dacs that I have had in my system - a listing

I honestly don’t think speaker choice is the most important thing here although using the very transparent Maggies seems to be a very good choice. In these comparisons the most interesting info to me are the relative differences between the DACs rather than the absolute strengths that may shine in one speaker type or another, and I think that this was born out when @jjss49 intermittently introduced other very different speakers and the relative differences still prevailed and were largely speaker agnostic. This is what makes this thread and feedback so powerful — you can reasonably expect the same relative strengths in your system between DACs regardless of your speakers or even your system. Very valuable stuff indeed!

Yep! I think all the questions show interest and great admiration of someone truly having a passion for self-learning and validation in ones own system(s) versus taking anyone’s word for it. Just gotta love it. If you can do it, it’s the only way to go.

The rest of us tag along trying to leverage this information and experience in different ways to learn vicariously through @jjss49, with great appreciation!

@jjss49 Thanks for the clarification. It seems that the Maggies were good for determining differences between the Dacs and also transferable to other speakers.

I did not really understand what sound you were looking for to select a DAC. Many DACs you tried were of the same design.

when i started out in jan 2020, i wanted to see what streaming was about, get it working, see how good it might sound

my existing references were my analog rig and my cd players, which were/are modwright modded sony es and marantz units with dan’s 5687 tube output stage and 5ar4 tube rectifier (quite high sonic standard, in my view)

like many, i went with the bluesound node first with its nice user interface, but the onboard dac sounded lifeless, so i read and watched yt vids re ’good’ dacs under or around a grand, and made a list of candidates - so this was a semi random walk at that point, surveying the field... chord 2qute, mhdt, ayre codex, pontus, rme adi2, lil schiits and so on -- these pretty much all sounded much better than the node dac... but quite noticeably different from each other, with sonic strengths and weaknesses

going through those, i was well on the horse so to speak, curiosity intensified, so started going to more expensive ones, either well reviewed or discussed, and so up the lines for chord, denafrips, metrum, schiit etc etc to understand the progressions as well as some other ’hot’ dacs (audio mirror, musical paradise....)

by 2022 i had heard some very expensive ones and several purported giant killers (by and large NOT, for those with well assembled, resolving systems) and i was getting a good appreciation of what going to $3-4-5-6 grand units got you sonically, buildwise, feature wise

i learned that in the modern dac world, there are clearly two sonic camps (clean crisp clear vs smooth and sweet ... with some in middle ground), somewhat analogous to the age old prototypical ’solid state vs tube’ sensibilities, but interestingly, each camp could handle imaging, prat, transient resolution and micro detail quite differently (for example an mhdt orchid with a better tube in it was much better than a border patrol at micro detail and transient resolution, even though both are in the ’smooth/sweet’ camp)

by middle of last year, i had settled on my top tier, the weiss, chord stack and msb analog as keepers, and beyond that, i have just continued playing with/trying less costly newcomers that are highly touted (gustard r26, denafrips revisions, musetec, eversolo and so on) as ’high value/giant killer’ units, just to hear for myself how good they are, and how close to my top tier they come

If I may ask, and not that it was necessary nor do I know of your past setups, by chance were any high efficiency 100db horn type speakers with low watt tube amps used around the time you were testing these dacs?

@decooney i did not... long long story with my efforts over the decades trying to find a high efficiency speaker i can truly live with long term ...but despite my efforts, i continue to strike out after so so many at bats... just too much transducer distortion for my ears in some form, in each case

but hope springs eternal, i still keep my pair of wavelength cardinals and a cary 300b sei around, in case lightning strikes!! 😆🤣

One dac to mention for the $, value, and somewhat in the neutral-clarity camp is the new Schiit Bifrost 2/64, R2R chip (non-tube) with non-oversampling / MegaComboBurrito filter switch. Internally runs two Texas Instruments dac processors chips.

As mentioned prior, myself@decooney @wolf_garcia @hilde45 and maybe a few others here owning one and enjoying it. I selected the BF 2/64 dac between my upgraded MHDT Orchid and the new build of my BorderPatrol SE-I, and super glad I tried it. I still have it for now as a reference dac to rotate back to compare.

