How not to buy a DAC -- an audiofool journey

Thanks @zlone  @mulveling . I didn't want people to go all TL;DR (too long; didn't read) on me so broke it into two parts.

Might be better to read the sequel than for me to post it, but that's where I curse the audiophile in me, for jumping to the summit too quickly.

@essrand you got me on the edge of my seat.  Do tell your thoughts!  That's a stacked list of DACs.  If you like hyperrealism throw the T+A DAC 200 on the list :)

Interesting journey and of course you are not a fool. It's called a hobby and for many men, it is costly. I also have 2nd hobby cars and believe me it is more coslty than this. It is not only the upgradeatitis. It is that you always wonder what could be better and of course ti have fun through these journeys. 

These days I was blamed from a friend for my hobby and later he told me he had given 10k for a coffee machine...  

I had similar itches like you, till I decided to design me own gear from scratch. More difficult journey than the one you had, I was lucky to be Electrical/Electronics Engineer PhD and maths/electronics was easy. Now I have evrything end game except the !@! speakers... 

Thanks for the video.  This is such a fun hobby.  I love putting together systems and then tweaking them over time.  It’s one of the reasons I like separate components.  It’s tough when FOMO gets in the way.  Trust your ears and eyes (it needs to look cool to me too), don’t spend more than you can afford, enjoy the journey and most importantly the music you love playing along the way.  

@essrand 

What a terrific writing style. Intelligent, fun, concise as necessary and so, so applicable to so many.

Looking forward to your next article.