Comparing two DACs - One cheap, one expensive
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Wednesday August 27, 2025
David Mellor
David Mellor is CEO and Course Director of Audio Masterclass. David has designed courses in audio education and training since 1986 and is the publisher and principal writer of Adventures In Audio.
@DavidMander-rs4uk: How about never using an external DAC 😆👍
@danielcastaneda827: 1- no es la grabación original si no lo que está saliendo de cada dac,
2- está limitado a qué lo que quiera que esté grabando aporta si toque a ambas comparaciones
3- calidad de equipo de grabación tal vez no profesional y entorno tal vez no controlado.
4 escuchar ambas grabaciones en un mismo equipo que tiene su propia firma.
En conclusión: para notar diferencias hay que escuchar cada dac personalmente y no grabaciones de grabaciones
@paulcomeau6: DAC X = DAC A Duke of course despite limitations noted. Heard on Focal Bathys MG headphones. Poor playback gear may lead to other results. ;-)
@jvm-tv: DACs are the biggest scam in the audiophile world. Anyone paying more than ~100 on them is a fool. There I said it!
@dfwew4423: I heard quite clearly DAC X as DAC A using redmi buds 5 bluetooth earbuds with dolby Atmos for headphones on my laptop. Interesting, that there was no any difference between yt in 4k and the downloaded sound file.
Have a pair of 59 year old ears, that must be the weak link.
@jabawakiebot: I'm actually able to hear that DAC B sounds more resolute, ever so slightly. They say dacs themselves don't make much of a sound impact its more about the amplification. I guess there is limitations based on what you're listening on too, I have a $1200+ sound system.
@tomclark7551: That's not a very expensive DAC
@briansat7667: A=X.
@PC-ju6pp: I hear the difference between the IEMs, but I can't decide which ones I prefer. Comfort matters more.
@jusjash: Conservatively, 90% of dac difference is in your mind...i am being kind😊
@Karvaton_koiranvaatekauppa: X=A=better question mark
@RickP2012: DAC A is the same as DAC X. DAC B sounds better.
@srisaikat: Well, Valkyrie was more refined and controlled....duke was raw sounding, So only for electric guitar I liked the harshness of Duke (you know sometime one prefer artificial flavor) .... for rest Valkyrie was more organic, focused and resolving... without hearing the high resolution uploads and stopping right at DAC X sample on YouTube I believe DAC X was Duke Audio Dac.... (And Vocal helped me more to the finding).
@AMPALUK: Hi -- while I enjoy your vids asking watchers if they can hear the difference to audio -- recorded by you, downsampled and buggered about by YT and then replayed via our own systems/devices is FRANKLY dumb a pig shit. AND you know so.
I have been to several hifi demonstrations including of the ludicrously expensive dCS V range on equally ludicrous Wilson Audio Speakers Powered by Dan D Amps and pre-amp and connect by cables worth more than my car. Sure it, and a similar demonstration of the WADAX Atlantis reference DAC... etc... sounded wonderful -- to my 65 year old ears.
BUT back to reality -- for those of us with a few k to spend NOT £0.5m or much more; and who live with partners who WILL NOT TOLERATE placing floor standers way into the room where they sound "the best", let alone the raft of hifi stands, component boxes and WIRES EVERYWHERE (not my words) - we have to deal with GOOD ENOUGH.
I recently was allowed to add a neat little box to my set up - an EVERSOLO DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen 2 - connected by 40 year old high quality RCA audio cables; Ethernet in and an old hifi Power lead - adding a streaming DAC, with 4TB SSD (which I am filling) and a brand new Qobuz subscription AND it is WONDERFUL -- hugely more convenient than planing vinyl on my LP12; hugely better sound than streaming on other devices (Processor, TV, another streamer, etc...).
Could I hear the difference when I used great old RCA interconnects rather than simply cheap one YES YOU BET.
