Best DAC?

Key sonic characteristics?

Uh, that’s kinda what we need to know from you to make any kind of useful recommendation. 

erastof
Best DAC?

First you need to say what format of digital you are mainly using.

Are you mainly going to use PCM Redbook 16/44, 24/96 or DXD download?

Or are you mainly going to use DSD streaming?

This will decide on what type of conversion technique within the dac will be the best for what you are mainly going to play.

Cheers George

seriously?

best $100 bottle of wine, please... how it tastes... please... thank you!

While better 411 would help get the right answer, strongly consider a Audio GD R2R dac. Now available from Underwood HiFi

https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/audio-gd
hth

I haven’ t heard many modern DACs but I recently purchased a MHDT Orchid and I think it sounds very very nice. Not digital sounding at all, and a big improvement over my Marantz CDP.  This DAC does a great job of gluing the digital bits together into music.