I imagine the DAC would be built-in to the headphones, not the cord. And I'm sure some models will still offer cords that detach at both ends. Also, realize th

I imagine the DAC would be built-in to the headphones, not the cord. And I'm sure some models will still offer cords that detach at both ends. Also, realize that no normal consumer is resoldering pins. You are in the extreme minority. And there seems to be plenty of repair shops that can fix high-end digital components (e.g. iPhones).