Could I hear the difference between the sound from the A6 and every single other option - Streamed or from local copies of DFF/DSF/FLAC/WAV or even MP3 -- all sounded better to me.
But then a £1249 the Eversolo A6 Master Ed Gen 2 is not ultra cheap - but nowhere near the cost of the ultra high end DAC one could buy after winning the BIG LOTTERY - but then the res of my system is not vastly expensive either. I simply doubt I could hear the BENEFIT of say an addition £50k-£250k investment certainly not given how loud the rest of my life is -- I do not know anyone who listens in a soundproof box.
@stevenhoward3358: I swear I heard you create a new word 'daccurate', but we tend to hear what we want.
@NikiPetrovAtanasov: Was it on purpose those examples are with limited dynamic range? They barelly reach -10dBFS.
Listening to any commercial CD quality the loudness is about -6 dBFS, this allows to listen the record on a lower volume introducing less distortion as well having more dB's reveals more details in the recording. I think this test had to be made with other record samples, something that is very popular, a master piece in terms of quality and mastering.
@DavidMcNaught: I can hear negligible difference. The ifi sounded a bit smoother & more natural to me, but not significantly enough to easily tell which DAC X was, both through decent headphones & decent speakers.
But, when I changswap-out amps or speakers the differences are clear. This seems good evidence that I'd be wasting money spending loads on DACs if I already have a suitably competent one.
@stevesmith3033: If you can't hear the difference in dac's then you shouldn't be in the hobby let alone calling yourself an audiophile. In fact, start with the power cord. If you don't hear a difference there, just stop.
@bjornpaulzierdt7079: The Differences between the DAC's are minimal.
Most Effekt by listening Music at home the used Loudspeakers and the Room with it's acoustic Parameters.
Where can i get this vokal Song with Cilli Gold?
Can't find it anywere🤷♀️
@jbarelds78: Using foobar2000 with the ABX plugin I just managed to "guess" right 15 out of 16 times, which is statistically significant (with some margin). I admit I cheated a bit, by using 1 second of silence between two segments, and listening for a difference in noise with IEM's at a very high volume.
@bartbarelds8454: I don’t like both these dacs but Dac A is more digital and harsh and so is Dac X.
Dac X = Dac A
Thru headphones but i could also quite easily distinguish the differences with my iphone using Youtube as source.
@writenamehere0000: A little difference noticed that A has sharper highs. When a woman is singing, at the end of her words you can hear a "sticky"lips touching/saliva sound, on the B you cannot hear it as clearly.
@3hrice: These tests don’t work without a way to quickly switch between both sources. At least add a 10 second clip of the same file from DAC A and B back to back from each sample for those who have a short memory! That would be more useful.
@AudioMasterclass replies to @3hrice: This is why one should always read the description.
@3hrice replies to @3hrice: Thanks, I went to the abx link but it kept repeating the drum sample after locking in my answer. The second sample was the same drum sample and so was the third. I think there’s a bug or something in mobile chrome browser.
@KristianK42: DAC A is X
@pantegministries: I prefer the sound from the first DAC.
@phildavis3105: DAC X = DAC A
@artanderson8827: DAC A and DAC X is the Douk. DAK B is the iFi Valkyrie.
@RambleStorm: are these level matched ? because to me they didn't seem level matched (a little bit) A sounded louder (and X)... a tiny bit or I'm tired and my brain is playing tricks on me...
@AudioMasterclass replies to @RambleStorm: As I said in the video, I matched the levels using a sine wave tone. My meter resolves to 0.1 dB so there is a potential for up to plus or minus 0.05 dB error.
@wreagfe: I don't even understand, or somewhat do, what the point here is. I'll just continue listening to music, trying to make it sound nice to my ears, and not be bothered.
