Your experience with an inexpensive DAC?

Also have some friends recommend SMSL M400. I was looking at that compared to a Gustard A22. A close call.

Settled instead on an extensively modded LKS DA-004.

Will keep one of the SEG Dacs, and sell the other.

My dac is no more on Ebay...

It is the work of a french designer, Christoph Mariac, a NOS tda1543 battery dac with the more minimalistic design possible for a dac...Batteries are internal i coupled it with a linear supply ...

It is so great even after all my increase in S.Q. with my audio system i dont see his limitations at all yet...

For the price paid it is the best purchase possible in audio... 20 bucks on an ebay bid for a new one...😁😁😁😊😊😊

After that the price go higher toward 400 us bucks...M. Marian abandon the idea to put them on a bid because of me ....He is a gentleman by the way if i judge by my communication with him...

His low noise minimalistic design is the key...I will die with it....

I purchased it after months of studying reviews all across the internet with NO negative critic for this dac, not one....Even from the people who sell anything good and "upgrade"....

I decided to forgot all costly one for which there always exist negative critics not only positives one, and focus on it and after 4 bids i take one of the last, new, for 20 bucks... Incredible...

I have had many inexpensive DACs I would Go for a Schiit Gungnir multibit. Outstanding sound for the money. If this is for your main system consider a Schiit Yggdrasil. I have not heard a Denafrips Ares II.

I have nearly all tube systems. For my office system a relatively inexpensive integrated. 

- Benchmark DAC3B - I use this when I want all the facts. Love this DAC though a friend tells me it lacks in the low end. I am not too sure about that. ($1600)

- Topping D90SE. Maybe the best mesauring DAC out there. It also sounded good with my uber nuetral Benchmark AHB2 amps and my warmer CODA #8 amp ($900)

- Gustard X26 Pro. A great DAC with warmth and detail, just not to the extreme in either. It has NOS+OS mode with 4 custom filters that actually sound different. ($1500)

- I sold the Gustard last week to raise money to buy the Musetec 005. People are selling Mola Mola Tambaqui et al DACs to keep this one. I am intrigued (on sale  $2969)

The 3 Chinese DACs I have listed will go on sale occasionally, especially Black Friday. The following is a reputable seller. Excellent actually wihth easy warranty work.

Professional Audio Online Shopping Store - LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE – SHENZHENAUDIO

I have a high-end BRYSTON Dac and a REGA ISUS VALVE cdp/DAC in my "A" system,

I will recommend a discontinued ARCAM RDAC  currently in my "C" system as a terrific performer in its own right.  It's a bargain at $150-ish +/- pre-owned 

For What It's Worth

covered by The Litter

1) i had until fairly recently a pioneer pd65 elite cdp - i would say the dac in that unit sounds as good as most modern dacs under $800, the sound is musical, not in your face, very decent resolution, excellent top to bottom coherence

2) that said, if you want to try a modern dac with a more overtly hifi (detailed, treble boosted) sound, i would suggest a chord, rme, schiit gumby, denafrips  ares dac under a grand - another very good one is an ayre codex

+1 on the Denafrips Ares II - a hard DAC to beat at it's price point.

What is your budget? Based on your music preferences you should consider R2R dacs. A Denafrips Ares dac is a great musical choice. You can also consider buying used to get even better quality at a lower price. 

I also have an Oppo 105D and two Pioneer Elite BDP-09 Blu-ray players. My suggestion is not as esoteric as Jerry’s. I caught your request for an "inexpensive" DAC and I recommend a Benchmark DAC1. It’s an early model, and I have seen them as low as $300 (MSRP was $995). I bought one years ago and still use it with an older Denon 3520. I doubt it will beat a Berkeley Alpha DAC but it will make any of your current players sound noticeably more transparent, especially with headphones.

Thanks Jerry, I will look into it....since I cannot afford to have Ms. Krall in my home and Elvis might not approve.  Jim

A relatively unknown Dac in the US.

But reasonably well thought of in the UK.

I have two of them, both modded with super caps and updated clocks.

Beresford Seg.

(Not well thought of by Audio Science Review, but I pay little mind to that in my purchases.)