DACs 101: Introduction to DACs and DAC Buyer's Guide.
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- What is a DAC? Do you need one? What makes one DAC better than another? How much do I need to spend?
All these questions and more are answered in this first installment of Seltzertronics University!
Check out Seltzertronics on Instagram: / seltzertronics
Sir, I just turned 80, started listening to music at age 15 (1955 - Rock n' Roll era) I learnt more in 31 minutes 29 seconds on your video, than for the rest of my life - you explained complex electronics in simple easy to understand terms - so informative - thank you - music is a passion, it's drugs, always wanting for more *
Hell yeah roge. look up the band archspire. they are heavy. bang your head to it.
@@David-rj1ru thank you Sir - i'm gona' check them out
So glad you enjoyed it!
Rogelio Gamboa
i Started with a German 1950 ish realtape, replaced that for a Sony Digital Beta machine.
your are right on! Like you I'm 80, but I started playing and listening music when I was 9 year old.
I was totally blown away by the cogent yet simple and straight forward explanations you presented in this video.
Well done sir. Well done!
Agreed!
Thank you!
YXclaim Agency LLC ir
Yes good explanation and objective view it seems ....but the comment on shiit gear ruined it at least for me.
but him being against measurements is ignorant. imagine buying 1kg rice in the market without it being measured, that's sounds absurd in this day and age. every other thing in the world which is bought is measured to ensure fair play. being against measurements is so ignorant.
This is the best Explanation of a dac or any other audio component that I ever heard of period and I've heard/seen quite a few videos🤪🤗😉
I AGREE
I couldn't agree more!! This video really says it ALL about DACs! 👌👌👌🏆
His opening couple minutes might just explain why vinyl has never gone away
Same here. I've been using a computer as a music source for some time, but have recently been giving more serious thought to the digital side instead of just plugging cables and letting it just happen.
@@henrylee1214 Smart move man! 👌👌🎵
Imagine how much more well-educated everyone would be if things were explained as well as DACs are in this video. Amazing job here man.
I have been an enthusiast of hi-fi audio for nearly 30 years. You, sir, within the span of just over 30 minutes, have greatly enhanced my appreciation of this hobby through your very educational and well-presented video. I thank you!
That was genuinely one of the most useful, informative and well presented videos I have seen in ages, thank you so much for this!
The examples given were so good. I don't think I've heard anyone explain something this passionately and thoroughly before.
Hard not to appreciate the detailed and crystal clear of knowledge of this fine man.
Thank you Sir.
Your diagram of Poor DAC/Good DAC to explain the differences of what you hear from one DAC vs. another is perfect!
Man I felt like I was listening to a Professor. Everything was explained really well. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
This explanations are what every guide should have. Understandable and giving more in-depth knowledge on why better tech is actually better. great work!
brilliantly straightforward, informative, understandable and not patronizing - thank you
This man deserves a medal... perfect balance between detail, explanation and myth busting
Blown away! You just made a friend for life! Like almost everybody else in the stream, I am overwhelmed by the clarity of your explanation. I also am “old“ at 63 years, and never until just now understood what a digital music file was, or what a DAC is. Thank you so much! Can’t wait to listen to you teach further over time!
And I love your mathematical equation for “force“ on your T-shirt! May the force always be with you, as well!
This is easily the best explanation of digital music and DAC mechanics that I have ever seen. Amazing.
I'm not reading any of the comments before I make one of my own. First of all, excellent presentation and explanation of the workings of a DAC. My DAC recommendation is the FiiO KA3, which is a 32bit/768kHz DSD512 DAC at just around 90 bucks. Yeah, you heard me correct! Look on Amazon.
Just to prove your point even further about people who think a DAC is just a DAC at 5 or 10 dollars, they don't have a friggin clue! Take a look at the product comparison sheet on a Dune Ultra and a Dune Max Vision 4K player. One cost $1450 and the other cost $630. They are exactly the same and both have all the same features except for the chassis. The one thing that is different is the DAC. The DAC in the Ultra is the ES9038PRO, costing almost a grand more than the Max, HELLO! I believe this is the same DAC in the OPPO 205, if I'm not mistaken. You know what the 205 sells for on eBay? Thanks for the upload and I seldom subscribe but you have a worthy channel. Keep up the great work.
Simply put ... this is probably the best introduction to DACs I have encountered. Couldn't stop watching until it was over - and you did it for the most part by simply speaking into a camera. However, your few graphics were excellent, well selected, and much appreciated!
I can now rest content at being a simple, but happy, audio peasant! 😊
Brilliant and thank you!