There are few folks out there on Head-Fi, SBAF, and other camps who like it more than Gungir and the venerable Yggy. The owner of Schiit replaced Yggy with it, for his personal desktop use. Also, has the new Unison USB setup in it too, if you like USB. I lot of value packed in one USA made unit.

If you like a bit more sound stage, openness, separation of instruments, appreciate a bit more detail, even in NOS filter mode, I like it better than my MHDT Orchid, no matter which tube I ran in Orchid (because I run an all-tube system).  With all solid state, I might prefer the Orchid, hard to say. To me, the new Schiit BF 2/64 is  more true to the sound.The switchable MCB filter mode gives mild bass boost and upper frequency boost in my system - for whatever reason.  While I prefer NOS mode, some with less sensitive speakers or laid back system might like MCB filter mode more.

For the price, its a real contender imo. A return policy too if you don’t like it. Worth a look too, fwiw.

@jjss49 

Thanks for the overview of your testing Odyssey. I must admit to a much shorter list, but similar conclusion. 

@jjss49 decooney i did not... long long story with my efforts over the decades trying to find a high efficiency speaker i can truly live with long term ...but despite my efforts, i continue to strike out after so so many at bats... just too much transducer distortion for my ears in some form, in each case.

If you have not tried it yet, the new (redesigned) Klipsch Cornwall IV is known to be a bit of a microscope for noticing differences in component changes. Paired with a nice 300B amp like yours, could be kinda fun. I helped a few friends design/build cabinets for three pairs of revealing Altec Onken replicas, too big for my place. But, would be nice to try some Cornwall IVs. I can imagine they could reveal differences in dac testing and sound nice too. Checking with my local dealer to go listen, I’m interested in hearing the midrange they offer. A big fan of the old style...wall of sound for amp and dac testing... :) 

@decooney If you like the Bifrost 2/64 so much, why are you selling it?

"I still have it for now as a reference dac to rotate back to compare."

@vinylvalet Was not to be my primary dac long term, already had something in the works, and it caught me off guard. I have a 2nd system I was thinking of putting together and thought I’d use it there - making any reasons to try and keep it..., unfortunately that’s not going to happen. Need to part wtih it and some other gear for other unplanned expenditures that just came up at home. Gonna end up likely selling my other beloved 50w Class A SS amp too, and a bunch of other stuff having to let go of. House rules here, no extra-extra spares lying around - argh. No extra speakers or parts left, all other cables gone now too. Limited storage and any overlap or duplication eventually has to go here. I’m certain I’ll regret selling both and wish I had it back later.Weeks back I recently picked up a new custom built Border Patrol SE-I, and wanted to also try that for a different configuration in my main system I use, covering costs for that too. Would absolutely love to keep it around that’s for sure. Can’t have it all I guess, had to list it - bleh, waaaahhh, not allowed to be spoiled here.For the $, that BF 2/64 is something I know I’m absolutely going to regret parting with, oh well. It’s a neat dac though. Thanks for asking.

Thanks. Great price on that other site for anyone looking for one.

Great list! Legit proof (needed by some out there) that all dacs are not created equal. I’m interested in knowing more about your comment above-

“dacs are set up in a/b and even a/b/c configuration, easily switchable to allow comparison when needed”

Can you share more on how your going about that and how you avoid any additional tonal coloration or distortion in the approach?
In my system I can switch between four dacs at a time from a single source with no noticeable affects (once level matched)- just curious about your approach.

@designsfx ,

- All DACs sound the same to guys with incapable speakers, compromised speaker/listener positioning and a lack of room treatments.

- Above a certain price point, DACs get into the intricacies of soundstage depth, layering and spatial nuance, which in turn, adds to its perceived detail retrieving capability.

- Guys with the above mentioned deficiencies won't hear much of a difference.

IME, well designed/higher end concentric driver designs (if placed optimally in a treated room) are more conducive to this level of detail perception. Other types of designs have been a hit/miss. 

@deep_333 

And you’re explaining this to me because?

@designsfx , A lotta dudes legit shouldn’t/can’t hear a flippin difference in dacs because of deficiencies in designs/setups in spite of the "high end" they apparently bought (your comment appeared to indicate otherwise).

