There are so many great sounding DACs under $5k it's silly. I listened to several around $1500 to $6k. In the end I chose one a little over $3k. Almost 3 years in and still love how it sounds. Never been a better time for digital audio that's somewhat affordable.
Is it possible to find a good DAC for under $50, 000?
Apparently, the good folks at The Absolute Sound have you covered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nItR8Z6CCWE
(Audiophiles are never going to shed their out of touch reputation with journalism like this. I'm sorry, but it's just so tone deaf.)
- ...
- 109 posts total
| Post removed |
@celtic66 "...I own four different DACs at distinct price points and yes each improves performance measurably with the price point increase. $300/2K/6K/12K."... +1 I have also owned DACS from $200 - $2K - $20K. I agree. particularly when you double the price point you get a significant increase in performance. Small incremental changes in investment can just provide different but not better. I can tell appreciate a better sounding DAC... even if it its design goals are not the target sound type I want. Poor choices in your purchase and you can get a DAC with the wrong kind of sound... for instance if you like musical renditions of sound and you buy a detail scraping DAC then from your point of view, it may not sound better. My components are all at the $20K level. If my financial position changed and I was able to upgrade to the $40K level I would do so, and appreciate the improved sound quality. I have not gotten to the point where I can’t tell the difference between levels, what I own is financially constrained. I just watched a video on a guy around here that has a million dollar system. He spent over twenty years on the room and the equipment. I see him as a comrade, someone I can relate to... someone who loves music. I would very much enjoy listening to his system and trading stories about the journey we took to get where we are. I would not criticize him for being more financially successful than I have been, more dedicated to the pursuit, or somehow being a bad person because I am jealous of him.
|
The technical issues with digital brought up in video are well known, I've read any number of white papers written by well regarded dac designers stating these same issues.
The amount of diminishing returns with any audio component dependent on the quality of the entirety of one's system. I don't doubt reviewer is hearing exactly what he claims, he has access to far more equipment at all price levels than any of us, and he can evaluate all these components at his leisure in an optimized system and room. The issues he's speaking to are not going to be of great consequence in lesser systems, money probably better spent elsewhere. Based on my own experience with ever better streamers/dacs I don't doubt greater strides towards a more analog/lifelike presentation are continually being made. |
- 109 posts total