@fosi1224: Dac x ist Dac A
@basbass429: I am the same as many stated , could not tell for sure a difference. If that is the difference for 16 times more expensive, you got scammed. But it is running through my own DAC on this site. I think it just proves a good DAC does not need to be expensive. I tried really cheap ones, those are, garbage to review them in one word positively. But it seems around 100 euro's upwards you are running quickly into the law of diminishing returns.
@PilipDilip: The actual recording makes so much more of a difference compared to the miniscule differentiation if there is any as you correctly demonstrate. Love it! For instance, Metallica sounds like crap no matter what DAC you use or speakers or amplifier or drugs 😂.
@zorst99: I of course could hear an amazing difference between the two up until the point where my computers DAC became involved ultimately we're all listening to our computers DAC or phone DAC it has nothing to do with what's actually going on
@OrangeMicMusic: "A double-blind test is like Kryptonite for audiophiles. Once is done, all their powers vanished" A Wise Man
@soundblast8536 replies to @OrangeMicMusic: You don't even know what a transient is ...
@OrangeMicMusic replies to @OrangeMicMusic: @@soundblast8536pretty sure I know, it's the instrument that the Transient-Siberia Orchestra are playing
@Andy.Garcia: There are soooo many elements and random electrical nuances in the signal chain that can color your sound that it’s almost impossible to make these types of assessments. I have stopped the chase and now blissfully enjoy my music without DAC worries. I just listen through the internal DAC in my Emotiva PTA1, and don’t even care anymore. If saving hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars and enjoying my music anyway makes me a fool, then so be it!
@lokiva8540: DAC X is A, less than 50% confidence. DAC B sounds marginally better to me in several respects, quite possibly over interface design factors more than the actual DAC, but that takes serious work to sort out.
I'm pretty sure I did hear differences where DAC B sounds cleaner in minor ways, listening via YT with its issues, and a BT connected traditional stereo with high end speakers, more than enough amp power, and an add-on decent amplified sub fed via preamp.
DAC chips have come down so much in cost over decades, that I would expect price and audio performance to in some models be an inverse relationship.
@theomindschrddr7983: X is dac A, it has more jitter and because of this it become more nervous and shrill sounding
@keithwiebe1787: Come on. Let's hear the LP version, the cassette, and the open reel version. Surely the LP will sound more musical (minus the ticks and clicks etc.). LOL!
@cobar5342: Thank you for a very helpful video
@falcogol3451: Dac A is thd expensive one and dac X is the same as dsc A
@mrpmj00: R2R dac (Denafrips Pontus II 12th-1) sounds 3D whereas delta-sigma chips I've listened to sound like a wall of sound.
-----
source=Apple Music lossless
https://youtu.be/G4IWhmkKsvM
@Russell_Huston: Maybe he is punking us all. Maybe DAC A and B are the same, and X is the different one? Just sayin'.
@christianseitz7050: Just listening on my iPhone I perceive DAC X = DAC A … and that DAC B sounds better
@davidcampbell2845: After 30 minutes of effort I can't hear any difference. They are both good enough for me. If there is a measurable difference, I wouldn't pay for it.
@johnthorpedidge: I guess the term audiophile also applies to sound engineers, considering many will spend lots and lots of money on high end converters, adc/dacs etc. The good news is you can go back to Abbey Road and tell them that they (& you) can sell off their more expensive converters and swap them out for the new Douks🤗 Job done. But you might have a bit of a battle with the rest of the recording industry😲. Anyway, a fun video🤗.
@dennishonecker5960: Sorry, those test are too far away from each other. I wont be able to hear the difference. Single matters right after each other might give me a clou, but like this it wont work for me.
And I got a pretty well trained set of ears! So what are people gonna hear with less trained ears?