@jjss49 Would you mind commenting on the differences between two units still in your possession, the Weiss DAC501-4ch and the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 / M Scaler combo that are in the same price range?

Your thread is so valuable to us with limited experience of the various DACs on the market. And you have that experience!

I guess since I'm in the market to replace my Chord Qutest after 5-happy years of ownership I'd be curious what are your fav $1500 to $3200 DACs might be.

In the past 3 years I also did a mini-me version of @jjss49 DAC testing (at home for long period) with the following DACs:

• Benchmark DAC3B
• Musetec 005
• Gustard X26 Pro
• Audio Mirror Tubador 3 SE
• Lumin X1
• Schitt Yggi+ Less is More
• Matrix Audio Mini i-3 Pro
• Krell K-300i integrated with internal DAC
• "DAC" in modded Peachtree GAN1
• Topping D90LE (and D90SE)

I also used a Sonore OpticalRendu for streaming to USB via fibre.

The only DACs I have left are the Yggi+, modded Peachtree GAN1, and the Benchmark DAC3B. I plan on ’upgrading’ the DAC3B with a PlayBack Designs Dream DAC relatively soon.

The 2 best DACs I have had are the Yggi+ Less is More and the modded GAN1. The Lumin X1 is also up there but I liked the Yggi+ better and it cost a ton less. The GAN1 is not really a DAC but the end result is pretty amazing, The stock version is not comparable to the modded one I have.

OP 

You could make a DAC review channel with short videos. Many people don't need to buy a new DAC every 6 months and just watch your videos.  Alex/Wavetouch

Would you mind commenting on the differences between two units still in your possession, the Weiss DAC501-4ch and the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 / M Scaler combo that are in the same price range?

tonally, the scaler/hugo tt2 sounds very very similar to the weiss, they both have extended airy detailed treble, a nicely saturated, well textured midrange, true tone/timbre, and powerful quick deep tuneful bass

in terms of imaging, the scaler/tt2 has similar image density and width but slightly greater depth (in terms of depth of stage think of the weiss as an ’8’ and the chord stack as a ’9/10’ -- both delineate instruments quite precisely -- on excellent recordings, one can hear the treble of the chord stack has a touch more sheen, silkiness, more ambiance decay, whereas the weiss is a little more matter-of-fact

the sonic differences are quite slight between the two... i would think most would judge them as pretty much identical

this said, each has certain tricks up their respective sleeves... weiss has numerous useful eq and importantly, a brilliantly easy to use room bass mode adjustment (quite transformative of sound in some situations) and the tt2 has 4 filter settings to dial down the treble if one desires, and of course, the scaler can be used separately to upsample into other dacs too if ever desired

sidebar: i have come to firmly believe that upsampling really helps dacs do good filtering and analog signal reconstruction, and this helps dacs sound more natural and manage sibilance

I guess since I’m in the market to replace my Chord Qutest after 5-happy years of ownership I’d be curious what are your fav $1500 to $3200 DACs might be.

if you have been a very happy qutest user, i would heartily suggest moving up to a hugo tt2 -- they are in the $3500 used range now...tt2 preserves all the strengths of the qutest but adds even greater subtlety and saturation to the sonic palette -- otherwise, you can write more about your system, what sonic presentation and features you prefer and i can share additional thoughts

You could make a DAC review channel with short videos. Many people don’t need to buy a new DAC every 6 months and just watch your videos. Alex/Wavetouch

haha, not really interested, i am somewhat camera shy 😂🤣 , not to mention i am rather turned off by the yt click-bait game -- what i am is a loyal, longtime a-gon member, been here from the start, learned so much here over the years from other dedicated audiophiles who generously shared their experiences and learnings (especially re analog), so at this point, i am happy to pay it back now to others, feel zero need to monetize my opinions/experience

otherwise, you can write more about your system, what sonic presentation and features you prefer and i can share additional thoughts

My digital system is a Jay's Audio CDT2 MK3 Transport, a SoTM SMS200 Ultra network streamer with SMP500 power supply, The Chord Qutest with Sbooster power supply, a Naim Supernait 3 integrated and Harbeth P3ESR speakers.

