DACs: Do You Need an External Digital to Analog Converter for your Hifi System?

[everettT]

Where's your evidence? Methinks somebody spent a lot of money on tech and now feels the need to defend said purchase... Don't feel bad. Marketing is compelling and everyone is prone to the placebo effect.

Unless you participated in a double blind study where you have nothing but your ears to rely upon, then you have no leg to stand on here.

*Maybe if you turned down the douche factor in your posts you might actually be able to have a discussion and learn something.

All three of his posts are aggressive, he belongs over at the boutique forums

 

[jinjuku]

I use this instrument probably unknown to you called "ears". They are used for hearing sound and is your most reliable source of sound info if you practice how to use them by listen to lots of audio equipment. If audio sound is important to you I suggest you try your ears out as an alternative to searches for writings from other people who are also unaware of this instrument known as "ears". I have done this for the past 30 years. You might try discovering and using them too. Good luck getting away from staring at a monitor and developing some real "sound" experience.

After you hit about the $500 mark and a company known for making solid DAC's you are really starting to swim against the current. Between the $500 and $1500 mark there are a lot of good DAC's and the price will vary for features.

The Oppo Sonica is a nice $799 Network Attached DAC that is well implemented.

I've personally had my Emotiva DC-1 A/B against DAC's in the $2500, $4000, $5000 price points.

Using Stereo Mix in Windows 8.1 I was able to drive a pair of AKG's at the same time. They all did a great job, no large differences that I could discern with 24/192 media from NL2.

After that it's about features.

You should try the McGurk Effect sometime:

 

[killdozzer]

I use this instrument probably unknown to you called "ears".

Oh, no! Not another one. Guys and girls, I'm telling you, I suspect other audio forums have the "upset audioholics" awards. We have to do something about this. We should have a reserved section under a name "You can try to prove something isn't audiophoolery here"

They are used for hearing sound and is your most reliable source of sound info if you practice how to use them by listen to lots of audio equipment.

Brace yourself, we know what ears are meant for. If you get to practice them, perhaps they're just not there yet. Perhaps it is you who need to keep practicing? No? You're sure it's us?

If audio sound is important to you I suggest you try your ears out as an alternative to searches for writings from other people who are also unaware of this instrument known as "ears".

Audio is not important to us, you saw right through that. We just like the numbers and reviews, especially by people who don't use ears. Maan, all reviews are based on listening. Some are backed by numbers and that is nice as it helps ensure, to a certain extent, the reliability of a review. You shouldn't let this get to you. Ask yourself this "why do I care for a group of people who think about DAC's differently?". This should disperse some of your unfounded anger. (After that you should ask yourself why did it make you angry. If you can be true to yourself, you'll see that you've invested a small part of your identity into your choices and you get offended by proxy whenever someone say your choices may be nothing more than Fata Morgana).

I have done this for the past 30 years. You might try discovering and using them too. Good luck getting away from staring at a monitor and developing some real "sound" experience.

Who are you talking about??

 

[panteragstk]

Why do these people keep coming here? We should have some sort of banner stating "audio BS is not tolerated here. Keep BS to yourself".

 

[mtrycrafts]

This article very incorrectly states that DAC are now a mature technology and all are generally good enough. It's like saying beer brewing is mature and Budweiser is a good enough beer and we don't need other beers. Author is clueless on high-end audio. You also can remain clueless on digital audio if you listen to this guy. If you are reading this in a quest for better sound then do not listen to this guy.

Why are you so desperate to try to compare beer brewing and I imagine beer tasting to audio sound differentiating?
But, it is a new approach as most would try the car analogy. LOL.
And, how and where did you get a clue on high-end and digital audio? Who certified your qualifications?

I would not recommend anyone listening to xyzzy's opinions. Has yet to demonstrate knowledge.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I use this instrument probably unknown to you called "ears". They are used for hearing sound and is your most reliable source of sound info if you practice how to use them by listen to lots of audio equipment. If audio sound is important to you I suggest you try your ears out as an alternative to searches for writings from other people who are also unaware of this instrument known as "ears". I have done this for the past 30 years. You might try discovering and using them too. Good luck getting away from staring at a monitor and developing some real "sound" experience.

It seems that you just been led down the wrong path for the past 30 years, learned not much about audio and the human brain's fallibility of fooling the listener, in this case.

Oh, tell us how you test and judge for audible differences between components? Don't be shy, be specific.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Good I've got 20+ years on your ears then. Do you know how long auditory memory is? Have you ever been part of a blind study where you have to rely on your ears?. So basically your the only person on the forum that has ears? Maybe if you weren't trolling and actually took the time to understand and evaluate acoustics properly... oh never mind your trolling

Don't confuse the fella with facts and critical knowledge. I don't think he is interested in learning as it may be counter to his beliefs about audio perception.