No such thing as a future proof DAC...


I've been fooled in the past by digital gear manufacturers claiming their DAC or digital gear is future proof. Case in point was the Cambridge Audio CD2 player back in the 1980s that had replaceable boards for the DAC chip. Great CDP at the time but never was really upgradeable. Now, I keep on hearing about new DACs that are future proof (eg, BiFrost DAC). The only DAC that I know that has a long history for being upgradeable is may be the MSB DACs, but they can cost an arm and a leg. May be dCs, but again mucho expensive. Do you believe in the hype? Doesn't seem to be in the manufacturers interest to offer a truly upgradeable digital gear when a new version can be offered after a year that requires you to buy a new unit.
dracule1

Showing 1 response by mitch2

Future proofing DAC's, or virtually any electronic device, would be difficult because of the rapid change in technology and materials.

However, there are manufacturers who future-proof their equipment through excellent upgrade service, such as MUSE, who will still upgrade any of their disc players to either of their two current top models. They will also upgrade any of their other previous amps, preamps, and DAC models to the highest level before production of the item was discontinued. Unfortunately, they do not have a DAC in their current line-up as I suspect Kevin has been spending his time on the HRT line for now.