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...but how does pairing a DAC to your workflow really affect it in terms of sound quality? Is there a practical and functional need for a $450 standalone DAC vs a $100 standalone DAC?
I can hear a good deal of difference between some sources but not all have that much difference.
Sometimes a cheaper source can be better than a more expensive one - case in point, a lot of entry-level CDPs with technically better DACs and full-blown output stages sound weird on my system. The PCM2702-based* USB DAC on my Cantate sounds more normal compared to the CD5003 and even the NAD C545, and most especially the Cambridge 340C. These CDPs have a "large" soundstage but the sound is all over the place. In the 340C, the drums are way out front, and the other instruments are behind it. On the C5003, the sound in general as well as the drums are too warm, and soem drum hits are disconnected from where the drums usually are - I can normally hear the drums in generally the proper spot, then one harder hit puts it above and to the left, then a drum roll goes around the back of my head. The NAD is a lot less like that but it still has the quirks. Crossfeed on the Cantate doesn't help. Rega Apollo (the larger, older model) and Cayin CD50T have a normal soundstage if not as exciting as the NAD, but they're too warm tonally, and they're about $700 to $900 each. Cayin CDT23 was the best but that goes for $1,200. No matter how much I liked it, that's too much for me.
Now I'm not saying the BiFrost will be that bad compared to the Modi, just that price is far from indicative generally. One difference though - the Modi and BiFrost were tested with headphone systems, whereas the C545 and the 340C might not have been. CD5003 is in the middle and yet it's actually the one with the headamp, and the NAD still beat it. Not enough for me to blow $500 on though, especially with the convenience of a touchscreen device hooked up the USB input that generally still sounds better anyway.
So basically, unless we're talking about a DAC that basically can be a receiver central to a whole system because of all its features (DAC, preamp output for speakers, clean and powerful headphone amp), going for the cheaper DAC doesn't always mean you lose out on that much. Also read the funny FAQs and product blurbs on the Schiit DACs since they basically have similar points - if you want a Class A output stage and a full-blown DAC circuit, spend more on the Bifrost. If you want the most bang for not a lot of your bucks, go for the Modi. It;s always best if you can listen to them yourself, who knows you might like the more expensive one, but if you can't hear for yourself, no harm in buying deaf (blind) and going for the Modi.
*Some DACs use this as a USB receiver, not as the DAC chip
