What about all those Chinese DACs?

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 ...

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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.

"I am 75 and i want to die with my dac."

@mahgister ,

En espérant que tu vives longtemps et en bonne santé avec ton dac, Mon Ami!