Excellent explanation in the first 3 minutes.
Edit: I stand corrected. This is 30 minutes of an incredibly high quality overview of DACs. In the last half hour I learned an immense amount that cleared up a bunch of questions I had. Thank you.
I am sure you have better things to do, but honestly in all the time I have in this hobby I haven't hear a better explanation of digital music and DACs. You are truly and excellent communicator. Please publish more!
Like some of the other guys who left you a comment, I’m an older audiophile and committed analoguist (source is a Linn Sondek and will remain so). That said, I am astounded that your guide isn’t up in the 000,000 of hits. A remarkable piece of work which you should be really proud of. The ‘whole DAC thing’ explained in 30 mins. Cogent, concise and thoroughly enjoyable. You should be getting more hits than the ‘Big Guys’ (we know who they are!) Thanks again
This comment section is one of the most wholesome sections on youtube!!I'm new to this industry/hobby and want to get into music production and am pretty young.This vid definitely is more informative than any other video on the same subject.Thank you for the video!
My half hour well spent. Thanks for the detailed "introduction"!
Introduction, my ass. I’m completely worn out by this fantastic dive into DACs!
Wow,what a great lesson. As an engineer of electronics, all of the theory was already known to me. But considering a DAC a musical instrument opened a totally new way of looking at DACs. Thanks so much for this great video!
thank you for "DACs don't convert music, they make music." I've been trying to understand the differences between DACs in reviews and in white-papers and this really helps me to make that leap.
This was a great video! LOVED the part at the end with the chart and description of how much each category of audio enthusiast spends on equipment…absolute GOLD!!!!
Great vid, man! Thanks for taking the time to make it. It took some of the guesswork out of DAC’s for an older strictly analog / vinyl guy such as myself who’s looking to get into the world of DAC’s.
Again, much thanks!
I totally love your presentation on DAC .You are the first to lay it out so so clearly.Good job
I spent an hour and a half trying to scour the internet for information you were able to give me in a half hour, not to mention you are so much better at explaining everything.
Most articulate presentation I’ve ever heard. Have to watch it again when not tanked up on New Year’s Day
Amazingly lucid, informative and even poetic explanation. A stunning bit of education for what can be turgid and unfathomable. Thank you!
Thank you sir!!! You just answered my questions on DAC's that has been racking my brain for probably the last 2 -3 years now. I have Dynaudio studio monitors for my PC and trying to find the right DAC that will get me the best sound I can afford. Best 31 minutes I have came across in a very long time!!
I finally feel that I understand what a DAC is about. You speak in plain English and have opened doors into an audiophile culture that I’ve sometimes found difficult and opaque to penetrate. Many thanks for this video!
You Sir are a fantastic teacher. Full of passion and enthusiasm and of course, very knowledgable of your subject. You made a complicated subject (for me) very easy to understand. Thank you.
After buying my first dac and not really knowing what to expect it to do for my modest system your description of how a dac adds to the audio experience was spot on Thanks for such a comprehensive explanation of dacs and what they do. Dan K
Great video, thanks for taking the time and resources on this. I love your humor and explanation on the Diminishing Marginal Utility chart.
OMG you have such a sense of humor! Thank you and I sure have learned so much from this video. Keep up the good work!
Friend,...all I can say is well done! I've been an electronic tech for 35 years. A great deal of what you were sharing took me back to my early training days. I do not remember it being this much fun and engaging to listen to. I was waiting for you to drop Mr. Nyquist' name. My point is that you held my attention and your delivery was first rate.
This video is the most technical dac explanation that i have ever come across.
Well done on a entertaining video.
Do an amp video just like this! Love it!
I didn't even felt half an hour go past, loved how extremely interesting and extremely complicated information was so simply explained.
Thanks so much! I appreciated the thorough quantum-to-macro progression of the video. You have a detailed yet approachable style of explanation, which I love.
Best explanation of a DAC I have seen. I am new to them, so this helps tremendously. I liken this to a good phono stage now... thanks!!
Thank you so much!
Best description about what an DAC do i ever heard!
even an amateur can now understand how important a good DAC is.
only six minutes in and i’ve clocked in thirty minutes on this video. this video goes way beyond any beneficial information i’ve received for music and i can’t thank you enough for your way of concentration information in such a methodical sense. thank you very much!
This was absolutely the most informative and we'll thought out videos about dacs I've ever seen. Great video bro
I almost made the mistake of not clicking on this video thinking “Oh no, not another intro to dacs video!” This is now, in my mind, required viewing for anyone who wants to have a good understanding of how to approach the sticky, myth-inducing business of digital music in the hifi arena. Simply explained, perfect amount of technical detail, and never “dumbed down”. Bravo!
