Two DAC in One System Sound the Same?


In my bedroom system I have a Shanling SM 1.3 streamer/DAC going to the a Vincent SV 228 integrated ampler.  Speakers are Warfedale Lintons. The DAC in the Shanling is the AKM AK4499EX DAC chip with the AKM AK4191EQ digital modulator/pre-processor.  The DAC in the Vincent is a Burr-Brown PCM5102.  Using the DAC of the Shanling streamer, I am using the Primeda ICs.  Using the internal DAC of the Vincent, I am just using a generic tosslink cable from the Shanling streamer section.  Switching inputs on the Vincent from one DAC to the other with the remote, for the life of me I can’t tell a difference in the sound.   Why would that be?  Two different DACs, different cables and yet they sound the same?   The good news is they both sound great, love it.  But I was just curious, does anyone have any insight to this? 

kclone

I also think most DACs in the under $2k level are not going to sound too different, unless you get a Schiit DAC.

I agree with this. These DAC chips are mass produced and their implementations in these units will be very standard / basic. The good news is the math & engineering behind these DAC chips has been developed for a very long time now and does its job VERY well. You want a different sound, you need a more exotic / bespoke design - which either can’t exist at this price point, or just slaps on a cheap tube buffer (cheesy), or is a plain bad implementation. At 2K (used) a Schiit Yggdrasil would do the trick if your system’s up to task. It’s fantastic. If you're going to ask "what about a Gungnir" (model below Yggy), I wouldn't. I've owned both and the Yggy creams the Gumby (Gungnir multibit).

Also, I’ve rolled many of each component type in my systems for a long time and in general DACs have less range & magnitude of different sound versus the other major components imo. From what you describe your result is not unexpected to me. 

I found with much more different DACs, a Topping D50III chip vs. a Holoaudio May L2 ladder, the differences were minute. I am not surprised that you find zero difference in two chip DACs.

Sometimes the differences are very subtle, and can take some time to pick up on.  Suggest you get extremely familiar with one for a couple of weeks, then switch and get extremely familiar with the other.  Switch back after a couple of weeks, and repeat....if you still don't notice a difference, either they're too similar to detect or something else in the system is masking the small difference.  

That's more the default with objective listening. The vast majority of those who claim there are differences and they're "not subtle" are sighted, all subjective results. 

That makes sense, maybe my bedroom system is not very a revealing system.  In my main system, I have revealing speakers and I can hear every little change in front of them.  thanks for the responses guys.