2. digital
  3. 166068-159859

Best Bang for your Buck DAC ?

I just realized I’m in the market for a DAC , I don’t want to spend a fortune on a DAC either . I picked up a drangonfly cobalt a while back and am unimpressed  so I moved it to my CPU and sounds really good on my system there which when I bought it figured I would do anyway since it was my first DAC purchase . There are so many DACs I have no clue , how high up on the returns chart can I go at say $1,000 before I run into heavy Diminished returns resistance. I’m open to buying used . I was thinking about a Schitt made in the states ? Anyone’s take on best bang for buck DACs? 
ngiordano

Showing 1 response by nekoaudio

nekoaudio's avatar
nekoaudio
489 posts
 
@ngiordano at your price point I'd recommend the following options in addition to what others have suggested. Some are over $1000 but you may be able to find them below $1000 used. They all sound different from each other, so it will come down to personal preference.

  • Soekris 1421 or 2541 (R2R design)
  • RME ADI-2 (AKM-based, DSP)
  • Prism Sound Callia (CS4398-based)
  • Neko Audio D100 Mk2 (transformer-coupled passive output)
  • miniDSP SHD Studio (AKM-based, DSP + Dirac)
  • Benchmark DAC2 or DAC3 (ESS-based)
The Soekris 2541 has balanced XLR outputs.
More to discover