Thanks Archimago for a very interesting read. For me the big take away is that the playback of digital audio has now reached a point where even relatively inexpensive hardware is capable of doing a very good job. And this begs the question of what audible improvement does one get when using a mega-buck audiophile DAC versus a low cost (a few hundred dollars) run of the mill DAC. Basically I think the whole audiophile DAC arena is shaping up to become similar to the audiophile amplifier versus mass market amplifier in that the audible differences have become almost irrelevant and are the subject of purely subjective speculations. In other words, the "all solid state amps sound the same" argument.
One can sense that this state of affairs has the high end audio press in a bit of tissy whenever one encounters a review of a low priced (in high end audio terms) DAC. For the most part these DACs perform exceptionally well and the reviewers are often left having to split hairs when comparing the performance of the latest "giant killer" with that some mega-buck "reference standard" DAC. The high end audio industry would be better served by just accepting that digital side of digital audio can be handled quite well with modestly priced equipment and focus their attention on the analog side of digital audio, the area where some of the high end beliefs still have some truth to them. Living Rm: Transporter-SimAudio pre/power amps-Vandersteen 3A Sign. & sub Home Theater: Touch-Marantz HTR-Energy Veritas 2.1 & Linn sub Computer Rm: Touch-Headroom Desktop w/DAC-Aragon amp-Energy Veritas 2.1 & Energy sub Bedroom: Touch-HR Desktop w/DAC-Audio Refinement amp-Energy Veritas 2.0 Guest Rm: Duet-Sony soundbar Garage: SB3-JVC compact system Controls: iPeng; SB Controller; Moose & Muso Server: SBS on dedicated windows 7 computer w/2 Drobos 'Last.fm' (http://www.last.fm/user/jazzfann/) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ralphpnj's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10827 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=102270 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
