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What kind of DAC product would excite you again?

IXOYE

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RME ADI-2 DAC FS with dubble power,10 band PEQ and 4.4mm pentacon, but really, I'm more than happy with it as it is.
 

TonyJZX

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I do get how people get excited over an RME or even something $5k+

the RME does a lot for the money, in fact more than most dacs do and in combination they have a positive effect... but i cannot expect other companies to replicate that

i also can see how some people love their $5k+ pieces of audio jewelry

however where the most movement is and where we see most products they should be a pretty utilitarian device.... you feed it a signal, it converts it.. that's it

we should be no more excited over a flashlight or power drill (although you will find people who love that stuff)

and we see the numbers where a $100 device *should* be fine for 95% of consumers

i do find the mid to higher end (ie. $400-$1k devices) quite boring because we know they will chart well and they will be well built and there's some care about UI etc.

but I personally like the sub $200 end just to see how well they can keep to that budget

if you want to talk automotive, the new Ferrari 296 or that sort is cool from an engineering standpoint but i love to see what the Japanese did to make a Toyota GT86 or what Ford did to make a Maverick truck.
 

Trell

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we should be no more excited over a flashlight or power drill (although you will find people who love that stuff)
Unlike DAC IC, there is still clearly visible improvements to be had in new LED, something taken advantage of in flashlights. :)
 

Angsty

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and we see the numbers where a $100 device *should* be fine for 95% of consumers
Most consumers would never need a separate DAC. DACs are ubiquitously built into most consumer audio products. Separate DACs are really the domain of enthusiasts.

Even then, an inexpensive DAC meets the functional needs for most applications.
 

ThatGuyYouKnow

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I am all for separates for everything (including DSP functions) and having a DAC simply act as a DAC, but integration is important. If Topping, for instance, makes a best-in-class all-digital DSP device and another device full of I/O, I would gladly add them to my current desktop stack if the integration makes sense. But that is a big "If."
 
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