Serious Question: How can DAC's have a SOUND SIGNATURE if they measure as transparent? Are that many confused?

[MaxBuck]

Good one! Now listen to this dude who represents a bit differently. Skip to 23:35

You're aware that "this dude" uses tube gear and expensive interconnects, right? Does that enhance his credibility in your eyes?

 

[Killingbeans]

Good one! Now listen to this dude who represents a bit differently. Skip to 23:35

There's only one difference. GoldenSound gives you the "sawtooth experience" by expanding the bandwidth way, way beyond the capabilities of human hearing.

Nyquist–Shannon assumes bandwidth limitation. Any sufficiently steep reconstruction filter will give you that seemingly magical unnecessity of "interpolation". And that's just to spare your audio system from ultrasonic garbage. The bandwidth limitation of our hearing alone is enough to make the idea of "stair steps" nothing more than scary pictures fueling the imagination.

Upsampling is useful for the inner workings of DACs, but it has nothing to do with "connecting the dots" on the output.

 

[egellings]

I was never taught that humans evolved from apes in pre-college school. They are different branches with similar body plans of the evolutionary tree.

 

[SIY]

We were taught that trolls descended from early versions of the orangutan.

 

[DonR]

We were taught that trolls descended from early versions of the orangutan.

I think the science is pretty settled on this matter. Trolls are cursed fairies.

 

[Sal1950]

I think the science is pretty settled on this matter. Trolls are cursed fairies.

Subjectivist Cursed Fairies LOL

 

[krabapple]

I was never taught that humans evolved from apes in pre-college school. They are different branches with similar body plans of the evolutionary tree.

Human *are* apes. We are part of the the 'ape ' branch of the evolutionary tree. The classification "Hominoidea" include the great apes and us.

 

[krabapple]

We were taught that trolls descended from early versions of the orangutan.

that is a damnable libel on orangutans

 

[Jimbob54]

that is a damnable libel on orangutans

Ook.

 

[egellings]

I agree that we are on the ape branch of the evolutionary tree; however, we did not evolve from them. We just share a branch. We have a common ancestor.
Um, how did this topic get going on a site devoted to audio?

 

[Jimbob54]

I agree that we are on the ape branch of the evolutionary tree; however, we did not evolve from them. We just share a branch. We have a common ancestor.
Um, how did this topic get going on a site devoted to audio?

A troll succeeded.

 

[krabapple]

I agree that we are on the ape branch of the evolutionary tree; however, we did not evolve from them. We just share a branch. We have a common ancestor.

We share a common ancestor with chimpanzees. That ancestor was also an ape.

 

[Michael112]

I have returned my RME ADI-2 DAC today , couldn't hear a difference with my 130Euro Sound Blaster AE-5.
Will invest in some nice speakers instead.

 

[Taschenrechner]

I have returned my RME ADI-2 DAC today , couldn't hear a difference with my 130Euro Sound Blaster AE-5.
Will invest in some nice speakers instead.

Good on you. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...and-measurements-of-sound-blasterx-ae-5.9114/

Seems decent.

The quietest I can hear a sound for me is about -70db.

No idea what wunderkinder can hear all the way down to -100db. At least in a way that doesn't mean you have to concentrate in total isolation while on a meditation retreat on top of a mountain.

 

[Narnian]

I picked up a Topping DX3 Pro+ DAC to see if I could hear any difference between it and the internal DAC in my Marantz NR1200. The Topping is an ESS DAC and the Marantz an AKM. After 3 days I “think” I could hear a very slight sonic signature difference but otherwise could not really tell them apart. It all sounded good. (Tidal through a WIIM for both using optical).

I would not be surprised if there are people who have “super” hearing who can identify more than I can. After all we know that the other senses can vary in sensitivity per person.

in any case I can now save myself $200 and some clutter.

 

[Taschenrechner]

I picked up a Topping DX3 Pro+ DAC to see if I could hear any difference between it and the internal DAC in my Marantz NR1200. The Topping is an ESS DAC and the Marantz an AKM. After 3 days I “think” I could hear a very slight sonic signature difference but otherwise could not really tell them apart. It all sounded good. (Tidal through a WIIM for both using optical).

I would not be surprised if there are people who have “super” hearing who can identify more than I can. After all we know that the other senses can vary in sensitivity per person.

in any case I can now save myself $200 and some clutter.

It's all in your head bro.

 

[Narnian]

It's all in your head bro.

While I generally agree the scientist in me would love to see a control study. Without that everything just comes across as “hear”say. If there are some I would love to see them. Unfortunately I have some hearing loss and as a result I am a bad subject.

 

[Els]

This was a statement made a few years ago by a reviewer in Stereophile. Is this a valid statement ? Now that everything is based on mesurements, do Dacs have a signature sound? Speakers do. That is why there are so many recipes, designers, and concepts. I choose my speakers by first looking at who designed it and his crudentials and goals. Could Dacs be viewed the same way? After all there are good dacs under 250 Dollars and some that costs over 20,000Dollars, functionality aside , what makes the différence?

 

[Rednaxela]

If you made DACs for a living, would you do it?

 

[Jimbob54]

After all there are good dacs under 250 Dollars and some that costs over 20,000Dollars, functionality aside , what makes the différence?

Mostly the fact that someone is prepared to overpay by more than $19k. It surely isn't for how it sounds.

So you've got appearance, build and a shit load of marketing, bragging rights and presumably hype.