The Best DACs We Have Tested
Every DAC we have measured and lived with, ranked by what you actually need rather than by spec sheet. Budget desktop, R2R, portable and high end.
Every DAC on this page has been through the same process: measured, listened to on real systems, and lived with rather than unboxed. No rankings pulled from spec sheets, and nothing here we have not actually had on the desk.
Last updated 17 September 2026. We add to this page as we test.
The short answer
| If you want | Get the |
|---|---|
| The best all-round desktop DAC under $200 | Topping E50 II |
| R2R sound without R2R money | Gustard Audalytic DR70 |
| Something you can put in a pocket | Chord Mojo 2 |
| Balanced in and out on a budget | Fosi Audio ZD3 |
| The least money that still sounds serious | SMSL D1 |
| No compromise, budget no object | Mola Mola Tambaqui |
Budget desktop DACs
This is where most people should start, and where the value has been extraordinary for a few years now. Chinese manufacturers have driven measured performance to the point where the differences between these and much dearer gear are small and, in some cases, inaudible.
Topping E50 II
The default recommendation. AK4497S, Bluetooth and app control, and around $199 at the time of writing. If you want one box that does nearly everything well and you do not want to think about it further, this is the one.
SMSL D1
A tiny thing built around a ROHM BD34352EKV. The chip is the story and it mostly delivers. Buy it if you want the most sound per pound and can live without the connectivity.
SMSL PS200 Pro
Sits just above the D1 and competes directly with the Topping. Worth reading both before you decide.
Fosi Audio ZD3
Fully balanced DAC and preamp at a price that makes you check the listing twice. The one to get if you are running balanced monitors or a balanced headphone amp.
Schiit Audio Mimir
The American alternative to the Chinese wall of specs. Different priorities, different sound, and sold direct rather than through Amazon.
R2R and valve DACs
Ladder DACs and tube output stages are the deliberate opposite of the measurement race. You are buying a character, not a THD figure, and whether that is worth it is genuinely a matter of taste rather than a matter of fact.
Gustard Audalytic DR70
A compact R2R DAC and network streamer that makes high-end digital feel simple. Our most-read review by a distance, and the one we would point most people at if they want the R2R sound without the usual price.
FiiO Warmer valve tube R2R DAC
Tube and R2R at a price that should not permit either. How much of the warmth is real is the whole question, and we went looking.
Portable
Chord Mojo 2
Years old and still the portable DAC and headphone amp everything else is measured against. The 2025 version is a refinement rather than a rethink.
High end
Mola Mola Tambaqui
One of the finest DACs money can buy, and priced accordingly. Worth reading even if you will never own one, because it shows you what the ceiling actually sounds like and how close the cheap stuff now gets.
Digital interfaces
Douk U2 Pro DDC
Not a DAC, but the thing that sits in front of one. Turns USB into S/PDIF and I²S with proper clock management. Whether it improves your particular DAC depends entirely on how good that DAC's own USB input is, which is exactly what we tested.
Streamers and speakers
If you are building a system rather than buying a box, the rest of the reviews are worth a look too: the Bluesound Node Icon for streaming, and on speakers the Q Acoustics M20 and Elac Debut ConneX DCB61 if you want powered, or the Dali Kupid if you already have an amp.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this site earn us a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It does not affect which products we recommend or what we say about them.