I really like the sound stage depth and the separation between instruments the Qutest provides. As for what I want to get from something else is really more of the same with a sense of ease and realism.

I stick with gear i like a long time. Every few years I like to try something new, something different to see if "better" is out there.

On my list of possible replacements for the Qutest is Holo Audio Spring3 KTE, the Weiss DAC 204, Denefrips Pontus II, and maybe Gustard R26. I'm interested in R2R because I've not heard one,  The Spring and the Weiss are at the top of my list.

For a long time I was only looking for a used Hugo TT2 - but I kind of feel like I've been there and done that. So, I'm looking at something different than the Qutest.

@jjss49 Thank you.

Only had a few dacs. Presently running a vintage Audio By Van Alstine Insight Multibit dac from 2008, A Schiit Modius AKM4493, Schiit Modi 2 Uber, and an original ifi Zen Dac Signature. IME all are very good dacs for the money.

One of the best sounding dacs I have heard was an Anodyne Adapt hybrid from the early 1990’s using Burr Brown chips. Not inexpensive at the time (about $2500 - nearly $6000 US in the present day), but very impressive. Sorry I ever sold it.

@jjss49   I wonder if your final 3 would have changed if did not have a preference for a volume control?

As many have said this report its a valuable contribution to the overall community.

I wonder if your final 3 would have changed if did not have a preference for a volume control?

this is a fair question, which deserves a thoughtful answer... this and the earlier question about ’best bang for buck’ dacs... i am in a busy stretch with summer family/visitors events next several days, i will try to provide proper replies sometime next week

I really like the sound stage depth and the separation between instruments the Qutest provides. As for what I want to get from something else is really more of the same with a sense of ease and realism

if you really mean what you wrote here the hugo tt2 will certainly meet your criteria -- but i sense you want to travel a little farther afield from chord, which is fine, all part of the experience/journey -- i would only say that once you get used to what the qutest/tt2 brings sonically, many (if not a majority of) other dacs may sound a little slow, a bit closed in, a little muddled and slurred -- in some cases cabling or cleaning up the front end feed may 'close that gap'

On my list of possible replacements for the Qutest is Holo Audio Spring3 KTE, the Weiss DAC 204, Denefrips Pontus II, and maybe Gustard R26. I'm interested in R2R because I've not heard one,  The Spring and the Weiss are at the top of my list.

just quick comment on the above statement, which i had missed earlier

the weiss units are not r2r topology - they are based on the ess sabre delta-sigma dac chips

I am also interested in getting your opinions on what are the best value Dacs among the ones you have tried.  And also, whether you think it is a good idea to bundle the streamer with the Dac these days so that the number of boxes can be fewer.  Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge!

let me come back and tackle some important queries posed...

I wonder if your final 3 would have changed if did not have a preference for a volume control?

for fixed output dacs, i would put a few i have had in the same sonic league (or very close) as my favorite three already covered, i could easily live with any of these sonically - i will make a few comments on the sonics of each

-- audio note kits dac 4.1 -- for a tube dac, very saturated and surprisingly spotlit sound, rather forward treble and excellent drive, to go along with terrific imaging... did note just a touch of sibilance and splashiness, but this likely cured with carefully tube rolling

-- mojo mystique v3 -- very sweet, delicate, analog sounding unit, maybe a touch lacking in drive and the last degree of inner detail -- i feel my msb analog dac has a very similar highly musical presentation but with somewhat superior imaging and drive

-- metrum pavane/adagio -- in my view, still cees ruitjenberg’s best efforts (including his later sonnet morpheus, which i did not like) -- utterly smooth rich yet detailed incisive sound, saturated and tonally accurate but plenty of drive when called for

-- bricasti m1 mdx as mentioned earlier (sonically a weiss clone to my ears)

I am also interested in getting your opinions on what are the best value Dacs among the ones you have tried.

in their respective price ranges, i would nominate the following

-- denafrips pontus/venus -- rich midband and midbass, coupled with a vast layered soundstage... very hard to beat in the $1500-low 2’s (be sure to listen in oversampling mode) -- pontus has just a fine grain thru with the upper mids/lower treble that the venus smooths out

