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Advice on sub $400 DAC (preferably with BT)

So I’m looking for a external DAC to incorporate into my system in order to obtain digital inputs for streaming (both Hi-Res and Sonos) and TV connection via optical. Having built-in Bluetooth would be very nice as well. The Topping D50s at $250 seems like the obvious choice based on the research I’ve done. Having BT 5.0 built-in is awesome and pretty uncommon for this price range or really in general. The D70 with BT is really nice but at $550 it’s more than I want to spend at this time. Are there any other options I should consider at the under $400 range or is the D50s gonna be hard to beat at that price?  Thanks very much. 
indyvw
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,274 posts
 
AUDIOQUEST BEETLE DAC

i have it hooked up between my TV and integrated amp in my secondary 2.1 HT system

The big draw with the AudioQuest Beetle is its asynchronous Bluetooth ( bypasses the crap in the iPhones et al )

FWIW .... consider to invest in two cables to really elevate thIs DAC’s audio performance.
(1) a high quality glass optical cable ( eg WIREWORLD, DH LABS...) from the toslink optical-out from your TV to the optical-in on the AQ BEETLE, ... a step up in your audio from your TV.
(2) a good quality 3.5mm to L-R RCA ICs to connect the AQ BEETLE DAC to your amp. (I have the WIREWORLD here too);

REVIEWS

https://www.themasterswitch.com/review-audioquest-beetle
https://darko.audio/2017/12/with-the-beetle-audioquests-199-dac-goes-home-and-away

Highly recommended .
usery
131 posts
 
ivw said:

"Having built-in Bluetooth would be very nice ... "

Why BT?  Do you have a LAN with wifi?
erik_squires
16,138 posts
 
The Topping line is  Audio Science Review's darling. Nothing wrong with them, and not that interesting either.
grinnell
1,100 posts
 
Find a used Micromega MyDac  around $130  has good reviews  nice sound using it with my macbook for streaming radio and itunes
indyvw OP
43 posts
 
Hey erik, given the price range do you have any other suggestions? BT, because of its convenience, will probably be a requirement regardless of whether it’s built-in or a stand alone like the Audioengine B1. So that’s why the D50s looked appealing. One box, very reasonable price. I could do something like the Schiit Modi and the B1 which would be a little more expensive than the D50s and slightly more inconvenient, but worth considering if the overall sound improvement outweighed those drawbacks. I’m just not sure it would sound better and I have no experience with any stand-alone DACS at this point. 
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