I Tried 100 Audiophile DACs to find out if they are a waste of money 

*Good Morning on this beautiful Saturday morning! Thank you for stopping by! 3000 likes on this video and I will make a video on TOP 5 DACs out of all the DACs I have tried :)* Related Video: Which DAC should you get? How to choose the best dac for yourself: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-c6ew9P4ETx4.html MonAcoustic Platimon Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OjDA3o7xUcE.html DACs mentioned in this video: Denafrips DACs: www.denafrips.com/dac Audio Note DACs: www.audionote.co.uk/dacs HoloAudio DACs: www.kitsunehifi.com/product-category/brands/holo-audio/ Topping DACs: apos.audio/collections/brand-spotlight-topping?sca_ref=459032.WbootYrpIv SMSL DACs: apos.audio/collections/brand-spotlight-smsl?sca_ref=459032.WbootYrpIv Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: ru-vid.com/group/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0 Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/ acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ amzn.to/3chBuFZ other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1 amzn.to/30bsUCH my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM #audiophile #homeaudio #hifi

A friend once told me be careful what your chasing in the audio world the sound you are looking for may leave you bankrupt best advice I ever got

Great video. The word "bottleneck" is a perfect term. A few years ago I almost sold my speakers seeking audio nirvana. About that time I happened to be in NYC and stopped in at Park Avenue Audio. After describing my equipment, the manager (could have been the owner) of the shop told me I did not need to sell my once beloved Magnepans. And after demoing some speakers he told me he wanted me to listen to something. It was one of the external Chord DACS. I was stunned. The hifi world changed for me at that moment. I could not afford that Chord DAC but did add the Denafrips Ares II DAC (now upgraded to the Pontus II) to my system. The Magnepans were singing in a way I never heard before. Some music listened to a thousand times over the years stirred me emotionally literally bringing tears to my eyes. Before that day at Park Avenue Audio I did not know what an external DAC was.

Hey Jay….enjoyed your discussion on this. Have been an audiophile for over 50 years now and really appreciate the way you work to help viewers understand the nuances of critical listening. Noted your room is heavily treated and you have learned well in a short amount of time the many issues that confront one in finding the best musicality from their system that they enjoy. Note the they! I have found most equipment inserted into the audio chain makes some level of difference in sound. Great video. I enjoy your youthful exuberance for a wonderful hobby that can enrich one’s life. I started mine when I was 14. 😊

This is a great video Jay and actually extends far beyond the realm of comparing DACs. The point of reference that people have when they make statements about x or y piece of equipment is often completely absent in the warring parties of hi-fi internet debates. You are dead right, regarding room acoustics and speaker positioning and the reality that many systems are in modern living spaces which are often pretty compromised acoustic spaces.

Our findings mirror mine as well. I too use a tube dac - AMR DP777 and absolutely adore it for its tone and refinement. We recently had a dac comparison amongst a bunch of friends of around 7 dacs - every single one of them sounded different. There were a bunch of discrete r2r, Philips ladder chips, ess chips, AD ladder chips and each dac sounded very different. Some were loved more than others but none of them were bad. Whoever says dacs don't change the sound of a system is smoking something really horrible.

Really good video, Jay. A lot of folks are going to understand how this stuff works much better now- something I had to figure out for myself over years. You summed it up in 20 mins 🙏

Despite so many broadcasts and feedback on the science, art and experience regarding DAC components & technology, thanks for sharing on yours. It prompted me to side by side, try out 3 of mine that are different in design, topology & price point; for the first time and with 3 very different speakers, amps, headphones, etc. No surprise I experienced exactly what you and others have shared here and doing this has been fun, insightful and sharpened both perception and appreciation.

Good discussion on matching components to a system. I wish more reviewers would do stuff like this.

Appreciate your take on this topic. As a newer audiophile the dac discussion is fascinating. So many choices.

