison pricewise with 4 and 5 figure DACs I see for sale here.
So what do those much more expensive DACS do for sound? I mean, how much more information can be dug out of the digital files? Is it akin to what a good phono stage can do for a cartridge?