Best DACs under $7,000.00

@gregjacob, I’m gonna be the guy who tells you that the Chord Hugo TT2 is an exceptional DAC that packs a considerable number of features in a desktop friendly  and an esthetically pleasing package. The sound I get is very detailed and non fatiguing for long listening sessions. I’ve paired it with a Chord Hugo M Scaler, and I use the exceptional WAVE Fidelity Storm BNC cables to connect the two units for a presentation that I consider very close to analog. It’s definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, but it works for me. 

  For some comparison I’ve tried the Chord DAVE which has phenomenal instrument separation and soundstage, but I thought it didn’t have the visceral punch and muscle that the TT2 does. I really liked the Weiss 502, the Mola Mola Tambaqui, dCS Rossini with its master clock, super expensive, the MSB, and also the Nagra DACs which are amazing. The Holo May DACs get a lot of praise, and I know several folks who’ve switched to them because they just hit the spot for them.

  Absolutely try before you buy! In the price range that you’re looking at there is a plethora of great equipment available. Everything is important though. The music source, the kind of music you listen too, speakers, headphones, interconnects, your listening environment, all play a big part in helping you achieve consistent music listening enjoyment. With my personal bias leaning heavily toward having as much clean power running through your system as possible. If you haven’t done as much as you can to limit RFI and EMI, then no matter how good your DAC is you’ll ultimately be frustrated and will constantly be wondering where that “wow factor” is that you spent your money on. 

I second the Doge 7 with NOS tubes.  I’m using vintage Brimar tubes and it sounds incredible.  Highly recommend. 

Hi adasdad,

Thank you for that good plug for the Chord Hugo TT.  You said, "If you haven’t done as much as you can to limit RFI and EMI, then no matter how good your DAC is you’ll ultimately be frustrated and will constantly be wondering where that “wow factor” is that you spent your money on."

What would be your way of focusing on that?  Thanks in advance.

You’re very welcome @gregjacob. Well, I’ll tell you a story. Over ten years ago I had an inexpensive Peachtree DAC-iTx DAC, a MacBook Pro. and a small Woo Audio WA6 tube hp amplifier, where I plugged everything into a cheap hardware store power strip that shared a wall socket with a 3-way living room lamp. I was pretty happy mostly until I sometimes got excited and wanted to crank the volume up. That’s when I heard the limitations of my humble setup in the form of a lot of grainy distortion. So a couple three years ago when the pandemic started, and there was absolutely nothing else to do but stay home, I started to put together my present hp system.
 

 I bought my first good DAC, a Chord Qutest. It was a revelation until I heard the TT2, which I quickly traded the Qutest for. Plus a good chunk of saved up money. I read that if one used an aftermarket LPSU on the TT2 then the SQ would improve significantly. And adding an Sbooster LPS did the trick. So down the clean power rabbit hole I fell. 
 
 As my system grew I added good power supplies and power cables to each piece of gear as I acquired them. What really opened my eyes was investing in an AudioQuest Niagara power conditioner and an AQ Storm series power cable. I also use two passive RFI/EMI filters in front of and behind my music server. One is an Audiowise SRC.DX USB to DX converter. And the other is a Network Acoustics ENO Ethernet filter. Plus I use two network switches in cascade between my router and the ENO. Both use iFi iPower X power supplies. 
 

 Most everyone’s needs are dependent upon their budgets and what kind of sound they’re looking for. Take your time. Read and watch as much as you can. Ask a lot of questions. You’ll be okay. 

Third vote for Aqua. I was impressed with the Aqua Voce S3 which really elevated my system. It’s less than the Aqua La Scala, around $4,700 new, or around $3,000 pre-owned if you can find one.