Great video Jay. Very well explained how DACs could make a difference and why you might not realize the performance upgrade👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’ve heard great things about the Holo Audio DAC. I run the exaSound e62, with Sbooster botw power supply. I Choose that because my audiophile friends landed on it (performance/price) after trying many other choices. Great vid.

And as importantly, room treatment. The more I educate myself on room treatment and tackling it DIY, I have noticed a huge difference. Getting those bass pressures and frequency reflections/reverberations tackled ( building quadratic diffusers and frequency absorbers and placement) is critical for good sound. Not easy or cheap, but worth it.

This is the most honest explanation i've ever heard about hifi gears. You're absolutely right.

Great video! Glad a few reviewers are yackling this issue of what dac. Thanks Jay!

I had the same belife after reading about dacs on different forums. No need to use big money on dacs and you could skip preamp and use the dac instead. So I bought a gustard x16 that was considered an inexpence dac that measured well and hooked it up to my power amp. Then I bougth second hand preamp that was meant for the power amp. Sound got significant better. Then this summer I switched from my old dynaudio speaker to dynaudio HS after demo in shop on expensive naim setup. One ting that struck me was the presentation of the voice that was incredible good. When I listen at the speaker at home it was not on the same level. So I would try to upgrade my dac. I considered the Gustard A26 but it had not tidal connect and I need to import it myself. Then I found used Gold Note DS 10 plus with seperat power supply to same price as Gustard A26, so I bougth that. And yes the gold note was much better than the Gustard 16x that I had before. Now the 3d effect of having the artist in your livingroom was as I heard with the naim setup in the shop, but also more suprisingly the bass was also much better. Now there is a huge prise difference between my old and new dac, but for me it was worth it.

I thought you were going to review DACs here but instead I got a good understanding of how DACs work within the parameters of the overall system. Thanks for the perspective.

YESSSSSSSSSS! This is what I have been asking for !!! We in here Igayi Clan and thanks Jay!! We wanna know what you think after all these years on all these DACs you've reviewed !!! Youre the man!!!! I know you really cant do apples to apples across all these sets, but we just want to know how you look things since you come into possession of so many DACs. And this will be helpful for us to understand what different Dacs do at various price points (more like, what are you getting for your money, and why--and how you apply it to your system). Also thanks for such a long and thoughtful response to my comment last week!!!

Thank's Jay that really re-enforces the idea that you really need to hear for yourself especially as we all have differing preferences when it comes to what we think is good, The dac I use is focal arche with clear mg headphones mostly, I have however tried attaching it to a naim power amp and really enjoyed the sound which was a significant upgrade from the built in sabre dac on Yamaha receiver that I also own and was previously using as the pre out to the same naim power amp.

Great Job Jay you hit on alot of crucial points of dacs , I been rolling dacs for over 30 years and i will say your digital transport is a huge factor of gettting the best performace out of your dac Jitter and errors are the biggest Evils and EMI 'but i wont ger into that comment would be a mile long !! keep on rolling buddy !

Jay, this is one of the BEST videos that you've ever done. congrats...

Obviously there are better DACs to be had but within my budget I am very happy. Adding a Denafrips Ares 12-1 to a Bluesound Node has been a success.

What’s better - a detailed, accurate DAC or a “good sounding” one? To me, a “musical” good sounding DAC is the goal, though I wouldn’t kick a detailed one out of bed

Agreed. After trying several I bought the ANK 4.1x DAC. Uses 4 tubes. Very musical.

when I owned Harbeth (relatively rolled off) speakers I didn't notice a huge difference when swapping out an amp or DAC. However, with Klipsch Heritage speakers (lively sounding), every component has a distinct and noticeable character. Also, with Klipsch Heritage speakers, my favorite DAC so far is a Audio Research DAC 8. It has such a meaty, rich sound which is a perfect match for speakers that could otherwise be too bright

One of your best videos jay , great lessons for sure

If you wait like 10 years to update your DAC, like I did, you will notice a huge difference. I went from a very old Topping D2 DAC, to a SMSL M500, and it blew me away.