-- mhdt tube buffered dacs (ideally with upgraded tube and output caps) -- sweet rich yet sufficiently insightful sound, very analog tonality but with pretty good drive -- hard to beat in the $1000-1500 range -- definitely in the sweeter smoother school and great for systems with klipsches tektons focals b&w’s i think -- walks you back from the bleeding raspy edge

-- chord qutest -- yang to the mhdt’s yin under $1500-- open detailed fast simply holographic, maybe a touch lean but will breathe life and insight into many systems (harbeths, vandys and so on)

-- gustard r26 -- so impressed with this $1500 streamer/r2r dac -- sounds like a good schiit yggy (lively detailed top, but sweet warm mids, great tone) with a roon ready streamer to boot (wow!) -- since i started this quest i considered gustard/matrix/smsl as lowest common denominator guangdong swill, but this one really surprised me with its really excellent sound and full feature set

-- the cambridge cxn v2 with modwright tube output mods -- $2000-2500 unit with full streamer preamp and oversampling dac using real deal modwright 6dj8 tube output stage (not just a tube buffer) -- tremendous sound (think of it as an audio note 4.1 lite) and full feature set -- dan wright’s tube designs have always sounded so right to me (awful pun, i know 😂)

-- finally, for an older/used dac, i would heartily recommend the musical fidelity trivista 21 -- wonderful sound, tube goodness with sweetness with insightfulness up top and excellent drive and bass foundation -- these are seen used not much over a grand, they are excellent sounding

jjss49 

Thank you very much for the valuable suggestions from your experience with all these DACs and calling out the great value buys.  I noticed you didn't include any Schiit models and am curious why, if you don't mind sharing that.

Wow, this has been an incredibly informative thread.

 

I also used a Sonore OpticalRendu for streaming to USB via fibre.

The 2 best DACs I have had are the Yggi+ Less is More and the modded GAN1. The Lumin X1 is also up there but I liked the Yggi+ better and it cost a ton less. The GAN1 is not really a DAC but the end result is pretty amazing, The stock version is not comparable to the modded one I have.

@yyzsantabarbara the opticalRendu and the Yggi+LIM combo being compared to the X1 got my attention - that’s really saying something from what I gather. There was another poster on a different thread that had made the move to the ultraRendu and the Gustard R26 with great results, but he was coming for an all-in-one NAD C658 (which I’m currently using) not an X1. Regardless, appreciate you and the OP sharing this experience. Definitely helps people navigate the wide variety of streamers, DACs, and flavors in the market.

Beyond the tax implications from a 401K loan, in addition to extending my time horizon, I’d definitely love to try an MHDT Orchid, Lab12 DAC1 Reference, Audio Mirror Tubadour (IV SE), Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube DAC, Denafrips Pontus or Venus, and ultimately a T+A DAC 200. If I follow through with this probably-good decision, I’ll make sure to share my findings/experiences :)

@toro3 I took a flyer on it based on this review. Schitt is also very close to my home so I could easily return it.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/audio-shows/schiit-texas-audio-roundup-writeup-r1125/

Since I liked the Yggi+ so much I ordered the Aegir 20 watt ’Class A’ amp yesterday for my headphones. That cost $800 and I am going to compare that with a $7K dedicated headphone amp. It will not be better (the use of an adapter makes this impossible) however, if the Aegir gets me to 90% of the $7K (amp was sold) I will be amazed. My great CODA #16 amp gets me to 90% of the top amp.

The reason I liked the Yggi+ more than the X1 was that I felt the top end the Yggi+ was super clean and realistic. The X1 in comparison sounded a bit darker on top. This issue was rather easy to notice on the uber revealing RAAL SR1a earphones.

@jjss49 Appreciate the post and replies!

@yyzsantabarbara - I’m retired. I would strongly suggest not touching a 401K for the purchase of any goods or services. Especially, audio gear that changes and improves all the time.

Sure you read about this cool new thing or that other thing, but really using 401K money is super short sighted and later when you are retired you will understand how important every thousand dollars in you account is over time..

