What about all those Chinese DACs?

@knotscott I own a Geshelli J2S and l had upgraded the op amps to the Sparkos ss2590 Pro (note the J2Swas never designed to accommodatean op-ampas large as the SS2590,  but they'll fit with less than a mm of clearance), as well as added a custom LPS from Pine Tree Audio.  That combination is amazing for the price...dynamic, authorative, deep, wide and tall soundstage, not analytical, but full bodied.   

Fast forward to today, Geshelli now sells the J3S which is made to accommodate the Sparkos 2590 Pro op-amps,  and they just launched their Torq DAC which allows you to have it all (swappable op-amps AS WELL AS the DAC chip board). The reviews of their Torq DAC are just coming out... they’ve been positive, but little comparisons to other 3rd party DACs available at this early stage (the AKM Chip board and the Sparkos SS2590 Pro op-amp combination is supposedly the best combo so far according to Passion for Sound).

The point is,  you can have a really good DAC from an American company and have faith it can be serviced if ever needed (Note I’ve never had a problem with my Geshelli DACs... I’ve owned 2).

My upgrade plan is to purchase a Denafrips Venus (new one, the 18th, should come out in about a year). Denafrips now has a service center in Texas.

But, I’m keeping a watchful eye for what Geshelli may launch in the future... if they launch a new product that knocks people’s socks off, then I would be more than happy to pivot to another Geshelli DAC.

I've had  few from SMSL and Fosi, about $250, and thought they were good for the money, but not the giant killers some say based on specs ...

Friend

When it comes to DAC’s - the Chinese have really raised their game.  So, price point  will dictate performance level.  For $1K and under - the Chinese DAC’swill probably be hard to beat.  But the next price point should start at $5K to avoid small incremental steps that are not always appreciated.

My first and last Chinese DAC is the Auralic Altair G1.1 which is based on an ESS Pro chipset.

It sounds good, measures good, looks good, does everything good, and was not expensive. The company is out of business so it is a museum piece now.

I will keep it for as long as it can converts data bits to music. But I will probably add another DAC to my system just for fun, and it will probably be Japanese.

I used to think specifications are what mattered the most but changed my mind over the years with my own observations. While some specifications matter they don't tell the whole story! Some high end companies don't even design products with specifications being a driving factor at all. I suggest you make comparisons based on your own experiences. With this being said many of the cheaper Chinese DAC's are very fine for the money but that doesn't mean they are the last word in DAC designs.