Can a off the shelf DAC, if engineered/implemented good, sound as good as a custom DAC?

I'm of the opinion that the output stage is 80% of the sound quality.  What I've seen DAC chips bring to the table are different distortion profiles (sound, not necessarily measured THD+N), linearity and how well they handle Redbook (44.1kHz/16 bit) music.  Of course, a modern DAC has vanishingly low jitter via less expensive very consistent oscillators.

I honestly think we may like DAC's with poor linearity, as they enhance how a signal fades and may give a lot more air.  Around the early 2000s DACs also made a big jump in quality for Redbook, meaning the delta between that and Hi res playback really narrowed. 

@ted_b 

+1 

Tough question as everyone’s system and set up is different

@mclinnguy    Excellent quote by Charles Hansen.

In addition to what other posters have stated - in my revealing system, the SQ from my DAC changes with the type of power cord installed.   What’s strange about that is my DAC is battery-operated.  It should be immune from AC input.  Perhaps, the battery runs part of the circuitry - but not all of it.  Or maybe, the effects are parasitic.   

So, if AC to a DAC affects the SQ, the next question is how clean is the AC power that’s feeding the system?   

- - -

Re: SQ.   Also, add the impact of the digital interconnect.   Let’s not forget tube-rolling for tube DAC’s.    Everything matters!

😂 😂 😂 😂 

Custom FPGA is a joke compared to what the best modern chips can do. And the chips achieved perfection years ago. 

  call Al at space tech labs. He’s a really cool older Japanese fella and he’ll beg you whatever you want. I can’t remember the website I think it’s space techlabs.com. If you google it it pops right out. I have a DAC that he built that’s beautiful and sounds amazing and a preamp he always answers his phone when something comes up he’s a real great dude.