Advice on sub $400 DAC (preferably with BT)


So I’m looking for a external DAC to incorporate into my system in order to obtain digital inputs for streaming (both Hi-Res and Sonos) and TV connection via optical. Having built-in Bluetooth would be very nice as well. The Topping D50s at $250 seems like the obvious choice based on the research I’ve done. Having BT 5.0 built-in is awesome and pretty uncommon for this price range or really in general. The D70 with BT is really nice but at $550 it’s more than I want to spend at this time. Are there any other options I should consider at the under $400 range or is the D50s gonna be hard to beat at that price?  Thanks very much. 
indyvw

Showing 2 responses by indyvw

akg, thanks for the rec and I’ll check the Beetle out for sure. 
usery, yes I have WiFi available and I assume you’re probably asking in attempt to segue into network streamer recommendations?  I have considered going that route but the cost of doing a dedicated streamer prevented me from pursuing it. In all fairness though, I haven’t researched many options for streamers. The forum darling Bluesound Node 2i is probably a great solution for many people but unfortunately it just doesn’t fit what I want a DAC to do in my particular setup. However, I am certainly open to other streamer options that may be a better fit. It would just have to include a optical (Toslink) input for TV as well as a Coax input for a Sonos Port, and would need to have BT simply for its convenience factor. If there are streamer options you’re familiar with that check those three boxes plus have a nice DAC and cost less than say $500 I would definitely be interested in checking them out. 
Hey erik, given the price range do you have any other suggestions? BT, because of its convenience, will probably be a requirement regardless of whether it’s built-in or a stand alone like the Audioengine B1. So that’s why the D50s looked appealing. One box, very reasonable price. I could do something like the Schiit Modi and the B1 which would be a little more expensive than the D50s and slightly more inconvenient, but worth considering if the overall sound improvement outweighed those drawbacks. I’m just not sure it would sound better and I have no experience with any stand-alone DACS at this point.