Exercise some restrain - find stuff around you home to sell to raise funds but leave the 401K alone until retirement.

Good advice....   I plan and save , sometimes for a year or more.   Overtime and sacrifices in other areas is how i afford my audio indulgences.    If I can't buy it cash I don't buy it.     

@yyzsantabarbara I agree with creativepart and oddiofyl, that would be really unwise of you if you were to take out a 401k loan ;)

Absolutely, I should have said if I can't afford to pay for it in cash , I can't afford it.     I never pay interest on toys...   

@jjss49 

So when can we expect to dee your detailed comments assessing the sonic attributes/deficiencies of each unit on your list?  ;o)

I think you have me mistaken with someone who mentioned 401k. 

I built my system using compromising photos of dealers.

@jjss49 thanks for all your DAC expertise and advice.  Because of your analysis I picked up a Gustard r26 with an Audio Magic M-1 fuse.  Wow this Dac blew me away.  I am hearing things I have never heard before in a very nice black background.  Very pleased with my purchase and the price is crazy for this performance. Many thanks!

@tksteingraber

Because of your analysis I picked up a Gustard r26 with an Audio Magic M-1 fuse. Wow this Dac blew me away. I am hearing things I have never heard before in a very nice black background. Very pleased with my purchase and the price is crazy for this performance.

glad you are enjoying the gustard 👍... simply an incredible value and wonderful performance in any absolute sense

@stuartk

So when can we expect to dee your detailed comments assessing the sonic attributes/deficiencies of each unit on your list? ;o)

maybe sometime this winter when weather outside is poor and i get really bored 😁... thankfully i have been a reasonably organized note taker over this journey, so it will not be too difficult to remind myself the sonic experiences -- what i have tried to do so far here in this thread is answer specific queries as they arise... that seems to be working okay thus far

Thanks for sharing your dac experiences. What a journey! I’m just ordered another dac, which will be my fourth in the last year. The Cambridge cxn v2 modded by ModWright is so easy to listen to but I feel it lacks some detail. Topping d90 has wonderful detail but can get piercing high up(could be my sensitive ears). I just demoed the Audio Note 1.1. Was very interesting. Better clarity or detail and better dynamics. Hard to pinpoint its sound. Seemed to change from song to song based on the recording I guess. That was a cool surprise. The 2.1 is a future consideration. I just ordered the Rock a Wavedream Edition. Might be awhile before it arrives. Not sure if there’s anyone who can share their experiences with Rockna but would love to hear if there is. 

@earthbound 

Picked up a Rockna Wavelight back in March and am very happy with it. Replaced a Chord Qutest in my main rig.  Nothing wrong with the Qutest, but the Wavelight is just in another league, which given the price differential it should be. Very natural and warm presentation. Soundstage is both wide and deep. Highly resolving. Lots of inner detail, but not in your face. I expect it to be in my main rig for a long time to come.

Thanks for the replay and great to hear. I’ve heard nothing but good things regarding the sound from Rockna. Glad you’re loving yours and good luck with it. 

The Cambridge cxn v2 modded by ModWright is so easy to listen to but I feel it lacks some detail.

i love my modwrighted cxn v2 for its ability to tube roll and thusly materially shape its sonic attributes, as dan uses the 6dj8 pair directly in its analog output gain stage (not just as a buffer) -- i found no lack to detail, even if the tubed nature of the sound steps back the low mid and treble a touch compared to classic solid state output dacs -- to my ears, this unit loves old stock dutch amperexes, hungarian tungsrams and german siemens tubes -- wonderful sheen and great air and openness to the sound that reminds us of what tube magic is all about

Picked up a Rockna Wavelight back in March and am very happy with it. Replaced a Chord Qutest in my main rig. Nothing wrong with the Qutest, but the Wavelight is just in another league, which given the price differential it should be. Very natural and warm presentation. Soundstage is both wide and deep. Highly resolving. Lots of inner detail, but not in your face.

