Comparison of latest DAC chips

ASR recently did measurements on the Mola Mola Tambaqui and said it was  the best dac he ever tested. Bruno Putzeys chimed in on the comments as well. ASR is a source like any other.

Yeah, I wouldn't pay much attention to ASR.

Audio Science Review is the Julian Hirsch of DACs. They fail to do science and instead bake-in confirmation bias to everything they hear.

I was looking for an inexpensive DAC to extend the life of a Sony X303ES CD Player and the Schiit Modi 3, with its AKM 4490 DAC chip and DC-coupled output, was exactly what I was looking for. I actually like it better than the Peachtree DAC-iTx and Rega DAC-R that I briefly owned. At $99, I consider the Modi 3 a real bargain and an easy recommend.

Check this out 

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-sabaj-d5-dac-a...

https://www.schiit.com/reviews/modi-1

It’s only $99 - worth every penny IMHO.

Try it out - keep it for a second system, it’s a win win. 

I have a Denafrips Ares 2 R2R dac. I really enjoy the music from it. But as said earlier in this thread - Implementation of the chips is more important. How is the total pkg.? 
Does the DAC play well with your other components?
I like that the Ares 2 is a stand alone DAC

Oh, I also have a Node 2i, I use it now just as a streamer.

The best cheaper DAC I’ve heard is the Audio-GD R2R 2 Ladder DAC in NOS mode. I can’t recommend high enough

I don't think the chip is that important. A lot of things around the chip affects the sound and if those part are not done correctly you won't get good sound anyway. 

At some price point the brands tend to start using special chips or technologies but that is when they have fixed everything else. Like dCS and Chord or PS Audio that uses FPGA (a programmable chip).

I heard a Kalista Dreamplay and Dreamplay Stream last weekend and they sounded great. Did not ask what chip it was but it might have been some common chip surrounded by other great parts.

Pure Audio Dac   is this it?
https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/pure-audio-labs

-1 on any Oppo DACs. I found them all bright if not screechy. Definitely one to audition before purchasing.

Get a FPGA based dac and forget about the chips. Software can be updated much easier than replacing or upgrading chips.

I have a Topping DX3 Pro and a Sabaj D5.  I also have other dacs that I built. 

The Topping DX3 Pro is OK but the Sabaj D5 blows it away. The D5, seems to demonstrate the typical ESS characteristics of being very exact and clinical.  I'm not sure that is all bad but it depends on the auxiliary equipment and what you like.  I don't mind.

I have a Classe AMP2 class D amp with B&W 705 S2 speakers and if I play a "harsh" recording, that's what it sounds like. The harshness typically only comes through at high volumes but its definitely there.  When I use a Parasound A23 amp, I don't hear the harshness.

I have an AK4497 based dac and I liked it quite a bit but I expect I would like the AK4499 a bit more. 

Basically, right now, the Sabaj D5 and the Topping D90 are competing, but the Topping cost about 75% more. 

For the price, I believe the Sabaj unit is a heck of a deal and the customer service is great. Also, I have seen no reason to believe that the quality of the Topping units is better than the Sabaj units.  

+1...on the Oppo Sonica, if you can find one.  Excellent DAC.

Oppo sonica or RME ADI-2 DAC. The DAC from RME has a dizzying number of settings and menus as well.

The seller is Underwood HiFi,   https://www.underwoodhifi.com/

I have always hated ESS chips and products in general as I have found them to be too analytical at the high end. However I recently bought a Pure Audio Lotus 5 DAC which has an ESS Sabre 3098Pro Dac and much to my surprise it beat the pants off some highly regarded and reviewed R2R ladder DACs in my all tube system. I have also owned a Topping D50 Dac which made absolutely no difference to the sound. I believe the Pure Audio Dac can be had new online for $1499 with an upmarket power cord but I can't recall the name of the store. It is well worth that price in my OP.

I have tried top tier days such as Ayre QX-5 twenty, Ps Audio Directstream.  Currently using the topping d90 and I'm loving it so much so than the more expensive dacs.  

And consistent with @erik_squires I tried one of those top measuring dacs (matrix x-sabre pro) and it was in my bottom tier.

I'd pay more attention to common reviewer impressions of a particular piece than the underlying chipset.

If I were deciding (and I did recently do a dac shootout, see my systems page), I'd just decide what particular characteristics I'm trying to get in my system (e.g., accuracy, clarity, tonality, holographic soundstage, dynamics, neutrality, warmth, speed, etc) and then read as many reviews/impressions as possible and see what dacs tend to elicit your keywords from listeners. 

Outside of home demos, I find that the most effective decision method.

The entire system matters. Power supply, input circuits, USB isolation and output stage design all matter.

I have a Topping DX3 and quite frankly it is just OK despite being the darling of ASR. I mean there’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s also not something I’d suggest you would find worth the spend. I like the Mytek a lot better and I have no idea what is in it.

Prior generations I seemed to favor Burr Brown DACs, but ages and ages ago.