Difficult topic handled well. It all matters. I think its easier to get amp/linestage right than speakers or DAC. But given a transparent system where low level information can be heard and appreciated, a DAC makes a massive difference. Sure a $100 DAC does most everything. But moving up the line by orders of magnitude results in a holographic natural sound without any hint of digital fatigue. That is where the money is. I don't envy consumers making buying decisions. I build my own stuff and as a result can incrementally improve without replacing. My DAC journey took over 10 years. A credible DAC engine is the core, but the sound comes from the power supplies, the clock system, the output stage and the isolation from vibration and EMI. A clock upgrade can be huge. Supercaps in the digital power supplies bring substantial improvements. I love tube output but seek neutral not thick sound. The things I value that should be well done in a high end commercial DAC are: SOTA clock and FIFO buffer Oversized individual power supplies for every consumer. At minimum linear power supplies. Batteries and supercaps are great. Discrete output stage. I like triodes and use choke filtered mono power supplies, but good discrete JFET output buffers can also be fine. A good grounding scheme. Isolation from vibration and electronic noise. Particularly isolating the digital parts from the analogue. I like the sound of an R2R DAC, but this is just personal taste. I also am happy with 44.1 PCM. When you get it all right it sounds terrific. And the most important thing is well recorded music.

Good points have been stated. I have been told we all hear differently and one system can be loved by one and hated by another. Establish your budget, listen to all the reviews and suggestions and just go for it.

Your statements make sense and relate to my experiences. I also have to say there are audible differences in different audio drivers or modes especially when there is a certain asio driver made especially for the DAC.

I owned the Ares 2 for more than 3 years. A friend bought the Pontus 2. He lent it to me and it was an improvement. I then bought the Gustard R26 and didnt like it. I purchased a Venus 2 and didnt like that either. I then bought a Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE and liked that better. Someone then told me to try the USB connection and reevaluated the Venus and Spring. This time around the Venus improved immensely and came out on top. I sold the R26 and the Spring out of preference. I was happy with the Venus for over 7 months, until my friend lent me a Terminator 2. The T2 was a revelation. Ive had it for 3 weeks and am about to swap back to the Venus. I know I will have to readjust to the Venus. I hope its not too bad.

Hi Jay- I have a MSB Gryphon system which has really improved since adding a Antipodes K50 server, however my dealer mentioned he had taken on a brand called Ideon a small company based out of Greece after being at the Munich show and said all their products were to quote “ On a new level and I had to hear them. I also recently heard the DCS Bartok Apex which was very good but not any better than my MSB. Anyway replaced my MSB with the Ideon Ion DAC - blown away not only are they insanely transparent but the sound stage increased by at least 30% , along with just sounding so natural and organic it was mind blowing. My dealer has a MSB Reference DAC system and said their Absolute which is almost half the price is vastly superior to it which is quite something. Obviously I’ve ordered the Ideon which is arriving shortly and sold my MSB. The great thing about the brand Ideon is they have products from 3K all the way up to their Absolute range which is unheard in the Audiophile industry, even the lesser models are apparently sublime.

Commented on your IG as well but, long story short, one side of my speaker was connected out of phase due to wrong cable color labeling. Positive is negative and vice versa. And when Denafrips Pontus II + DDC was connected to the system, the holography and sound space immediately expanded. My brain also registered that something was off in one side of the room. I listened then inspected the entire chain from source, then shortly after the wrong mis-labeled speaker cable was found and corrected. Before this I never noticed how off the space was with another DAC. Although I returned the Pontus II after auditioning because I wasn’t a fan of the sound treatment it gave my system (less volume, attack and a soft veil), I was floored by the 3D soundstage and holography. It even helped me realize something was wrong with my system just from sound alone. Amazing stuff.

This is by far your best video! Great Job!

Yes, please make a video of top 5 DACs, including cost. I think it would spur some great discussions.

