Does a high end DAC sound better then a lower end DAC?

[Dovin]

So currently I'm looking to educate myself a little better on DACs before I start spending money.

 

The products I use is not really the products I intend to buy, more like the products i wish I could buy , but I like to educate myself even if it wont benefit me other than knowledge.

 

I have been reading a lot on audiophile grade headphone equipment lately and I have come across some posts saying a high end DAC wont be much if any better then a lower end DAC. So I'm wondering if anyone could help educate me on the subject.

 

So say I got myself a pair of Sennheiser HD800s and I wanted to get a dedicated DAC and amp. I came across the Burson Conductor, it would cost me £1500 to buy, then I would get a high end DAC/amp/preamp. Then i got thinking, the Conductor is just a Burson Soloist amp/preamp with a DAC built into it and that's only £800. So would it not make sense for me to get a Burson Soloist and use something like a ODAC as a DAC if the difference would be minute. Then I would get a DAC and amp for only £900 and save myself £600.

 

So if that was confusing: Would the DAC part of a Burson Conductor be £600 better than the ODAC? I know there would be a difference, but I want to know if would it be the same as going from a £100 amp to a £700 amp? Would it be night and day or would the ODAC work in this scenario?

 

I'm not really looking for suggestions to amps or DACs that would drive the HD800s better, at this stage it's purely for educational purposes.

 

Thank you for any help educating my stupid ass and if the text is riddled with grammar and spelling errors I'm sorry, English is my second language.

 

Dovin

[MayflowerElectronics]

DAC's generally don't impact the sound a lot. They are more of a tool too input a clean, line level source into your amplifier.

 

No, it would not be night or dac between the ODAC and the Burson product. I would suggest getting the o2/ODAC combo for most setups as diminishing returns occurs on anything above that particular unit.

[Dovin]

 I would suggest getting the o2/ODAC 

 

It's order and payed for about a week ago, or i got the Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2D, but from what i can gather it's the same thing. Going to get a pair of HD650s with it for my first audiophile grade setup, if you can call it that.

 

But thank you for clarifying.

 

 

Dovin

[ShearMe]

Certain high end DACs certainly measure better than certain lower end DACs, but the human ear can rarely hear these minute differences.

[Focux]

Certain high end DACs certainly measure better than certain lower end DACs, but the human ear can rarely hear these minute differences.

What would happen if u put a pair of HD800's onto a Bat's ear?

[ShearMe]

What would happen if u put a pair of HD800's onto a Bat's ear?

 

The bat would continue to act like a bat, and your experiment would yield no data because you don't speak batanese. 

[Focux]

The bat would continue to act like a bat, and your experiment would yield no data because you don't speak batanese.

[t0wer]

the biggest difference to me has been in the power supply, and that's usually only when I turn up my amp.

using my usb dac i get hiss, and some noise if I move my mouse.

my standalone dac using optical gets no hiss or noise at all.

[ShearMe]

the biggest difference to me has been in the power supply, and that's usually only when I turn up my amp.

using my usb dac i get hiss, and some noise if I move my mouse.

my standalone dac using optical gets no hiss or noise at all.

 

Does your DAC have it's own power supply?

[t0wer]

my D4 is usb powered.

and my xindac has it's own integrated power supply.

[ShearMe]

And you get interference on both? Time to upgrade your computer bro.  B)

[t0wer]

no just the D4, and that's only when I turn up my amp far past normal listening levels.

at normal listening volume, I don't hear anything.

 

my xindac is silent at any volume.

[MayflowerElectronics]

It's because USB doesn't have a connected ground. It also depends on which USB port you plug in to. Motherboard USB ports tend to have less interference, but front USB ports are easily susceptible to noise.

[ShearMe]

It's because USB doesn't have a connected ground.

 

USB has a ground pin, and if you're talking about a ground to the device itself, that could cause a ground loop.