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?

128x128simao

You might consider swapping out the oppo for a transport such as Jay's or pro-ject first.  Seems to me it makes more sense to ensure you're extracting as much data from disc's as possible before moving to a more expensive DAC.  

@simao I have tested dozens of DACs ranging from the Khadas Tone 2 up to the dCS Rossini w/ Clock.  

All DACs are a trade off between detail, image size (height/width) and depth.  Almost all of these DACs offer some coloration or interpretation of how music is supposed to sound.  There is not a linear relationship from a pricing stand point but ultimately, generally the higher the price the less compromise between these three factors.  This holds in broad terms when you consider units in different price clusters but individual results will vary.  

You have to get into the details of each product in terms of comparisons

@verdantaudio Thanks for the explanation and the relationship between the three factors. That's something I'll keep in mind when/if I upgrade. 

@stuartk Agreed - but I also use the Oppo for streaming and I don't want to lose that. 80% streaming and 20% cd

All DACs are a trade off between detail, image size (height/width) and depth.

to these parameters being traded off i would add quality tone/truth of timbre, prat, and (non sonically) build quality/ergonomics/feature set