Thanks, Jay. Your video is very useful. Keep on creating these informative videos.

GREAT explanation of the synergies of the chain and complexity of subjective sound performance.

💯 % right. Gear, room + set up. In my case my hifi is set up in my small living room. But with both heresy iv and KLH model 5 I could clearly hear a difference between amplifiers and DACs. Holo spring 3 KTE is an amazing DAC but I think what we need to learn is that that’s the price it takes for goosebumps hifi. Ultimately I sold the spring 3 and returned to Ares II. Now I have JBL 4309 and now differences are more difficult to hear.

Best audio review ever. It’s all about pairing components. If you know how to do it, a small budget can make you very happy

I upgraded from a Denafrips Ares II >>> Pontus II 12th w/ an IRIS DDC .... *massive* improvement in sound. That's me, now. Really happy w/ the digital end of my system. I've finally jumped off the DAC purchasing/upgrading merry-go-round Yay!!! *Now*, it's time for my final upgrade... i.e., changing my fairly expensive integrated to a final pre/power combo w/ at least 2 balanced XLR inputs. Or possibly a Luxman Class A Integrated. Happy w/ my Amphion Argon 3s standmounts w/ really great spkr. stands, (23kg each), Streamer, CD Transport, T/table, T/table power supply/phonoamp, Hi-Fi racks (x 2), sound treatments in my room, power conditioners (x 2), cables of various types for each format - *and* lastly... a few small, fairly inexpensive little tweaks, e.g. the Furutech NCF Clear Line plug-in adapters.... So *very, very* relieved to be able to watch lots of my favourite audio review channels *now* and *not feel* that "must upgrade twitch" any more... (It's only taken me 42 years to get here - started at age 18...!!!). Best of luck to everyone! Keep at it, and you'll get 'there'!!

Great explanation Jay. Straight forward discussion people should digest before throwing around$$$

My experience is that upsampling on a DAC itself has inherent problems/limitations even though it makes DACs perform with better measured specs. The issue is that specs are measured in frequency domain with test signals but we can actually hear certain time domain effects (so we aren’t entirely measuring all the important factors). By necessity, DACs are designed to all have low latency so the built in tap filters are necessarily short but with non leaky sharp filters with flat pass band (best spec). However with simple low latency filters there is always a very small consistent pass band ripple. This pass band ripple creates audible pre-echos in the time domain. This means that NOS DACs have some advantages but the highest performance is only available to those using a PC to upsample to high rate DSD like DSD256. Feed a DAC a high rate DSD signal (pre-processed on a high powered PC using powerfully accurate upsampling/filter/modulators) then you will get all the benefits of delta-sigma DACs (best spec) without the time domain issues created by short low latency upsampling filters used in the DAC itself. The problem has been created by industry adherence to frequency domain best measured specs and little regard for time domain (phase and echo issues). Please note an echo is NOT ringing. An echo is a complete reproduction of the entire audio signal at an earlier or later time at a much lower signal level. It is the consequence of the mathematics of consistent sinusoidal passband ripple (typical of all DAC built-in upsampling filters) - a sinusoid in the frequency domain is equivalent to a delta or spike in the time domain - a very low level sinusoid corresponding to a very low level pre and post echo (the post echo from a transient is unlikely to be audible as it is buried in a louder signal but the pre-echo certainly is in a quiet passage followed by a transient) Due to HAAS effect our brain will process any echo within 5 msec as being part of the sound - typically we hear this as a confused less defined stereo image constrained to the speakers and a harsher sound/digital glare.

Good video and important information. My only comment is to figure out your sound your after and buy appropriately. This all fuels the given idea of buy the speakers first and build the rest appropriately. Thanks Jay!

Dacs made a difference with my system, I upgraded from a topping E-50 to a denafrips ares 2 and it was better, and there was a firmware upgrade on the denafrips and it was a pretty good diference. That being said, it's overprice. And because I'm addicted to tweaks and upgrades I can't help my self.

