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.
What about all those Chinese DACs?
It seems like everywhere I look, there are DACs from China that have these amazing specs on paper. SNR: >133 dB; THD: 0.000004%;
Dynamic Range: 124dB. If you really think about it, these were specs that almost didn't exist outside of pro-audio gear. A lot of these units have chips from ESS, Cirrus Logic, Texas Instruments and very sophisticated conversion circuitry.
So, my question is, what do you all think?
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- 70 posts total
- 70 posts total