i have not tried a rockna, though by reputation i know they are excellent, very ’analog’ sounding dacs -- i would just remind folks of the two schools of dac sound, and the chord qutest is a prime, excellent example of the clear and crisp school -- vast imaging and precise, wonderful delineation of elements in the image...

also i find the qutest especially benefits from a linear power supply (in spite of rob watts’ insistence that it doesn’t/won’t)

I did add the Amperex as Dan suggested. I love them compared to the Electro Harmonix. It’s a good unit for sure. I’m new to this world of tubes. I had the same ss system for 25 years. I now have a tube dac, preamp and amp. Perhaps my nativety, I think there’s more out there. The Audio Note dac showed me a different presentation and I might equate that to better or that I’m missing something in the CXN or Topping. I hope the Rockna is the last dac I ever have to buy. And btw, the Cambridge is sticking around. It’s worth hanging on to as a nice change of sound. Thanks again for all your imput. Earthbound

Thank you jjss49 for such an informative post.

Im way out of your league in DACs, but happy you use Magi 1.7i s as I do.

You mentioned direct connect to amp if gain control exists. Does anyone know if it is safe to connect my Geshelli J2 DAC with 3 position gain directly to my Odyssey Kismet amp? Ive always used preamp in between. Streamer is BS Node 2i which also has some gain control via it's BluOS app from ipad. 

My full rig is in storage, but if I could just use Node, dac, amp, speakers that would help my audio withdrawl.

After extensive and exhaustive auditioning of multiple DACs over the years, I ultimately selected the Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty Streaming DAC.  The QX-5 Twenty DAC is an absolutely phenomenal DAC, and an excellent streamer, has become my end-game DAC.  There's a sea of great DACs out there on the market these days.          

Impressive list for sure. Not only that but you sound very knowledgeable of each one you describe in the post. Where does the Gustard R26 falls in the below $2,000 range? What would be your top choice in that segment? Thank you.    

for fixed output dacs, i would put a few i have had in the same sonic league (or very close) as my favorite three already covered, i could easily live with any of these sonically - i will make a few comments on the sonics of each

-- audio note kits dac 4.1 -- for a tube dac, very saturated and surprisingly spotlit sound, rather forward treble and excellent drive, to go along with terrific imaging... did note just a touch of sibilance and splashiness, but this likely cured with carefully tube rolling

@jjss49 thank you so much for this extensive comparison! I am seriously considering building an ANK DAC 4.1 to go with my all ANK system. I know their house sound well, but am wondering if I would be missing out on a more modern DAC.  I would love your comparison between it and the better Denafrips units you’ve tried. How does the resolution, micro-detail, and bass compare? Do you feel like there is anything that your other favorite DACs did better that this fell short on?

Where does the Gustard R26 falls in the below $2,000 range? What would be your top choice in that segment?

r26 is excellent, a top candidate in its price range, especially in light of its all-in-one feature set ... streamer (i use roon) is excellent though i felt using it as a preamp with its internally adjustable volume slightly diminished the quality of the sound - definitely a top choice for excellent all around sound with a clear open top end without bringing the treble too prominently forward

a softer sweeter rounder sound would be gotten from a modded mhdt tube buffered dac, and an even more incisive, more holographic sound can be had with a chord qutest, although that also brings a slightly leaner midband - all this depends on system synergy for what would be ’best’ for an particular user

I would love your comparison between it and the better Denafrips units you’ve tried. How does the resolution, micro-detail, and bass compare?

i used the ank 4.1 le with stock tube set, i was surprised by its quite energetic presentation, with an open somewhat forward treble... resolution was very good, on par with a denafrips pontus but not quite as a clean as a venus 2, to my ear, and the ank had a bit higher noise floor (rca outs vs xlr from denafrips) .. mids and midbass on all were magical though deep bass tunefulness is superior on the denafrips

my issues with the ank was (mainly) its huge form factor (it is a really big box, i just did not want that long term) and the fact that its input card is limited and cannot handle higher res content (it sounded very nice on all music it played, this was a futureproofing thing for me, as i thought about it at the time)

if one commits to this unit, i suspect one can roll tubes to further improve its sound signature, if not its slightly higher noise floor, but i never got that far, as much as i thoroughly enjoyed how it presented the music