How much DAC your system deserves

The DAC question I get most is really a budget question in disguise. People want to know which one; I want to know what it is going into. The answer changes completely with the system around it.

Under $5,000 of total system value, spend $1,000 at most. It is fantastic value, and the rest of your money belongs in better speakers or room treatment. Between $5,000 and $10,000, $1,000 to $2,000 is the sweet spot: a noticeable upgrade and still a reasonable investment.

From $10,000 to $50,000, put about 20% of the value of your front end into the DAC. Now you have a system that can appreciate it, and separates start to make sense. From $100,000 upwards you are in discrete DAC territory, and at that level it comes down to your own preference.

Those tiers come from my own climb, from a $1,000 Eversolo to my MCD12000, with plenty in between. You do not pay for the chip, you pay for the implementation, and system matching is everything. A DAC can only show you what the rest of the chain is able to carry.

If you are about to buy a $5,000 DAC for $5,000 speakers, stop. Ask someone to come to your home and help you rearrange your priorities.