01RANK
FiiO
FiiO K7
Best overall desktopA desktop DAC/amp with serious power and balanced output for shockingly little - drives almost anything.
The upgrade most people skip - a good DAC/amp wakes up headphones your laptop can't.
| # | Pick | Best for | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | FiiO FiiO K7 | Best overall desktop | $$ | Amazon → |
| 02 | FiiO FiiO K13 R2R | Best affordable R2R desktop DAC and amp | $$ | Amazon → |
| 03 | Audiolab Audiolab D7 | Best hi-fi DAC for a desk or a rack | $$$ | Amazon → |
| 04 | iFi iFi Zen DAC 3 | Best desktop DAC/amp for the money | $$ | Amazon → |
| 05 | FiiO FiiO K11 | Best budget balanced desktop amp | $$ | Amazon → |
| 06 | Schiit Schiit Magni Unity | Best simple desktop amp with a DAC | $ | Amazon → |
| 07 | iFi iFi Zen DAC V2 | Best starter DAC/amp | $$ | Amazon → |
| 08 | Schiit Schiit Modi+ / Magni+ Stack | Best modular stack | $$ | Amazon → |
| 09 | AudioQuest AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt | Best portable / dongle | $$ | Amazon → |
A desktop DAC/amp with serious power and balanced output for shockingly little - drives almost anything.
A resistor-ladder DAC at a chip-DAC price: 192 thin-film resistors, a fully balanced amp with real power, Bluetooth in, and a ten-band EQ, all in one desk box.
The spiritual successor to the M-DAC: an ES9038Q2M chip, four S/PDIF inputs, USB for computers and flash drives, balanced XLR out and a proper current-feedback headphone amp, with an OLED screen and a remote.
The desktop DAC and headphone amp most people should start with, now with USB-C and a 4.4mm balanced output.
A small desktop DAC/amp with a proper balanced output and enough power for planar headphones, at an entry price.
Schiit's small headphone amp with a DAC built in this time, so one box on the desk does the whole job, and it is made in California.
The popular starter stack-in-a-box - balanced output and a tasteful 'TrueBass' boost for headphones.
The classic American-made starter stack: clean DAC + a powerful amp you can mix and match forever.
A DAC/amp the size of a USB stick - instantly upgrades a laptop or phone's headphone sound anywhere.
Rankings reflect our editorial scoring of sound, build, value and features - see how we pick.