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Does good technology guarantees musicality?

Nowadays many audiophiles think that if you DIY a state-of-the-art DAC with the implementation of the right technology and with the use of the best parts money can buy, then you will automatically get a good (and musical) sounding DAC. I personally think that this way you can get a (technically) good sounding DAC, but it is still questionable if it would sound musical too. I mean technically perfect is not synonimous with musicality. Many people are able to build a technically flawless DAC, but only a few are able to build a musical sounding DAC. Do you agree with this?

Chris
dazzdax
usblues
1,216 posts
 
Good question/theory Chris.....after living down the block from the Twilight Zone for decades,its been decided without upgraded/modded ears,its irrelevent dare I say hardly necessary to go beyond stock equipment including DAC's to go beyond stock enjoyment.Though some would say its the chase not just the catch that continually promise you with those technical rainbows,YMMV,Bob
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Implementation is everything in front-end gear, particularly DAC's. A good implementation can use a 10-year old D/A chip, but sound better than a new design with a newer D/A chip with better specs, and this is fairly typical. Case in point is the great specs on the AKM DAC chips, but they are not very musical IMO.

I do not recommend purchasing based on the latest chips inside. The designers skill, experience and innovation is more important IMO.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
dazzdax OP
599 posts
 
Steve, are you a proponent of OPamps in the analog section of a DAC?

Chris
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
When you take the best AKM DAC chips and put them in the hands of a skilled, experienced and innovative designer who knows how to properly implement them, it becomes something very special. That is the case with my modded Denon, and why I am smiling.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
To Audioengr's point about AKM DACs...I have owned a silver disc player into
which were installed Crystal DACs and AKM DACs during various
"upgrades", I am perhaps the only one who will admit preferring the
Crystal DACs (others have mentioned their preference for Crystal DACs privately
but will not discuss it publicly). I preferred them over every iteration of AKM
DACs that were installed...including the latest 32 bit version.

IMO, AKM DACs sound more transparent and accurate than Crystal DACs, but
like Audioengr said, they lack the musicality of Crystal DACs.
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