[mr_bill]

I'm not sure what to think of this?
Buy a Topping D90 because it is ranked near the top?  Chromecast is ranked way higher than PS Audio Direcstream?  Sprout higher than DS?

[adydula]

I would not use this chart alone for choosing a dac.

Posted eleswhere on that site:

Finally, please don’t take the measured values too seriously. It should also be clear that these comparison charts are more for convenience and should not serve as a buyer's guide. As @amirm and others have shown in reviews and discussions, there is no obvious correlation between price and performance in general, or SINAD and price in particular.

I have several dacs on that list that work very, very well and I doubt very much if you could really tell any difference when listening to them.....

You really need to have the dacs your interested side by side to really tell if a particular number like this really means anything in reality in your enviroment.

Alex

[wushuliu]

I know exactly what I think of that chart, but I'm in a mood so I'll keep my thoughts to myself for now.

 

[HT cOz]

Chart aside, I have to admit to being interested in the Topping D90.

[wushuliu]

Chart aside, I have to admit to being interested in the Topping D90.

Wait 6 months for the price to drop, the hype to move on to another shiny object, and be much cheaper on the used market.

[adydula]

Find a number put it on a chart or graph and voila we have the next best veil removing piece of gear ever, until the next time the chart is upgraded....

Wushuliu...I know exactly how you feel about this chart!!!  Same here!

[timind]

Wait 6 months for the price to drop, the hype to move on to another shiny object, and be much cheaper on the used market.

Good advice. That strategy worked well for me and the purchase of a Topping D70. The D70 measures well and sounds fantastic in my system.

[JLM]

Recently a friend stopped by with his 20 year old, then top of the line, Sony DVD player and we did a 3-way comparison using the same CD via my NAD M10 (that has an ES9028 DAC chip):  Sony as a DVD player; CD ripped to a flash drive; Sony as a transport via optical cable.  We agreed that no significant difference could be detected.  Not to say I haven't heard differences in DACs over the years.

Wonder how many of those ASR tests demonstrate meaningful differences or what the human hearing thresholds are for each.  And now Amir is focused on speaker testing using his new $100k Klippel test setup. 

[smargo]

Recently a friend stopped by with his 20 year old, then top of the line, Sony DVD player and we did a 3-way comparison using the same CD via my NAD M10 (that has an ES9028 DAC chip):  Sony as a DVD player; CD ripped to a flash drive; Sony as a transport via optical cable.  We agreed that no significant difference could be detected.  Not to say I haven't heard differences in DACs over the years.

Wonder how many of those ASR tests demonstrate meaningful differences or what the human hearing thresholds are for each.  And now Amir is focused on speaker testing using his new $100k Klippel test setup.

Much to my chagrin - I kinda have to agree with you on all points

[mr_bill]

I still maintain that differences in digital are small,

[wushuliu]

And yet people still spend/recommend $$$ gear even if they believe differences are minimal. None of these people ever recommend just picking up the cheapest component they can find at Best Buy, or say, one of the $20 Signstek Dacs I like from Amazon.

[mhconley]

I replaced a PS Audio Digital Link III DAC and GCHA with a Topping DX7 Pro based in part on that chart. I am very happy to have replaced two components with one, very happy with the sound from the DX7 Pro, and the money I gained allowed me to upgrade my headphones. I've found ASR to be a refreshing change of pace from typical audiophile forums.

Martin

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Spec's don't tell the whole story.  Trust your ears.

I have said it before on AC that we did a shoot out of several DAC's- IFI, Bryston BDA-1, Hugo Chord, Exogal Comet and W4S DSDse with Femto clock upgrade.  They all sounded remarkably different with the  $500 IFI clearly sounding the worst in every respect.  The Bryston , Hugo and Comet outclassed the W4S and IFI.  If you can't hear a difference in your system, then it is not up to snuff.

[wushuliu]

I replaced a PS Audio Digital Link III DAC and GCHA with a Topping DX7 Pro based in part on that chart. I am very happy to have replaced two components with one, very happy with the sound from the DX7 Pro, and the money I gained allowed me to upgrade my headphones. I've found ASR to be a refreshing change of pace from typical audiophile forums.

Martin

Exactly my point. The DX7 is still $500. From an 'objective' POV are the features/performance of a $500 dac audibly superior to any of the many $100-150 options? If so, where are the double blind tests to prove it? Seems to me by the logic of this way of thinking, that would be an additional $250 to upgrade headphones even further. Better yet, buy a cheap preamp with tone controls, sell the expensive headphones, get some $50 headphones and use the tone controls (or software equalizer depending on the source). Now that's even more money saved.

But that's assuming one actually follows through on the objectivist/measurement based premise.

[viggen]

I don't judge components by spec.  But, i did get a Topping D90 mainly because it has the latest AKM chip and it has the latest BT.  I always wanted to try AKM and wanted to do away with audio PC so wanted to dabble with BT.

Turns out the D90 has better synergy with my system than my previous dac, Metrum Amethyst.  Just a coinkydinky it's measured the best too. 

I am returning my D90 though because I am anticipating the MQA version coming out next month.

[wushuliu]

Spec's don't tell the whole story.  Trust your ears.

I have said it before on AC that we did a shoot out of several DAC's- IFI, Bryston BDA-1, Hugo Chord, Exogal Comet and W4S DSDse with Femto clock upgrade.  They all sounded remarkably different with the  $500 IFI clearly sounding the worst in every respect.  The Bryston , Hugo and Comet outclassed the W4S and IFI.  If you can't hear a difference in your system, then it is not up to snuff.

This is the part where you have to break down this supposed 'shoot out' in excruciating detail so every aspect can be debated and flaws found in your unscientific methodology.

Whereas if you said you heard no difference, no one would question and you'd get posts randomly agreeing with you. [edit: I'm speaking in relation to ASR/broader forum culture, not AC specifically].

[Endo2112]

But glittering prizes, and endless compromises,
shatter the illusion of integrity!!

Don

[mr_bill]

.....living in the limelight......

[Tyson]

This is the part where you have to break down this supposed 'shoot out' in excruciating detail so every aspect can be debated and flaws found in your unscientific methodology.

Whereas if you said you heard no difference, no one would question and you'd get posts randomly agreeing with you. [edit: I'm speaking in relation to ASR/broader forum culture, not AC specifically].

If people can't hear the difference, good for them.  They can just buy the cheapest option and merrily go on their way. 

[rollo]

Spec's don't tell the whole story.  Trust your ears.

I have said it before on AC that we did a shoot out of several DAC's- IFI, Bryston BDA-1, Hugo Chord, Exogal Comet and W4S DSDse with Femto clock upgrade.  They all sounded remarkably different with the  $500 IFI clearly sounding the worst in every respect.  The Bryston , Hugo and Comet outclassed the W4S and IFI.  If you can't hear a difference in your system, then it is not up to snuff.

  Exactly. One must try the "DAC" in their system, period.

charles