Very well said Jay, you pay attention to details as a scientist for explaining your journey. Synergy is very important for sound system to get you in the lala land...

This is direct and truthful…spoken with verity! I’ve had the same (very) decent dac for some time now. But whenever I’ve made a change or improvement to my system around it, I unlock more of the nuance and beauty that it very likely has always possessed. Thank you for articulating what so many seem to avoid in this discussion 🙏🏼

I'd add one small detail to this fantastic video. I mean, I had a chance to listen to about a dozen of different DAC's on my home system (so the speaker and amplifier remained the same) and in my opinion there is a difference between chips used by DAC's manufacturers which contribute to the sound signature DAC is producing. I found Burr Brown based to be more flat and neutral and those based on ESS Sabre a bit wormer sounding. Unfortunately I have not tried AKM, Cirrus Logic, Texas Instruments or Wolfson based hardware to fully confirm my thoughts but at least for now, I'm enjoy'ing ESS based DAC a tad more...

Wow, new to this channel, that was a great video! More of a headphones guy, but you mirrored so much of my personal experiences in this hobby. Sometimes a DAC that measures worse, sounds better, because of the way it matches with the rest of my system. For example if a DAC compresses or "demolishes" the sound stage, it's going to be more difficult for the amp/headphones which are down the chain, to recover it. Thanks for making this video!

I was the same as you in the late seventies with now called vintage audio. Love the content.

I have owned an SMSL VMV D1 since 2019, back when SMSL, Topping etc. didn't have a bazillion choices at the time. t retailed around $1300. I bought it off Drop for around $800.00. Schiit and Denafrips were the options I considered at that time. They now make a D2 and D3. I am pretty happy. I don't feel the need to upgrade. Sure there are better DACs, but at what price for an upgrade and for how much of a sonic improvement am I getting for that upgrade. I may upgrade at some point but for now I am sitting tight. I would love a newer DAC, but I wish to hear a an automatic upgrade. This, for me, is what is needed to have to spend a lot more. I stress and always will, to each their own, I am in no position to be critical of anyone!!!

Chord mojo 2 has been life changing. I have it so I can quickly connect to my home system and then disconnect to take on the go. Loving the lossless eq and the sound quality is excellent. I’m good until mojo 3 comes out.

So glad you mentioned room acoustics... IMO the most important and overlooked.

The Audio note was $1800 and now, at least according to my closest dealer, is $2200. You also have to have it built to order. So you can’t really return it if you don’t like it. That said, Audio Note DACs only play redbook. So if your streaming all those hi-res files are either downsampled or you have to find the redbook version. If you ask Audio Note if the redbook stream sounds better than the hi-res stream thay say they don’t like the sound of streams. They expect you to just use CDs. Which is a complete cop out answer. Who would be satisfied with this answer? It’s like a mechanic telling you to get rid of your automatic transmission and start driving a stick. No one is going to buy 19000 CDs. So unfortunately, it’s reviewers like you that are left to offer a more realistic answer to this redbook design philosophy. Thanks for the video- it’s stuff that needed to be said.

Great review, many thanks! Shout out for a review of the Weiss Dac 204.

I appreciated your approach and view on this. I have been through more than six DACs in the past few years and I can say I clearly hear a difference in the sound after a certain point. I am a more budget audiophile and all of them were under 2k. I know I will get blasted by the measurement believers but I can tell the difference and that is all that matters to me.

It’s refreshing to hear a young man with good ears talking hifi . Instead of old men with limited hearing with so called ” trained ears” talking rubbish .

My DAC just so happens to be the most expensive component in my system. I didn't intend that necessarily, it just happened that way. But man....the improvements that DACs made as I when up the chain is undeniable. Great video and thoughts Jay.

Absolutely love you Jay says it like it is without the "bullshit". Kudos!

Great explanation👍. This could be valid one also for the interconnet cables at least. But prerequisites must be met.