@alber9100: El problema de la audiofilia es el ego de anunciar siempre los precios si solamente pusieras a y b? Entonces seríamos nosotros los que preguntaríamos dónde lo compraste qué marca es quién lo fabrica cuánto cuesta pero no sus cartas credenciales es la lana
@alber9100: Si a la distancia se parecen y de cerca se parecen por qué optar por el de 1600 euros? si uno de 100 da lo mismo casi lo mismo es decir"si tienes un vaso de agua a 100 m y otro a 1600 metros? Por cuál vas? .... Los archivos de la guitarra eléctrica me parece muy estridentes como si estuviesen demasiado comprimidos. Por qué siembran duda este tipo de archivos?
@shipsahoy1793: well my hearing isn't what it was when I was younger but I listened on a good system, description of but I used AirPlay to get the sound into the stereo and I felt like there was a slight difference that the dac B sounded a little bit better a little more natural but it was so slight that I wasn't sure if it was me psychologically fooling myself or if that's what was really happening, bc I wasn't convinced that dac x was either a or b.
it would've been nice if I dealt with the files directly, but I didn't do that. I have to add that I've used this method before with YouTube video audio and if there's enough of a difference it will be clearly audible to me using this method. One of the things that Dave should've done is do each instrument segment with each dac, instead of doing all the instrument segments with one dac and then moving onto the next, why? because acoustic memory in people does not last for very long, so you need to make a direct comparison quickly without any interruption in between, or all bets are off.
@AudioMasterclass replies to @shipsahoy1793: I considered making the test as you suggest but there are audiophiles who disagree with short term comparisons and I think this view may have merit. Anyone who has the download can arrange things as they prefer. I might comment further in a future video.
@shipsahoy1793 replies to @shipsahoy1793: @@AudioMasterclass understood Dave.. but the fact remains that aural memory is very short in most people, and thoughts to the contrary are quite delusional😉 ..
Thanks for what you do Dave; it's valid, and alternative perpectives need to be "heard" by everyone..😂 Pun with the fun!😉👨🏻
@shipsahoy1793 replies to @shipsahoy1793: @@AudioMasterclassThe caveat to doing it the way I suggested just may also cause some listeners to not perceive the same DAC as the better one, depending on which instrument clip they are evaluating at the time; psychacoustics be damned, with or without beer😂.
A thought for another day.
Looking forward to more of your perspective (from one old timer to another😉).
Keep the gears spinning, Dave.
Cheers, Gary👨🏻
@shipsahoy1793: today's quote: "It's better
to learn something,
than it is to learn nothing."
You have a great zinger in every video Dave, keep it up !👨🏻
@AudioMasterclass replies to @shipsahoy1793: After 555 days of Duolingo I can ask for a beer in a bar and little else. But hey, I get the beer, so win. (If I’m in Sweden)
@shipsahoy1793 replies to @shipsahoy1793: @@AudioMasterclass😂All good! 👍🥳
@TysonVaughan: I went back and forth with headphones, focusing on the drums. DAC B did sound better, most noticeably on the cymbals and hi-hats. More present, with more natural timbre. These sounds seemed a bit more subdued on DAC A. However, in order to discern this, I really had to focus and go back and forth a number of times. So, ultimately, not much daylight between them.
@artysanmobile: Though witty and possibly valid, that is not a legitimate argument, technically speaking. Your listening experience is searching for the difference between a sum of distortions. Your DAC ultimately is the one constant so you are still trying to hear only the difference, which is the choice under test.
@artysanmobile: You are doing the single most important and beneficial thing for HiFi: investing in music.
@AudioMasterclass replies to @artysanmobile: My BBC proms season ticket is worth more of an experience than any DAC. I’m lucky though to be able to fairly easily get there.
@flashmobms: DAC X = DAC A
@richardpaine5923: Conclusion: There's a lot of snobbery regarding Hi-Fi. I have what I have, and I prefer to spend money on CDs.
@dennishonecker5960 replies to @richardpaine5923: Or speakers/headphones 😉
@Douglas_Blake: If you have 4 DACs that all sound different ... at least 3 of them is not working correctly.
@LKattest: I am listening through a DAC so all sound the same to me
@danielduesentriebjunior: Did you notice a difference? Yes, one is cheap and the other one is expensive.
