What did it take for your phono system to sound “right” to you?

[Angsty]

The last $170 DAC that I bought did wear out in less than a year... despite its excellent measurements it wasn't well made or well supported by the manufacturer.
The $3000 DAC (and preamp) that I bought 5 years ago still works and looks like new and is well supported.
The $150 DAC (sound card) that I bought 20 years ago still works like new.
Apparently, when it comes to DACs price has no correlation to sound quality, and only a weak correlation to build quality.

That’s interesting. I wonder how a DAC “wears out”. Nonetheless, I am preternaturally attracted to Bryston DACs because: 1) I am a Bryston geek, and 2) they are built like warships. They don’t sound any different than a Topping, though.

 

[MRC01]

That’s interesting. I wonder how a DAC “wears out”. ...

Bad soldering and poor QA. After a certain number of heat and power cycles it cracks and fails.

 

[Angsty]

Bad soldering and poor QA. After a certain number of heat and power cycles it cracks and fails.

Damn. I never knew a small DAC could generate enough heat to cause that type of fatigue. Very poor QA.

I’ve been fortunate with my Schiit Modi 3: cheap, cheerful and reliable.

 

[MRC01]

Damn. I never knew a small DAC could generate enough heat to cause that type of fatigue. Very poor QA.
...

Indeed. And terrible to nonexistent factory support. It was an SMSL SU-6.
I've had similar quality issues with Topping, so both brands are off my list. I don't care how well they measure, I'll pay a bit more for better QA, build quality, and support.
OTOH, I have had great results with JDS and Schiit.

 

[Angsty]

Enough of this digital talk … back to phono systems!

I think the life span of my highend MC cartridge (Van den Hul MC ONE Special) is around 2500 hours, and it can be retipped for around 40 to 50 % of its retail price.

There is a new study thread elsewhere on ASR suggesting that JICO is closer to telling the truth than Van den Hul.

Phonograph Stylus Wear Experiment

Based on discussions in various threads on multiple audio forums, the lifetime in wear hours of a phonograph stylus remains an open and frequently intensely debated question. Manufacturer’s claims for example range from a few hundred hours for conical styli, up to 500 hours for elliptical styli...

www.audiosciencereview.com