My personal experinces:
I own a Sony SCD777ES. Using that as a transport into my Adcom DA700 (about 12 years old, bought used 7 years ago for $250) I tweaked it with antistatic foam, and NOW (after this comparison test) run it off an AC source at 110hZ instead of 60hz
My Adcom DAC is about the same sound quality as the SCD777ES direct.
The SCD777ES NOW (after a few tweaks to the system, sounds just slightly better, but just barely)
I own Magnepan 3.6 speakers, Bryston 4B-SST2 amp, Bryston BP-26 preamp, VAC Standard preamp used as a glorified tube buffer for digital stuff Furman REF20I conditioner. A PS Audio P600 conditioner set to output 110Hz instead of 60Hz A/C for the digital stuff.
So I have decent equipment.
Anyway i bought a Bryston DAC, the hot new (at that time)DAC raved about Stereophile class A, and TAS recommended DAC. It was $2,200. So I tried to compare the new DAC to my old one. I could not note anything better about the Bryston DAC.
I tried!!
Finally I wondered if some shortcoming in my other (Then) new stuff was holding he DACs back?
I got a Bryston BP1.5 phono box I had to order, and was relieved to hear a spectacular sound, So at that point I knew it was not the pre, amp and speakers holding the DACs back.
I retuned the new DAc for a refund.
So that is MY experience. with damn fine equipment, I could not hear any difference between an over ten year old DAC and the hottest raved about new DAC.
All these 'flavor of the day new little statup company DACs claiming to be the hottest thing since whatever.. ?
Yeah right.
So I doubt you (the op) will note much difference adding a DAC. It may have a slightly different flavor, but it will not actually sound 'better' in any meaningful way.
You would be better off buying some other doodad. like a power conditioner. or some better wires.
This is my experience.
I own a Sony SCD777ES. Using that as a transport into my Adcom DA700 (about 12 years old, bought used 7 years ago for $250) I tweaked it with antistatic foam, and NOW (after this comparison test) run it off an AC source at 110hZ instead of 60hz
My Adcom DAC is about the same sound quality as the SCD777ES direct.
The SCD777ES NOW (after a few tweaks to the system, sounds just slightly better, but just barely)
I own Magnepan 3.6 speakers, Bryston 4B-SST2 amp, Bryston BP-26 preamp, VAC Standard preamp used as a glorified tube buffer for digital stuff Furman REF20I conditioner. A PS Audio P600 conditioner set to output 110Hz instead of 60Hz A/C for the digital stuff.
So I have decent equipment.
Anyway i bought a Bryston DAC, the hot new (at that time)DAC raved about Stereophile class A, and TAS recommended DAC. It was $2,200. So I tried to compare the new DAC to my old one. I could not note anything better about the Bryston DAC.
I tried!!
Finally I wondered if some shortcoming in my other (Then) new stuff was holding he DACs back?
I got a Bryston BP1.5 phono box I had to order, and was relieved to hear a spectacular sound, So at that point I knew it was not the pre, amp and speakers holding the DACs back.
I retuned the new DAc for a refund.
So that is MY experience. with damn fine equipment, I could not hear any difference between an over ten year old DAC and the hottest raved about new DAC.
All these 'flavor of the day new little statup company DACs claiming to be the hottest thing since whatever.. ?
Yeah right.
So I doubt you (the op) will note much difference adding a DAC. It may have a slightly different flavor, but it will not actually sound 'better' in any meaningful way.
You would be better off buying some other doodad. like a power conditioner. or some better wires.
This is my experience.