@robmcdermott72: I think X is A. I felt pretty sure about that immediately that track X started, and remained so throughout. I prefer DAC A. Enjoyed the post, thanks!
@robmcdermott72 replies to @robmcdermott72: Listening again to just the drum tracks, I still think X is A. To my ears, A has sharper transients, heard in the snappier harder hitting snare beats. To me, those same snare hits sound muffled at the leading edge via DAC B.
Also, DAC A/X has more details in the higher frequencies, which I'm hearing in the cymbol and as those cymbal hits decay. And more details in the singer's swallow and lip noises on the vocal track. That's what I'm hearing anyway. Listening through headphones. I'd choose DAC A.
@woopygoman: I think X is A. Some feedback on your sequence. Instead of doing all of A and all of B separately, how about switching back and forth, every 3 or 5 seconds, as you play each track? I think the differences will be even more obvious if the sound demo is setup this way.
@dennis_gentile: A sounded better
B sounded less distinct
X = B
@David-v8k9e: Dac X sounds like another dac or maybe both at the same time bit I think it s another model.
A is precise and define but excessive in treble.
B is more bassier less detailed but in a certain way more pleasant.
If I had to pick one I'd pick the X one, precise like A but not excessive treble and pleasant and ''lively'' like B
@marchuvfulz: I tried switching directly from DAC A vocals to DAC B vocals to DAC X vocals and back again, then for the other tracks. Really hard to pick out any significant differences. At least my old ears, the Douk would be fine.
@odagi20425: My impression was that DAC X sounded like DAC A.
@NoNo-lx8sp: I know I'm supposed to say they all sounded the same, but I listened to it twice, and both times, DAC B and X sounded waaaaaaay better than A. Much better clarity and depth. BTW, did you say what microphone and ADC you are using? I'm on MOTU DAC and Mackie speakers. (Edit: a lot of the comments say that A=X, but I still don't get it. The piano is A is incredibly flat compared to B/X. Am I craazy?)
@samcam2905: That was great comparision. As many reported, I did not hear a huge difference. It looked like DAC A sound better for me in some manner - the same DAC X. And it was surprising: cheaper was better? So I decided to verify with measurements. I opened my favourite Sound Forge and made some testing with Inverting and Mixing on files - to find visual and acusting differences. One thing was confirmed: DAC X = A. Then I observed some more details: Valkyrie was closer to the original file in terms of reproduction - let say, closer to be "bit-perfect" in the analog space of course. And another observation: both DACs have timing issues, I mean inside clock was not keeping 96 kHz as supposed. It was visible during direct comparision with source material. Both files had the same lenght and size, but sound was extended few microseconds (not miliseconds - that would be audible) - Sound Forge showed that beginning of all tracks was almost equal, but across the file difference increased. So it looks like sometimes perfection is not the best for our ears. Thanks again for this exercise - that was fun!
@wiseguy2600: DAC X is the Valkyrie and it does sound spacious even on my Bose QC Earbuds on BT in a park. And I've just compared the Drums...was enough!
@bernhardkaiser9677: I would say DAC X = DAC A but I would not bet a month´s salary on it. Am close to 60 years by now and my hearing used to be way better 30 years ago.
My impression is that DAC B gave a more focused image. Esp. the drums sounded more "mono" = less "blurred" if you will. I really like pinpoint exact location when listening so that´s a point for DAC B IMHO.
And of course knowing David a little bit by watching his videos DAC X has to be the cheaper one. 😉😇
@AudioMasterclass replies to @bernhardkaiser9677: It’s interesting that you say the drums are more mono because they are mono, recorded with a single mic. If a DAC makes them seem less mono then that’s a problem.
