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Brault
Avid Contributor II
May 30, 2013

External DAC with Connect

I am looking to add a DAC to my SONOS - Nak RE1 - KEF Q70 system, and am considering the Schiit Bifrost. My source is a wide range of ALAC, MP3 and AAC material. Any advice, is it worth it? Am I likely to hear the "wider, more detailed, deeper, etc." sound the reviewers write about.
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    IanW
    Avid Contributor I
    January 8, 2015

    There also have been other such offers by other people, and no black swan has turned up.


    You're still arguing that the fact that the test exists, irrespective of whether it's been carried out, has any relevance to the result.

    Why not actually link to the results of properly-conducted DBTs that show no audible difference between amplifiers, cables, etc. rather than saying "if the tests were carried out they would show no difference"? That would be much more interesting.
    Kumar
    January 8, 2015

    Why not actually link to the results of properly-conducted DBTs that show no audible difference between amplifiers, cables, etc. rather than saying "if the tests were carried out they would show no difference"? That would be much more interesting.
    http://www.theaudiocritic.com/back_issues/The_Audio_Critic_24_r.pdf
    Kumar
    January 8, 2015
    There are some that are older than the ones in the link, but I can't find it, sorry. I think it dates back to the late eighties.
    The thing with amplifiers that muddies the waters is clipping. Clipping is distortion of the original signal - but not necessarily unpleasant and for some, a preference. Which is the reason for some people preferring the low powered amps which can clip in a way that is preferred up to the point it gets into the horrible sounding music stage.
    But this preference for clipping coloured music is a personal preference for music based on a signal that has been distorted from the source. By definition, not hi fi.
    For speakers of usual construction, of efficiencies of say 88dB and higher, and with modern amps of say 80-100 wpc, unless head banging sound levels are reached, clipping isn't an audible issue and the DBT conditions will be met. These aren't a narrow ideal range of conditions.
    None of these issues are present for DACs, but I don't know of the same kind of tests done for DACs and my conclusions are based on personal testing of various DACs ranging from prices of GBP 1000 down to ones in iPods. On the other hand I haven't seen any test where a DAC difference has survived in a DBT. Strange, because it is a lot simpler to set up than one for amps. And strange, because it would be a great basis on which to market an audibly better DAC.
    Enough said.
    Longwell
    Lyricist I
    April 17, 2017
    Most people can hear the difference between an Ipod plugged into a Jawbone and a decent audio system.

    You claim there is no difference and it is all marketing.

    Ahh, the ol' reductio ad absurdum chestnut.

    Nobody is suggesting any such thing. You're extrapolating out to the ridiculous.

    There is definitely a difference!
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