If you find a DAC with a design that is implemented correctly with a good chip chances are it will be competitive within its price range. Older DACs can be made much better (the better designed ones) with a few mods like new clock and power supply and transformers. I have auditioned plenty of DACs over time and I usueally find differences but not to that large of a percent. Probably because all of my gear is modified. Adding transformers to a DAC can change the sound for the better but it is always an experiment because it does not always work universally to the same degree.
I do like the newer DACs that stack their chips but my tech built mine so the cost for me is much lower then purchasing a manufactured product. It is all in the design and implementation. The Lampinzator DAC was very good and his implementation is very different from my DIY DAC in cip selection but he uses chokes in the DAC like I do meaning there is good implementation to his design.
Happy Listening.
I do like the newer DACs that stack their chips but my tech built mine so the cost for me is much lower then purchasing a manufactured product. It is all in the design and implementation. The Lampinzator DAC was very good and his implementation is very different from my DIY DAC in cip selection but he uses chokes in the DAC like I do meaning there is good implementation to his design.
Happy Listening.