InstantSilence
1000+ Head-Fier
Then I guess all the folks that can afford higher gear are just suckers? Successful, rich suckers?The proper combination of components matter, but I think you would be very hard pressed to find a DAC, DAP, disc player or amp that doesn't produce sound better than human ears can hear. The transducers are the wild card. You'll need to make sure you are using the right amp for your transducers, particularly with IEMs. But beyond that the main difference between electronics is features, not audible sound quality.
I have Oppo PM-1s and a really good screening/listening room with a multichannel speaker system. I've compared DACs and players from the Oppo HA-1 and BDP-103 to a ProTools workstation, to all manner of Mac stuff, all the way down to $100 Sony and Pioneer blu-ray players and a $40 Walmart DVD player.
Pffft. Keep telling yourself dacs, amps, and cables don't matter.