The Best DACs (2024) audiophile sound on the go

Many of us rely on the wonders of Best DACs in our daily lives, often without realizing it. Whether it’s your trusty laptop, a gaming console, a portable music player, or even your smartphone, all of these digital sound-producing gadgets require the prowess of a DAC. The Best DACs work their magic by converting digital audio into a tangible analog signal that can then be seamlessly transmitted to speakers, headphones, or any other analog gizmo. In essence, any digital gizmo boasting a headphone jack or audio output is equipped with one of the Best DACs right under the hood.

In fact, if you don’t have a DAC, all your digital music is just a big pile of “0s and 1s” that only makes sense in the digital world. So they are a key part of what makes digital music worth it. The best DACs, like the ones below, will make your hi-fi, desktop, or portable audio system sing. Using a less-than-ideal DAC or going with the ones used in regular all-in-one components, like the ones above, will keep you from getting the most out of your system.

Best DACs Comparison Table

Chord Qutest

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Since the Qutest doesn’t have Bluetooth or a headphone amp, its only job is to connect your digital source to your speaker by converting digital to analog. And it does its job very well. At this price point, it’s the product that other brands try to copy. The DAC, which has won multiple awards, has a sound that is clear, clean, and crisp, with the neutral mix of tones that Chord is known for.

As with all good audio equipment, the Qutest will need some time to warm up before it really starts to sing. But when it does, you’re in for a treat: the songs have a great sense of scope, and there’s a lot of feeling and texture. The Qutest has Chord’s signature color-coded buttons that show which source it’s using: white for USB-Type-B (32-bit/768kHz PCM/DSD512), yellow for the first BNC coaxial and red for the second (24-bit/384kHz), and green for the optical (24-bit/192kHz/DSD64).

iFi Zen DAC V2

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We know what the saying “if it ain’t broke…” means. But at the same time, we know that in a competitive field like hi-fi, making your best products even better isn’t always a bad idea. This is what iFi did with its low-cost home DAC and headphone amp. The original Zen DAC has been replaced by the “V2” model, which has better processing, MQA decoding, and circuits. They pay off, as the fact that the DAC just won a What Hi-Fi? Award shows.

This cheap DAC can be charged by USB or the wall, but it doesn’t come with an adapter for the wall. For the price, it has great features and works well. At one end, there is a USB Type B input, as well as RCA line-level and 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced outlets. The Zen DAC’s output can be switched between set and variable, so if you want, the iFi can work as a digital preamp. At the other end, there is a standard 6.3mm plug and another Pentaconn balanced output.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS

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RME from Germany solidifies their position as the best DAC maker on the planet with their ADI-2 DAC FS. The ADI-2 is a beautiful machine with a great screen that lets you control every aspect of your sound. The audio sound is complex and full, and RME’s SteadyClock system helps to cut down on noise. We really don’t think you’ll find a better DAC for this price, and certainly not one that’s as fun to use as this one. The Chord Electronics Qutest, which you can see below, may look better and be easier to use, but the ADI-2 has a lot of charm.

We didn’t like the ADI-2’s menu system, which is very confusing and uses a lot of controls that don’t make sense. Even so, this is a small problem compared to all the good things about the ADI-2. Even though RME isn’t a well-known name in the audio world yet, they’ve made some great goods that come highly recommended. But if you want fine-grained control with a piece of equipment that is almost as good as what pros use, check out the Benchmark DAC3 HGC, which is described below.

Schiit Modi+

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The Schiit Modi has been our top pick for the Best DACs for a long time, and the company has kept improving it over time. That led to a lot of different versions, so Schiit made things easier by putting all of them into one: the Modi+. It is better than the first models because it can get sound from a phone or computer and the sound quality is better. Also, there are no longer any USB micro ports, which is a good thing. Everything is now USB-C. Even though it’s made to be a desktop DAC and can’t be carried around like the AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt, that’s a small complaint.

It’s great for a simple desktop headphone setup, like putting it on top of the awesome Schiit Magni amp. The Schiit Modi is, however, a very simple gadget. Other desktop DACs, like the iFi Audio ZEN DAC V2, that cost only a little more but have more features, like this one. With the Modi, all you get is a switch to choose which input to use. If you want to have a little more power over your DACs, you might want to spend a little more. If you’re happy to set up this DAC and forget about it, you’ll find that it’s one of the best and easiest ones on the market right now.

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M DAC and Preamplifier with Bluetooth aptX

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There are a lot of DACs on the market, so the title “Best DAC Overall” is not one we give out easily. It can be hard to get good sound. There are a lot of different things that affect how we hear music, but the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M always gets it right. There were a lot of things to think about, but in the end, we chose the DacMagic 200M as the best DAC overall because it has the best streaming quality for every streaming service, it’s easy to set up and easy to use, it has a full set of connections and Bluetooth capabilities so that any device can sound its best, and it just looks so cool.

This DAC (digital audio converter) is a big first for Cambridge Audio because it works with MQA. If you don’t already know, MQA is a British technology that has won awards. It makes studio-quality audio files that are small enough to stream on sites like Tidal. In fact, the DacMagic 200M will let you know when it’s streaming MQA. The indicator on the front will turn blue when streaming a MQA Studio file, which is a file approved in the studio by the artist or producer or has been verified by the copyright owner, or green when playing/decoding a MQA music file.

Naim Mu-so All-in-One Wireless Music System Gen 2

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You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for a setup that’s simple, quick, and requires no additional steps. The second edition of the Naim Mu-so features numerous changes, including a control dial that has been improved, a faster processing speed, an expansion in the number of connecting choices, and a rise of 13% in the amount of internal volume and the Best DACs.

The dial located on the top of the device provides easy access to all of the device’s functions and menus. The dial provides easy access to all of your streaming basics, including play/pause and volume control, as well as input choices, multiroom features, and shortcuts to your five most frequently used programs. Additionally, the dial displays indicators for AirPlay, Chromecast, and Spotify.

AUDIOQUEST DRAGONFLY COBALT

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It’s hard to think of another product like the original Dragonfly from Audioquest that made high-end audio so easy and cheap. Audiophiles know the company makes some of the best tools for playing music in the world. The Dragonfly was one of the most compact ways to carry a high-quality external DAC and amplifier that made your phone and laptop sound much better.

The Cobalt is now the company’s best product. It builds on the success of the Dragonfly Black and Dragonfly Red DAC units. Audioquest uses the well-known Sabre DAC inside the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC, which is made of cobalt. The sound is very realistic and has very little background noise. But the real star of this show is how well it works. Even though it is small, it can power all of my headphones. It’s strong, easy to take with you, and cheap.

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