What about all those Chinese DACs?

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!

I have found that the specs only tell a small part of the story. How does the DAC sound? How does the music it produces make you feel? Does it sound real and alive and true?

FWIW, I find the Audio Mirror Tubadour VI is the most beautiful DAC I have heard to date with spot on timbre, organic and rich. Full spectrum sound with deep articulate bass and complete highs with all the detail, yet never bright or harsh. Live instruments in the room. Best of luck in your search!

They do measure very well and have dramatically improved the entry-level category and, to a lesser extent, the mid-fi and hi-fi categories, if only through pressuring non-Chinese manufacturers to step up their game. I think a decade from now, we'll look back and realize that Chi-Fi as a whole, not just DACs, saved the hobby, but reestablished the upgrade market, which was fading fast.