Good review, I like analog sounding dac like the r2r , rega dac r and the Cambridge audio dac magic

Very interesting video and enjoyed your thoughts and experiences. I’m wondering if and how the same could apply to streamers? Would love to hear your opinion on this topic. Especially for stand alone streamers without an internal DAC. Provided that one has already decided on their reference external DAC in their system.

Pretty much any DAC is going to nail frequency response which is why people think they sound the same. But if the rest of your system/room is up to snuff you can hear differences in the presentation, detail retrieval etc...

Once I got the PS Audio DSJ DAC, I stopped there and now use different wires to flavor the sound. A non British DAC with excellent PRAT!

Just as you say: its trial and error. I´ve needed 30 Years to build my system. With eye on the money. So i buyed most of my gear second hand. And now in 2023 with my age of 66 years i´m listen with Classe CP-700 and CDP-202, with a Krell KSA-200S, with SMSL M-300, Primare NP-5 and a Pair of Duntech Princess C-5000. There is no need for significant changes. It´s Time to relax and enjoy the Music in state of restless searching.😀

Hi Jay. Great video as usual. I know you have had praise for Schiit Audio products in the past. Have you tried the Modi+ DAC? I have it in my system and for $99 I think it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I think it has gone up to $129 since I bought it last year but even at that price I think it is a great bargain. And this DAC can rival others that cost much more. It is just a basic DAC with no bells and whistles but for audio quality it cannot be beat in my opinion.

I understood you completely, more people need to hear this, too many people like to blame Dacs, amps, speakers, etc. but most the time it because they don’t know how to match up the components for the type of sound they are going for

Thanks for the upload❤ my curent goal is to set clear natural sound with amp and speakers so the harmonics and music will make a big stage. Not that blown up big, but coherent. Than a dac that makes a little sound color and matching my need of emotion and joyment.

Ditto that room treatment definitely comes before dac upgrades! At least cover up primary reflections. Love that that’s being mentioned. How are you supposed to hear digital artifacts through all the comb filtering…

Jay, great analysis - thank you! I would add two more important considerations when discussing and comparing DACs. One is individual ability to hear. Our ability to hear details, frequencies, ect vary and is limited based on age or other individual factors. Audiologists report that due to massive headphones popularity and listening on too high volumes people's hearing has deteriorated over time in last 20 years. So we have individual hearing "celling" - all of us. I may not be able to hear details that you can, or vice versa. So unfortunately, our ears may be the biggest bottleneck. Exploring DACs that can perform above your hearing ability may be pointless. Sorry! Another factor is that many DACs are high quality but "dumb", meaning they are what they are and you have no, or limited control what they can do and how they sound. Example: higher end Lampizator tube DACs. Input, output and ON/Off switch, that is it. On the other hand, there are DACs that offer wide spectrum of adjustments that you can make with the soundstage, tonal balance, EQ, ect. For example, RME ADI-2, T+A DAC 200 or Weiss DAC 501 offer lots of functions that may improve your system synergy or deliver your individual sound preferences.

Thanks Jay, not very straightforwards in this case. I will rewind a few times and listen again, what you say rings true to me. In my very limited experience with 1500€-2500€ DACs I felt that they sounded very similar, except for one that had a tube in the circuit. Spending 2k€ or more would represent a big money investment for me, so I really do not want to get it wrong. To summarise then, I really need to try before I buy, either in a shop, or via a home trial via the post.

For me dacs make as much difference as phono cartridges in analogue audio. I can't afford crazy expensive ones but even the entry level Denafrips Ares II sounds totally different from the Topping E50 in my modest system.

I agree with a lot of what you said. However I think budget DACs have got better and better in the last 10 years or more. There seems to be a point that comes very easily these days when the DAC is not a bottleneck. In the 90's or early 00's not so much!

This is a GREAT review!!!! As I have long suspected the makes the least difference in the chain of major components. My first external dac is a Mojo2 and it is Awesome!! Definitely an upgrade from the Wolfson.dac in my CD player, but I DOUBT going from Mojo to a $3K dac will make anywher NEAR the same difference..

