Soooo many choices.

The problem with a lot of DACs is that they don't offer too many inputs. Most that I've seen offer one each of coax, toslink and USB. Some only offer a single input.

This is why I often mention the Emotiva XDA DACs to those that do not yet have a DAC. No, it isn't the best of anything, but it does sound good, nonetheless, and is very flexible and makes for a solid backbone to a digital system. It offers two each of coax and toslink inputs, plus one USB and one AES input. At $339 it will get you started. Later, you can add a "better," less flexible DAC for those components that you want to improve the sound for.

If you only have one or two sources, then there are many to choose from. What will you need the DAC to do? Will you be playing hi res files?

Here's another endorsement of the Emotiva XDA-2 DAC/Preamp - plenty of inputs, very good sound, and it even has a very capable headphone amp built-in. This is quite a bargain at the sale price of $339 delivered. And you have 30 days to evaluate it in your system...

http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/processors/products/xda2

-RW-

I just received my Schiit Bifrost yesterday - it has the USB and Uber upgrade - total cost $520

I spent a week+ auditioning the Mytek $1500, Chord QutHD $1700 and the Wadi a $1300

I decided on the Bifrost because it has good reviews and within budget

Right out of the box it impressed with its dynamic presentation, sound stage and superb audio reproduction. Today it's sounding even better.

Played some 24/96 tracks and it's the first time I could tell the were High Res - my old dac made them sound the same as 16/44 because it up sampled - and not very well

Playing some 24/192 as I type and the sound is approaching analogue.

I would say this DAC has the smoothness of the Wadia with about 85% of the dynamics of the Mytek.

I particularly like opera on this DAC - it's the first time the sopranos haven't sounded shrill. The old DAC made me avoid digital opera recordings.

The sound stage is very deep and wide,especially on classical - and Bob Marley :-)

I think it can handle anything thrown at it - I was drawn into a sax solo yesterday - so smooth and orchestral pieces have so much width/depth to them

It's a bare-bones DAC - three inputs + L/R outputs and a selector button on front - but holy smoke can it turn digits into music.

Get a good power cable - I use a furutech and I think it contributes greatly to its smoothness

I would say this DAC has brought my digital music several steps closer to my analogue music - maybe not a giant leap, but a pretty bloody good jump

Good luck

Ooops - forgot to mention - I'm streaming from my iMac via USB

Music is on a NAS drive - no streaming issues with the hi-def stuff

Tried optical as well and could not tell any difference

Tried s/pdif from DVD player and it sounds the same.

Cheers

The Bifrost is tied with the W4S uDAC as my next thing to try, after I get a new amp. I've heard the Bifrost and in comparison to my XDA-1, I think the Bifrost sounded better. Sound stage was a bit deeper and the mids had more body.

I stuck with the XDA-1 because I needed the flexibility at the time.