@bernhardkaiser9677 replies to @bernhardkaiser9677: @@AudioMasterclass Pls. excuse my wording. English is obviously not my native language. What I wanted to express is that DAC B produced a smaller , more focused image of the drum set. That is a bonus in my opinion. To test the ability of a system to create good location I use pink noise in mono. The smaller the spot from where the sound seems to emanate in between the speakers the better imaging precision will be for normal music in my experience.
@joemato: I like the low end thump on drums from DAC B. But it could be my 62 year old ears fooling me again😂
@charlesdinwyn7507: My emotional response to music from these two DACs shows I prefer DAC A. I maintain that the best sound is the best performance of an artist, best meaning most involving therefore satisfying. A street performer with an old 8" guitar amp can be more satisfying than a streaming recording studio counterpart because the street performer puts his soul into it for his live audience.
@tonythearchitect: I think Valkyrie is A and Douk is B and X is B.
@G8YTZ: You are certainly the latter day, Angus McKenzie 😁
@AudioMasterclass replies to @G8YTZ: Damn. I was trying to be the latter day John Borwick.
@getoffamylan6844: Me listening on my phone speakers:
Sounds the same to me!
@leos3010: Downloaded samples. Played through HD600 with Topping dx3pro+. Heard no difference.
@andrewfurst5711: I think DAC A is the cheap one, and then of course DAC B is the expensive one.
And I think DAC X is DAC A.
- On DAC A, the cymbals sound clipped, but they are more extended on DAC B.
- The female vocals on DAC A sound "hard" and "brittle", while on DAC B they sound more like a natural voice.
- The guitar on DAC A didn't sound nearly as much like a real guitar as on DAC B.
I didn't even listen past that point, as the differences were so obvious in the first 3 comparisons.
BTW I am 66 years old, and I would think my hearing is not as good as what I had at age 22, but still pretty good.
@MegaSergiolopes: where are the results
@andrewfurst5711 replies to @MegaSergiolopes: Apparently he's going to wait a while for people to listen and choose which one they thought was "cheap", "expensive", and was "X" the same as A or B. To my ears each DAC was obvious, a lot more than a subtle difference. Though maybe I'll find out I was wrong when he does post the results - I doubt it though.
@veritas932: you're asking us to listen to the qualities of the 2 DACs through our crappy speakers and crappy DAC and AMP and after going through Youtube compression and mangled by the noisy PC motherboard ? Really ? are you serious ? I have a home hifi set that I listen to music that's not connected to the PC. who puts their Dynaudio speakers or B&W speakers connected to a PC ? do you ?
@enriquecomemierda4745 replies to @veritas932: He provides the files that he captured from the output of the files.
Also, he says in his video that this is a very flawed experiment for entertainment only
And yet, I downloaded the files and I could tell the difference. But hey, that might be the weed talking. Lol
@andrewfurst5711 replies to @veritas932: Obviously there are limitations to the test, as you've identified. Still, if one of the DACs sounded horrible (barely above "static" sound) then you'd be able to tell that it was bad even through normal PC speakers.
I could easily tell the difference between DACs in this online test. I have an AudioQuest DragonFly Red + Jitterbug for my PC DAC, and fairly high end (for a computer) Altec Lansing PC speakers (no longer made, but they were $200 about 20 years ago, still going strong).
While my PC set up wouldn't likely notice the difference between a good $700 DAC and a $2000 one in a similar online test - there does seem to be a very noticable difference between the 2 DACs in this (Douk vs. iFi) test, even given YouTube's limitations.
@sonnyharris: DAC X = DAC A
@danb.9891: Just listening to the YouTube clip via a Denon amp & Wharfdale Lintons, I don't hear a big difference between the two. If forced to wager, my answer is that DAC X & DAC A are the same. Not saying it's better, but sounds the same 🤔🤷
@davidorrick63: Dac x is the Douk have a blessed day
@soulfunkjazz: 6:29 9:08
8:37 11:15
@gpiano27: Thank you, David, for including the automated test in the description. I think it's a great option alongside shared files, more reliable and practical for everyone. Give it a try! Best regards from Uruguay.