Would love to hear where "preamps" fall within that scale of making a difference in the system.

I had the PSAUDIO MK2 and then got a Mola Mola Tambaqui. I thought it a fairly significant upgrade. Each user would need to decide if it worth the extra $$$

Thank you for this man!

Good morning ☕️☕️ Great review/ rant.👍 1010110 if they’re delivered correctly ( voltage, timing / jitter…ect) then it’s all up to the output stage of the DAC ..I mean there’s DAC’s with tubes in the output stage….if you like what you hear..coming from the DAC as a signal component then it’s good TO YOU. As you said 4:11 ..seeing / hearing is believing. Great video! 👍🥓☕️🔥🍕

So a DAC is like a phono stage. If it can make music on records sound alive and engaging its a keeper. The DAC inside my streamer already does this for me so I should stop searching for a better external DAC. Thanks for giving us the big picture of where DACs fit in an audio system.

Many brands try to avoid deliberate "coloring" during the D/A process (though as Jay mentioned, a few have a bit of different philosophy). And most tend to agree that matters like time domain and jitters are key areas to control. However, it is not sure if there is a truly "neutral" DAC as things have already been changed at recording from analog to digital signals, and even the ultra highend DACs need to make tradeoffs in filtering and waveform sharpness etc...

Room acoustics + speaker placement is key. Yes.

Recently trying to upgrade my system by 'improving' upon my Ayon DAC, I learned a few things. One, the 'state of the art' has managed to improve smoothness and reduce digital glare but still sounds mostly sterile. I still can't bear listening to music except through a DAC with a tube output stage. I tried the Chord Qutest, the SMSL D400 and the ADI-2 and while all perhaps had the edge in transparency and sheer resolution, I was left wanting. I even brought a £140 Chinese rip-off DAC from Ebay which features an R2R chipset and a copy of an Audio Note design of tube output and it beat all three of those DACs and got close to my 10 year old Ayon. Secondly, the transport matters too and might be a better path to success. I switched from an Audiolab 6000CDT to the 9000 and was surprised at the musical improvements. I gained a lot of the kind of 'maturity' I was hoping for from a better DAC; better coherence, organization and placement of instruments, weightier, richer tones and more solidity. All from a number cruncher! It was like upgrading a power amp. Anyway, my twopence...

I am lucky that I have been working in Hifi / Car-audio / Pro-audio business, so I can confirm your explanation. But I want to add that it is also applicable on phono pré amps, and it has a lot to do with the output stages and how different configurations of output stages react or couple with your amplifier input stages. In my opinion the term DAC is not the right term for standalone dacs it is actually a DAC pré amplifier, because the DAC is only the chip with some electronics tot run / control / couple it with a pré amplifier board. In the stand alone DACs you ad an extra pré amplifier and it depends on the brand caracter, and the design choices that the engineering has to make to meet the budget in designing it. And especially when a brand wants a very specific sound caracter it can go in every direction, the warm sound with tubes for instance or a really transparant and highly resolving sound. Some brands really do this in purpose to make them stand out of the crowd, their sound signature might actually not be the technically best but it sells because our ears and taste are different. And on the other hand there are lots of products with very good and proven, lets say schoolbookdesigns that sound very good. For most people a middle price range product is the best choice, for both DACs and Phono pré amps. And the really expensive and exotic brands are not always better but very often different, and if you whant to spend thousends of dollars on that, be my guest.

Thanks for the video review. How about streamer? Did different streamer makes a differences? Thanks!

I have an Yamaha Aventage reciever with a built in DAC sometimes I enjoy using the digital encoding to shape what I’m listening to .

