Upgrading

Topping A90 Discrete — Transparent Power on Tap

The Topping A90 Discrete is the measurement champion’s headphone amp. Like its DAC stablemate the D90LE, it measures extraordinarily well — essentially transparent by any objective standard. Topping replaced the original A90’s op-amp design with a fully discrete circuit, and the result is their most refined amplifier to date.

Build & Design

Full-size desktop unit with a clean, professional aesthetic. The front panel has a large volume knob, gain switch (low/high), input selector, and power button. Balanced XLR and 4.4mm outputs join the standard 6.3mm single-ended. Build quality is solid aluminium throughout.

Schiit Magni Piety — Budget Amp Perfection from Schiit

I’ve had the Magni Piety in my chain since it launched, and it’s the product I recommend more than any other. At its price point, it’s not just good value — it’s borderline unfair to the competition. Schiit took their entry-level amp and gave it a discrete, fully balanced circuit that has no business sounding this good for the money.

Build & Design

Classic Schiit: compact aluminium chassis, single volume knob, one input, one output. The Piety adds balanced input and output via 4.4mm connections — a meaningful upgrade over the standard Magni. Build quality is solid, if deliberately minimal. It’s tiny, unobtrusive, and runs warm but not hot.

Holo Audio Spring 3 — The R2R Connoisseur’s Choice

Holo Audio’s Spring series has been the quiet achiever of the R2R DAC world — less flashy than Denafrips, less discussed than Schiit’s multibit, but revered by those who’ve heard it. The Spring 3 is Jeff Zhu’s latest refinement, and it represents R2R conversion at its most sophisticated.

Build & Design

Clean and professional with a full-size desktop chassis. The build is solid aluminium with a simple front panel — power button, display, and input selection. Connectivity is comprehensive with USB, I2S (via HDMI), AES/EBU, coaxial, and optical. The internal layout is meticulous, with careful attention to power supply isolation and signal routing.

FiiO K9 Pro ESS — Desktop Powerhouse Combo

FiiO has been making excellent portable audio gear for years, and the K9 Pro ESS represents their assault on the desktop market. It’s a combined DAC/amp using dual ES9038PRO chips with both balanced and single-ended headphone outputs — essentially a complete headphone system in one box.

Build & Design

Substantial and well-built. The K9 Pro is a full-size desktop unit with a large volume knob, clear display, and comprehensive connectivity. Build quality is excellent — brushed aluminium, solid feel, clean layout. It’s heavier than expected, which inspires confidence. Inputs include USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth (with LDAC). Outputs include 6.3mm, 4.4mm balanced, and XLR balanced headphone outputs, plus line out.

Gustard R26 — Discrete R2R on a Budget

Gustard’s R26 brings discrete R2R conversion to a price point that makes the technology accessible. Using a proprietary resistor-ladder network rather than off-the-shelf chips, the R26 promises the organic, analogue-like sound that R2R fans cherish without the price premium of established names like Denafrips Terminator or Holo Audio.

Build & Design

Full-size desktop unit with solid aluminium construction. The front panel features a large display showing input, sample rate, and filter settings. Connectivity is comprehensive — USB, I2S, AES/EBU, coaxial, optical, and Bluetooth. Both RCA and XLR balanced outputs. Build quality is impressive for the price, with a heft and finish that communicates seriousness.

SMSL D400EX — Budget Giant Killer DAC

SMSL, like Topping, has been part of the Chinese measurement-audio revolution — companies delivering extraordinary technical performance at prices that make established brands nervous. The D400EX uses dual ES9039Q2M chips and measures absurdly well for its price. But does technical excellence at a bargain price mean it’s actually better than the competition?

Build & Design

Compact desktop form factor with an informative front display. Build quality is good for the price — solid aluminium case, clean layout. Inputs include USB, coaxial, optical, and Bluetooth. Both RCA and XLR balanced outputs are provided. It’s not going to win design awards, but it’s functional and well-made.

Denafrips Ares 12th-1 — R2R From the East

The Denafrips Ares has been the audiophile community’s favourite entry-level R2R DAC for years. The 12th-1 revision refines what was already an excellent formula — a resistor-ladder DAC that offers an alternative to the delta-sigma mainstream at a price that doesn’t require remortgaging.

Build & Design

Impressively solid for the money. The aluminium chassis is well-machined, the internals are neatly laid out, and the overall presentation punches above its price class. Inputs include USB, coaxial, and optical, with both RCA and XLR outputs. The front panel has a clean, minimalist design with indicator LEDs.

Schiit Bifrost 2/64 — American Multibit Magic

Schiit Audio has been the rebellious uncle of the audio world since 2010 — proudly American-made, irreverently named, and committed to offering genuine performance at sensible prices. The Bifrost 2/64 is their mid-range multibit DAC, and it represents everything Schiit does well: honest engineering at an honest price.

Build & Design

Solid aluminium chassis, clean layout, built in Valencia, California. The Bifrost has a reassuringly chunky feel that belies its price point. The front panel is clean with just a few indicator LEDs, and inputs include USB, optical, and coaxial. It’s not flashy — Schiit’s aesthetic is “the sound is the feature.”

RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE — Big Brother to My Beloved ADI-2

As a devoted RME ADI-2 DAC FS owner, the ADI-2/4 Pro SE is the upgrade path I’ve been eyeing with a mixture of desire and dread — desire for the improved specifications, dread for what it would do to my wallet. This is RME’s flagship: a combined AD/DA converter that’s equally at home in a mastering studio and a high-end listening room.

Chord Mojo 2 — The Portable DAC That Started a Revolution

The original Mojo was a phenomenon — a pocket-sized DAC/amp that sounded so good it made people question their desktop setups. The Mojo 2 builds on that legacy with improved features and the same Rob Watts FPGA magic that makes Chord products sound unlike anything else. British engineering at its most eccentric and brilliant.

Build & Design

The Mojo 2 is tiny — genuinely pocket-sized at 83g. The distinctive coloured ball buttons control volume and input selection, changing colour to indicate level. It’s a design language unique to Chord that you’ll either love or find baffling. Build quality is solid with an aluminium shell that feels premium and durable.