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Transparent DACs.

A list of transparent DACS .... Max you have your answer to such a ridiculous question, as no one has posted anything but light hearted anecdotes ...
Please please no one mention the word transparent in any posts ... Can we setup a charity donation fine , similar to a swear box.

Listen more ... theorise less .... Drink more beer
 
What DAC are we talking about?
The entire case, or just the chip?

What kind of transparency are we looking for?
Usually we can still see transparent stuff...

Michael
 
Mikas said:
What DAC are we talking about?
The entire case, or just the chip?

What kind of transparency are we looking for?
Usually we can still see transparent stuff...

Michael
Click to expand...
Not just the chip as such, but DACs (entire case) that might have been measured and found to be transparent, i.e., they don't add any audible distortion into the chain.

I thought there may be a list of such DACs, though it appears not.

I'll be needing one soon.
 
maxflinn said:
Not just the chip as such, but DACs (entire case) that might have been measured and found to be transparent, i.e., they don't add any audible distortion into the chain.

I thought there may be a list of such DACs, though it appears not.

I'll be needing one soon.
Click to expand...

You have a problem there.

First, there's still no way of measuring 100% transparency.
Or maybe there is, but it's such a workload that nobody does it.
(we can get the output of a DAC into an ADC and compare the binary ...and that wouldn't be accurate enough, because the ADC is a big variable, it could either correct some time anomalies or the other way around.).

Second, DACs don't (usually) add what we (usually) call of audible distortion. But that doesn't mean they're completely transparent. They're not.

So, good luck with that.
:)

Michael
 
Mikas said:
First, there's still no way of measuring 100% transparency.
Click to expand...

Because nobody can agree on standards for "inaudibility".

You can *test* for transparency - with controlled, double-blind listening tests (no, I didn't say "ABX").

Second, DACs don't (usually) add what we (usually) call of audible distortion. But that doesn't mean they're completely transparent. They're not.
Click to expand...

They all have an analog stage. Manufacturers often "voice" them.
 
The facts are, all dacs are transparent, hence they all sound the same, you pay for looks or the brand. The only way a dac can sound different to another dac depends entirely on the USB cable you chose.
 
adam69 said:
The facts are, all dacs are transparent, hence they all sound the same, you pay for looks or the brand. The only way a dac can sound different to another dac depends entirely on the USB cable you chose.
Click to expand...

Yea, Max, focus on the areas of importance like USB cables & transports - don't waste your time on incidental, unimportant stuff like DACs
 
They aren't truly transparent though - you can see the cut outs.
 
Dog wee deflectors are only needed for first few weeks, the dog develops an appealing for spaciousness sound.

Plus its made out of newspaper. Ecological innit?
 
Mine isn't transparent it has more of a hazy pollution type effect but it is very enjoyable to listen to and I can hear loads more than my Maplins DAC (not). I would hate to have a really transparent one - all that rubbish in the recording process faithfully rendered to my ears distracting from the music.
 
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