@donnapoulin5092: Not a trained ear here, and I've got old ears too though my doctor says I have great ears. Personally, I'd save the money! I don't hear enough of a differance to justify the expense. I'd enjoy either. I think that X is the Valkyrie.
@enriquecomemierda4745: I came to the same conclusion as many here.
DACX=Douk.
The Douk sounded great. The drums impactful, vocals sweet. Guitars both bright and cheerful. Piano full and broad. But DAC B brought out more stage. The midrange, especially in the vocalist and the piano sounded like the room opened up more. I felt the floor moving down a bit more given the room in my head more space to enjoy the music.
I replayed the tracks several times looking for some little bits that I could hang on to for analysis. But with DAC B I found myself forgetting about everything and getting lost in the music.
That is what being an audiophile is all about. Forgetting about the grear and just enjoying the music. That is why I have spent so much money. That is the point.
--------
Listened to high res files on
Ecoute TH-1, Audeze LCD-3 and AKG K451
Played files on my OnePlus 13 through
Fiio KA15 to headphones above
Played files on Fiio R9 through headphones above
Not scientific, but very nice test. It reinforced my bias? Maybe. But I didn't care. It's my money and I can't take it with me.
@paulmaiwaring4313: Problem I have is that with my equipment I can hear your voice which irritates me. Your airy breathy, chesty voicing is unpleasant to my ears sorry.
@gabriellegiovanni7899: If you are steaming, then your streaming service is your source component and everything you play will sound like that! I realized this years ago when, at an audio show, four out of five vendors were feeding Tidal into their systems and heck if I couldn’t easily tell blindfolded, no matter the recording or the system. It didn’t help that I don’t like the sound of Tidal.
@skip1835: If ya think the less expensive DAC is better or just as good or whatever your opinion is than just say so, it would be interesting to focus in on the qualities it possesses - - - but, here we go again, always the same "angle" - the "wasting" money thing which is CLEARLY being implied here - - - I'm gone at whatever the timeline is, so sick of these types of vids. Sure, the diminishing return thing could be discussed but that's all this video has for content - even that is old and boring as it exists everywhere in life, audio doesn't have an exclusive to that reality. Audio Masterclass's presentation of this video is not an audiophile agenda, that is, which one sounds better or if there's even a difference or whatever qualities either DAC may have, it's about the cost difference - presenting a controversy instead of a meaningful audio equipment discussion.
@stevesutcliffe5805: I only had to listen to the drums, Dac X is Dac A douk. DAC X and DAC B simply sounded the same, there was a slight shift to the right hi hat?which was not there in DAC B, certainly not in the original which had a wide sound stage. I listened to the original first a couple of times right through, and then listened to X. Yes there was a difference. Then the DAC A, it sounded the same as X, Then DAC B which was different. QED (no my DAC is a NAD which passed through from my computer correctly at 24 Bit 96 khz)) DAC B, the Valkyrie sounded closer to the original. It just goes to show messing about with digital to analogue and back and forth messes things up. By the way I am 63, My speakers are ProAc EBS, my amplifier is a Marshall 9200 (guitar PA amp) and DAC a NAD DAC2.
But I may be wrong, and I don't care.
@StoicismisKing4444: There is a huge difference between DAC's. I wish it wasn't so, unfortunately it is. If you compare a DC04 Pro to Onyx Alpha XI1. The Onyx is better, the Mojo 2 to RU7 Mojo 2 is better, RU9 to Mojo 2 - different but about the same. IDSD Blacklabel to Signature - Signature is better, DX340 DAP is better than all of them by a country mile. That is just portable stuff I have used this year. There is a HUGE difference between DAC's same as upscaled to non upscaled music, is it better - maybe sometimes but not always. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE THOUGH and anyone saying there isn't either has poor hearing or is being disingenuous.