Great article Jay

Great video and point well made. Plenty of people are concerned about subtle differences in hi-fi gear while their room has a horrible echo and their speakers rest on tv cabinet pressed against the wall. No different than other hobbies like photography, people obsessing about gear, but the reason their photography is uninteresting has nothing to do with gear

Jay, as things like DACs and cables (of all kinds) have such subtle differences that it requires long term listening to ascertain worthwhile differences. hours or days of listening before switching will elucidate which are the desirable differences. and cables are needed for connection to and from the device, which may require some experimentation for compatibility. long ago, I got a rotel 8055 CD player that sounded VERY good but when I changed to the kinber pbj interconnect, WOW, a marriage made in heaven. i will say that changing ONE component at a time is the most reliable way to hear meaningful differences. so after determining which dac(s) is(are) the one(s) to seriously consider for purchase. ....hifitommy

He Jay, I always watch your reviews❤❤ What is your recommendation for Focal Kanta2 + Hegel H390? Terminator or Holo Audio or do you have any other recommendation.

Tubes actually fix/enhance a lot…they add space dimension texture..and soften the top end a bit.

My system lacked sound-stage and it took some time for me to figure out that the root cause was the DAC. One day my local dealer told me to try out another dac and gave me an R2R ladder dac to try out for 2 weeks. It took 15 minutes for me to be enthusiastic since what I was missing before was suddenly there.

More than anything it is about matching your gear, this includes the analogue interconnects being used - in my experience.

My own personal experience with dacs is…, and I have a few dacs that range from the $99 topping d10 to the $1,000 musical fidelity MX. I heard quite a difference between those two, But found the higher up the chain I went the less differences I heard. But there was enough of a difference from the topping that I don’t feel I could ever go back to it personally.

Nice story like always. But what I’m really missing (not only in this story, but in almost any DAC review) is the difference if the DAC is used as preamplifier using the build-in volume control versus the DAC used with a high quality separate preamp. For audiophiles using only digital sources it may be very cost effectief to spent more money on a high-end DAC with a great volume control thus avoiding the cost of an very expensive preamp!

Nice work Jay.

Synergie is undeniable ... as well the same dac will sound different with different interlinks and different digital IC's ............. Good review , better than those " best" uploaded .....by the many inexperienced " expert " influenzers on the web !

Sure was hoping at the end of this video, you would have listed off a few examples where you felt you heard the most significant difference and a few of your favorites thus far in your journey. Most recently for me, I bought an Innuous Pulsemini streamer and it was not a subtle difference at all between a Bluesound Node 3rd gen and much more expensive streamers. As @markhampton7559 pointed out below, clean power supplies and design really make the difference. As you said Jay, $hit in and $hit out. Cheers.

Sounds like the source first philosophy promoted by Linn Products Ivor Tiefenbrun since the 1970’s. Record player, them arm, then cartridge, then pre amp, then power amp and finally the speakers. The DAC is therefore part of the source. I’d like to hear your reaction to Linn’s new Next Generation KLIMAX DSM with in house developed ORGANIK DAC (which is an integrated streamer and DAC). Pricey as it is I bought a used first generation Klimax Exakt DSM and Klimax Exaktbox and upgraded that to ORGANIK DAC. Next step will be the KLIMAX 350 Exakt speakers, or to dream for the new 360’s

Great review. I would love your professional opinion.. what type of Dac complements the sound characteristics of the Maggie LRS+? I love the idea of the analog sounding Dac but I don’t want to lose 3d holographic detail.

I figured out what made my dacs sound good long ago. I noticed when there is 2 transformers to handle the analog and digital sections power supply seperately it sounded better. I also noticed r2r has better tonality and musicality and chip dacs have a more analytical sound. That being said I rock my gustard r26 and my x26 pro equally. I also have a gungnir multibit I no longer use and I used to own a geshelli dac at one point as well as many integrated amps with dacs in them.

The Gustard r26 was a big upgrade over the topping e50. But the R26 is a fully discrete r2r DAC.

Nice video. But Interesting: if you want warm vintage sound, what you must change in system with neutral power amp and bright speakers: preamp or dac? Or both?