Can anyone seriously hear the difference between the top 10-20 DACs on ASR? Sure the M400 is measurably a bit superior and a hell lot more expensive but can anyone seriously hear the difference in a blind test?
Hearing what? Noise and distortion? Can't even be heard by most listeners at -90 dB anymore
I personally look at the features of the product and especially want to know how it makes things sound.
Not liking the akm-dac velvel house sound that much - personally interested in the sound signature, tonality differences, how it handles transients etc. between Modius and the Soncoz LA-QXD1 using an ESS chip. The soncoz unit is the alternative here at $ 200.
The differences are surely small. Waiting for comments or reviews from someone with a nice pair of high-end headphones making a comparison
Also the output stage, transformer etc. of the shiit is using higher quality parts?
So is the modius
fully balanced and not supporting asio natively?
Well, to be forthright, the owners of this company are not simply interested in creating products with the highest SINAD. If certain customers create a demand we will fill it. There are people who claim there are audible differences and they are less inclined to believe that the lowest possible distortion is as important. So we make things for them as well.
What we are trying to do now is create products for everyone. Schiit will be producing many more items that satiate your palate. Count on it.
That's cool!
At the end the whole implementation, not just the dac-chip alone and the distortion "makes" the sound.
Don't only go down the road which are smls and topping are doing with their flagship products right now - not only the dacs but also the amps. Cleverly increasing their profits by doing the "battle of distortion & noise", cater for very specific clients looking at measurements only, increasing their profit by doing so.
It's their marketing and advertising plan. Well, at least it has good side effects