Very well done explanation. Something I was looking for for a while.
Man, I have been researching DACs for a week now [completely new to this] and must commend you on a GREAT presentation!
Trully enjoyed your presentation.
I have been buying and modifying dacs massively for the last few years.
Luckily I know an audiophile engineer and mechanic who doesn't mind my craze
You have done a amazing presentation. Well narrated , great command of language and took DAC to pieces and explained it in very simple terms. You should do more videos on all in one streamer DAC vs separate DAC /Separate streamer. Lot of times one reads a lot about theoretical calculation which really does nothing much to inaudible details. I agree, if you are into hifi and looking for minute details, then investing in a good DAC will tremendously improve the sonic quality.
It’s cool seeing how different people can envision soundstage and gain in different parts of a song. For me it’s almost like an overhead circle, or a lissajous pattern on an oscillator, with a parametric EQ representing where the sound sits. It’s not perfectly accurate obviously but it really helps when trying to mix and master!
This was excellent! Great analogies, and just perfect explanation. I now feel somewhat informed about how a DAC will benefit me in future audiophile endeavors. Thanks!
Wow. I’m so glad I saved my vinyl records from the 70’s - 80’s. Thanks for breaking it down for first timers about DACs.
I appreciate this clear explanation. I inherited and am using a nice pair of JBL L88 2 way speakers given me after my dad passed away. I remember when he bought them new in 1972 and he explained then why he didn't pay more for the L100 3 ways. "After living next to the flight line on a B-29 base (when he was in the war) I honestly couldn't hear the difference". All things are relative.
Simple, concise and much like a good quality DAC your video captured all of the essential information and presented it in a format that was pleasing to my ear, you instantly earned a new subscriber. Keep up the good work!!!
this is exactly what I was looking for thank you! Been messing trying so many DAC's for my LCD-X's now I know what to look for
Fantastic piece of guide/manual on DACs! Complicated science made simple to understand! Wow! Thanks a ton for making such a video.
I enjoyed watching this. You are good at explaining in depth info most people don’t think about. I have a couple DAC’s. Aune t1 mk2 usb tube dac and schiit modi 3 with headphone amp. I own Klipsch La scalas and Cornscala’s. I went through many many components to get my la scalas to sing like my fathers until my dac purchase. Best component I feel I have bought to improve quality. You got a thumbs up from this guy. I look forward to more of your videos.
This is what UA-cam is about. I leaned a lot today. Thank you !
Your approach of teaching is amazing. Everything in a nutshell. WOW 😳
Phenomenal teacher, thank you for being so comprehensive with your explanations
A lot of what you explain here reminds me of the Circle of Confusion (CoC) in optics. The better the DAC the tighter, sharper and more detailed the sound quality. The fuzzy area CoC around the pin point sound is bigger on a bad DAC. It's a good way to explain the concept.
This is THE BEST explanation of DAC's ever. Almost like good music---I couldn't turn if off!
You’re visualizations are spot on ….for me anyway. It’s like you’re speaking for me but articulating it in a way I can’t. Thanks for this.
Loved the video. Thanks for an informative, entertaining and funny (towards the end!) thirty minutes.
Thank you so much for your help - finally - I am now ready to make my own DAC purchase journey
I am a recently retired (resigned in protest) Associate Prof. of English Communication (Jissen Women's College, Tokyo, Japan) ... with an undergrad in biology, graduate degree in linguistics, and lots of reading in philosophy of science, math, and language (Kuhn, Popper, etc.). Just wanted to throw out that introduction to justify my weighing in with others here. Your explanation is thought out and expressed in rare clarity and awareness of the audience. To their detriment, institutions in this publish-or-perish era of STEM specialization do not usually nurture or appreciate your kind of skill. Though I am closer to an amateur jazz guitarist than a 'true audiophile', upvoted, subscribed, and notifications turned on, with gusto! Cheers from Japan! - steve
Subscribed! What a way to teach and mostly learn by this side of the screen …👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Beautiful lucid discussion of some pretty arcane stuff, well done!
I personally think yours is the best explanation of what a DAC is as a whole and how it works that I have ever heard. I have referenced your video in dozens of online conversations where people want to learn what a DAC is. Bravo!
Additionally, have you created a video discerning the differences of delta-sigma, resistor ladder, and FPGA DACs and how they convert digital data to a wave form? With the resurgence of r2r DACs this question comes up again and again in forums. Keep up the good work!
