A DAC (digital-to-analog converter) is the chip that does the reverse of an ADC: it reconstructs a smooth, continuous analog waveform from the stream of PCM samples so it can drive headphones or a speaker. It doesn't just connect the dots — a reconstruction (anti-imaging) filter interpolates between samples to recreate the original band-limited signal. That interpolation is exactly why the true peak of the analog output can rise higher than the loudest stored sample, the inter-sample peak problem that dBTP metering exists to catch. A DAC's clock jitter, linearity, and output stage shape the final sound, making it as decisive for playback quality as the ADC is for capture.
