[CharlesC]

Hi! So, taking Schiit as an example: the price of their highest end DACs and amps is 750% the cost of the lowest end units.  That is quite a spread.  I can understand that kind of spread on amps but I don't see how there can be that much difference on DACs. Given the fact that the Modi is by all accounts a pretty good DAC, just how great can a great DAC get?

 

[money4me247]

mark-up for luxury goods bro.
 
car example: 2014 toyota corolla for $16.8k all the way up to $2.6M for the Bugatti Veyron
won't know the difference until you get a chance to drive it
 
(tho in my humble opinion, the mark-up on DACs gets pretty insane)
 
edit: your limiting factor would be your headphones as well. your hd448 probably won't be able to tell too much of a difference, but if you had a pair of $5k headphones perhaps the more expensive dacs are worth it. is the top-end schitt 750% better than the modi? unlikely. that's the way luxury products work. the bugatti is probably not x150% better than the corolla, but when you have enough extra money, it doesn't matter to you. you can't take the cash with you into the afterlife after all.

 

[mvrk10256]

Two levels. USB powered dacs, and externally powered dacs. USB powered is ~$200USD for assembled ~$100 DIY is about as good as it gets. 
 
Powered DACs are better. Supposedly. More expensive, spend 2 to 3 times. 

 

[money4me247]

  Two levels. USB powered dacs, and externally powered dacs. USB powered is ~$200USD for assembled ~$100 DIY is about as good as it gets. 
 
Powered DACs are better. Supposedly. More expensive, spend 2 to 3 times. 

ummm... HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC 2 with an external power supply unit (ES9023 chip) = $69 http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=87

 

[CharlesC]

Thanks for bringing this thread back to life.  I've gotten the impression that the benefits of high end dacs are pretty subtle. Maybe they become more important after you've already got your killer amp and headphones in place.