Amazing video, simply amazing. I salute you. This is perhaps the most informational video concerning audio I’ve ever experienced.
Very informative for anybody who needs to understand the concept and function of a DAC, like me. This video explained so much. Thanks.
First class explanation, really helped me appreciate what a complex process the DAC performs, step by step. It was very helpful to explain the ’rounding’ that takes place in the analogue to digital processing as this helped me complete the jigsaw puzzle of what the DAC is doing. I totally agree that not all violins have the same qualities, and of course that applies to the wood being used as well 😊. A big thank you from me.
If you "zoom in" far enough, everything is discrete and quantifiable to a certain point when it comes to electrical signals.
The amount of electrons passing through "analog" components can be quantized resulting in quantification noise, same goes for the molecules of PVC inside the grooves of "analog" vinyl.
It applies to many . The zooming increases as technology evolves. Infinity will be the answer.
I honestly couldn't imagine the topic being handled in a more accessible and comprehensive way -- absolute hat off to you for this video, that was engaging as it comes. I noticed you haven't uploaded in a while so I hope that doesn't mark the end of the channel. Either way, thanks and all the best!
What a great presentation! Thanks much for enhancing my knowledge
18.00 is an exercise I learnt from you. Best way to visualise and judge audio and also preserve memory of how things sounded. Very useful when comparing two sources.
Thank you my friend. Your drawings and pictures really helped me to understand something that it is so intangible and ineffable. Good Job!
Absolutely the best explanation of DAC's and other Hifi issues....
30 very entertaining & educational minutes. Brilliantly explained. Thank you.
I am looking for a DAC to upgrade my hifi system. Thank you for your clear and easy to explain the subject and a great way helping me to decide what kind of DAC to look for.
This is a superb, clear explanation of the processes involved. Should be "required viewing" for everyone involved/interested in audio. Thank you.
Thought it was cool that you reference with Random Access Memories. I’m a sound engineer and it’s my go-to reference when tuning a PA system or mixing in the studio. One of the best sounding pop albums ever made in my opinion.
Great video with great wise advice - and you're a natural talented communicator! Congratulations - subscribed!
Your presentation make simple to understand the technical aspects of conversion from digital to anlogue, also the topology flow of DAC. Also the performance against pricing chart make good sense for me. Thank you.
Great job. Well done, sir. You explained that very very well. My wife listened beside me and understood it all. Bravo!!
Thank you for such an incredible explanation. Definitely subbed!
Nice job describing how digital audio works and how.a DAC works. Very good use of simple visuals and you are quite the master of adjectives! I frequently find myself making the same arguments to others regarding a DAC consisting of much more than just the conversion chip! I really enjoyed your video and will direct others to it as a reference so I can save my own breath! Cheers!
I must agree with all the gushing comments on your very skillful ability to explain a very complex topic in a clear and understandable manner, you really have a gift. They should use you as a model of how to be a good teacher in college. I subscribed because I love to learn about how things work in just about every category imaginable, I have a feeling you have many more interesting videos that I now can't wait to explore. Extremely well done sir, keep doing what you do best.
wow... I finally understood what a DAC is. I have listened to 100 of youtube vids but found them too complex as those people talked in 0s and 1s. Finally stumbled on this vid that perfectly explains what a DAC is in understandable English. Thanks so much.
Great explanation, I sat through it all! 😄. So right in your description of the levels of music listeners!
Excellent vid. Structured format & multi media presentation worked well for the topic.
Wow thanks a lot! Great guide for us. Have a lot now to think about. Thank you again for your deep guide to DACs. Great job.
Congrats for the knowledge poured in such a colloquial way!
Your video's are a joy to watch and very interesting. Thank you!
Just came across this video and I just want to say thank you. Very well explained
This was such an amazing explanation, thank you for putting this together! Really helping me out as I get started in this hobby. So far have an ifi hip dac, and beyer dt770 250ohm as my portable/entry setup. Probably gonna get a desktop setup soon
Well I didn’t expect to learn about bit rates and digital music this morning, I’m kinda excited about it, it’s been 20 years of listening to all kinds of total crap and the finest of music on computers and cd’s, and also tape and radio, and I never knew or cared how good or bad, as long as it sounded good, so this is awesome!
Beautiful presentation. Many thanks for your efforts. Tremendous gift that you should share such knowledge and eloquence. Appreciated!
Yay, music and calculus and Snes and astronomy. Great breakdown.
A very very good explanation of what the DAC is doing. of course everyone can easily understand that it converts a digital to analogue signal, but what it really means only is clear because of your superb example with the circle!!!