@rolfwalterspiegler6423: Hmm, difficult Test. B sounds much better to me than A. But when X was playing it sounded first like A, but in the second half close to B, but not as good as B. Funny.
@TheMMadmaXX: I can almost hear no difference at all, if any, but I used headphones, that makes it more difficult for me. When I bought my current DAC I took my old one with me and took about 1,5 hours of listening in a shop to both. I even had the guys connect one and not tell me which it was (of course the rest of the system remained the same). I could easily pick which was which every time, especially the sound stage (not so much width but depth) was significantly different.
@RaymondReeves-db8dr: Some of these comments from the "audiophile" classes are exactly what Mr Mellor is always laughing at. I had a go at listening to this video through my AV system, not much difference between segments that noticeably jump out. When comparing the clips on my laptop with headphones, all is better revealed. DAC A has a little more happening in the high frequency range. But Is it too bright or more open ?Can DAC B be described as being tight or dull? Or is it simply reproducing a flatter signal? The better DAC will always sound better to different ears. Higher prices should mean better reliability. DOUK audio have a reputation for being good and cheap but have also built some really bad and flimsy stuff. DAC X is the DOUK.
@SparksOfMetal: Dac A is Dac X.... 😅
@editorjuno: I briefly fell into the DAC upgrade rabbit hole -- I was using a sub-$100 Behringer audio interface and decided try a Topping E30. When the Topping blew up -- Topping's warranty is useless, so I gave up on the thing -- I went back to using the Behringer (which now sells for $69) and climbed out of that hole for good. My conclusion: DACs, like all but the cheapest amplification, are every bit as good as they have to be given the stark limitations of human aural acuity. Transducers are the one remaining technical frontier that has yet to be breached, and there's no end in sight with regard to t hat challenging engineering discipline -- the rest is a matter of transducer placement and room acoustics.
@sK3LeTvM1: For professional work, I've been using Apogee DAC's since 25 years. At a certain given moment when rebuilding the studio, I opted for 'cheap' Audient DAC's; They even didn't last 2 hours and returned them. In professional audio, there clearly is a difference between hi-end DAC's and cheaper alternatives. So back on Apogee & Antelope again.
@soundblast8536 replies to @sK3LeTvM1: There are some transient differences , but people need to have good transient amp and headphones or speakers to be able to hear it , also some tracks are better to notice it ...
@gino3286 replies to @sK3LeTvM1: Hi do you have experience of the Rosetta 200 maybe? Thanks a lot kind regards Gino
@efwaves4665: I can’t hear a difference, which is great. That way I don’t have to spend more than I need.
@kostependrhs: Dac X must be dac A. Dac B is harsh sounding above 5khz and weaker on bass. Dac A is better but quite boring. None of the two is good enough.
@peterbaugh51: If you like jewelry and are willing to pay for it, you should buy DAC B!!! I personally prefer to spend money on quality of sound... Not jewelry 👍
@peterbaugh51: DAC X sounded like the Douk Audio. A mix of tonality somewhere between the two DACs would be my preference, but the Douk sounds more realistic. And the acoustic guitar was an electrified acoustic guitar, not miked in my humble opinion. As a musician of many years, I hear these differences. I would also choose the Douk. Price is no object here. Just the audio. Thank you for the video Sir👍.
@AudioMasterclass replies to @peterbaugh51: The acoustic guitar was a plain acoustic guitar.
@peterbaugh51 replies to @peterbaugh51: @@AudioMasterclass I realize that was an acoustic guitar, I'm curious as to whether it was recorded with a pickup or a straight mic and what type of microphone was used. It sounded similar to my Gibson with a Martin gold saddle piezo type pickup. Does anyone know how it was recorded? Once recorded and mastered with any system it is no longer acoustic 😏.
@AudioMasterclass replies to @peterbaugh51: B&K 4011, AKG C414 ambience mics.
@peterbaugh51 replies to @peterbaugh51: @@AudioMasterclass Thanks!