The "defects" are not audible in virtually all of the equipment tested (DACs), regardless of where they fit on the bar chart. At this point, it is pretty much by based on features, not audible differences.
well, individual variations are huge... I remember reading some submarine sonar operators can hear up to 25khz for sonar, and personally at 35yo most of my friends are at around 16k max, and personally I can still go up to 20khz... while some ppl can hear ppl wisper far away... so I do think that it's not that straight forwardIt's just a shame that nobody seems to be able to state "it's n db" and point at either some medical proof of what humans can detect theoretically, or sensibly performed a/b tests using a large number of people and a large number of DACs showing the threshold of guesswork. Then when reading Amir's reviews either the DAC is good enough, or it's not.
Conclusions
When it comes to DACs -- even budget ones -- we are quite spoiled. The industry through fierce competition has really sneezed every bit of noise and distortion given the cost constraints. The Schiit Modi 3+ is also in that game but as noted in the review, a small step behind. In return you get a US made and supported product, matching any other Schiit gear you may have.
So while I can't gush over its performance since it doesn't best the category, I am happy to still recommend the Schiit Modi 3+.
well, individual variations are huge... I remember reading some submarine sonar operators can hear up to 25khz for sonar, and personally at 35yo most of my friends are at around 16k max, and personally I can still go up to 20khz... while some ppl can hear ppl wisper far away... so I do think that it's not that straight forward
I might consider it worthy of golfing panther as an itteration of Modi3, but I understand the overall ranking is cleaner if it is treated as a new product, so I may have ranked it as you did to avoid another distinction over which we might squabble.
You can see the input/output combinations tested. USB on the input side, RCA on the output, so there is a D/A in the tested device: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/schiit-asgard-3-headphone-amp-dac.14393/The Asgard 3 is an amp, not a DAC. I'm aware of two optional DAC modules for it. I think Amir's only reviewed the AK4490 one I have, not the multibit. (My worthless subjective untested opinion is that it's audibly the same as the better measuring Topping E30 I'm now using with the Asgard 3. I'd be interested to know if the difference is audible).
You can see the input/output combinations tested. USB on the input side, RCA on the output, so there is a D/A in the tested device: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/schiit-asgard-3-headphone-amp-dac.14393/
You can see it's classified as a headphone amp in the database.
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Regarding audibility, what kind of "audible" are you talking about? It's sort of a moot point. With gear this clean you won't hear improvements with every new unit bought. The higher these SINAD or SNR numbers, the less chance there is that a gear-related audible problem will show itself, even if someone messes up gain staging or another aspect of config that would otherwise bring it into focus.
Also note that all "probably not audible" things add up. 110dB SINAD DAC and 110dB SINAD amp is most certainly not 110dB end result. Same with the other metrics.
Should you obsess over every single thing though, of course not. 96dB transparency for 16-bit material is probably good enough for most transducers
I like Amir tests - I think if your going to purchase something going for the best you can afford is a good idea, and sets the bar for manufacturers to up their game (as clearly Schiit has done)It's just a shame that nobody seems to be able to state "it's n db" and point at either some medical proof of what humans can detect theoretically, or sensibly performed a/b tests using a large number of people and a large number of DACs showing the threshold of guesswork. Then when reading Amir's reviews either the DAC is good enough, or it's not.
It's just a shame that nobody seems to be able to state "it's n db" and point at either some medical proof of what humans can detect theoretically, or sensibly performed a/b tests using a large number of people and a large number of DACs showing the threshold of guesswork. Then when reading Amir's reviews either the DAC is good enough, or it's not.
.... or not.@VintageFlanker
I know all about it after being for decades on forums. Ofcourse I first want my gear to be well built and good measuring, that’s why I like this site so much. But sometimes there are some subjective thingies that are worth mentioning.
Have you read this thread yet?
A good one...
https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...-thresholds-of-amp-and-dac-measurements.5734/
Speaking from the top of my head ... It may not be... There will always exist some outliers and they would be found in some specialized field that favors or caters to their abilities or peculiarities. An example would be the NBA where most players are well above average height ...well, individual variations are huge... I remember reading some submarine sonar operators can hear up to 25khz for sonar, and personally at 35yo most of my friends are at around 16k max, and personally I can still go up to 20khz... while some ppl can hear ppl wisper far away... so I do think that it's not that straight forward
...In 2019-20, it was determined that the average NBA player is 6-foot-6.54, weighs 219.33 pounds, around 26 years old
for me, DSD and MQA are non-factors.
I'm not interested in what some anonymous guy typed on the internet - I'm interested in knowing the answer