fa·vor·ite | /ˈfāv(ə)rət/ | adjective: favorite | preferred before all others of the same kind.
The entire point of sharing lists like these is twofold: Of greatest importance, I am offering a shortcut view into my preferences. The secondary reason is people enjoy lists—like shopping lists—and I am of the opinion that the following list contains DACs that are capable of providing deep musical satisfaction and they stand out in this regard from all of the DACs I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Favorites.
These Favorite lists are now limited to a total of 20 products as endlessly long and ever-growing lists become kinda useless.
Products that represent exceptional value—price+performance—get a:
Please note: the prices included below were current when the review was published.
Twittering Machines Favorite Digital Gear [updated August 2026]
HoloAudio Red DDC & Network Streamer ($798) | Review (September 2024)
LAiV Audio Harmony µDAC ($994) | Review (June 2025)
Review: Atoll Electronique MS120 Streaming DAC ($1599) | Review (January 2026)
Wattson Emerson ANALOG Streaming DAC ($1750) | Review (November 2023)
Weiss DAC204 ($2895) | Review (July 2023)
Aurender A1000 Music Server / Streamer / DAC / Preamp ($3500) | Review (February 2025)
Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC ($3950) | Review (August 2024)
Merason DAC1 Mk II ($8500) | Review (December 2024)
Wattson Madison Streaming DAC ($5500) + Madison Power S ($2750) | Review (August 2026)
Weiss DAC501 ($8995) | Review (February 2021)
Ideon EOS DAC ($9900) | Review (December 2023)
Imersiv D-1 DAC ($12,000) | Review (March 2026)
totaldac d1-unity (12500euros incl VAT in Europe, 11500euros excl VAT out of Europe (appx $12,500USD) | Review (April 2023)
Grimm Audio MU1 Music Player (starts at $12,500) | Review (October 2023)
Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC ($13,400) | Review (September 2020)
Grimm Audio MU2 Music Player (starts at $17,500) | Review (May 2024)
Weiss Engineering Helios Reference DAC ($25,790) | Review (September 2025)
Twittering Machines Favorite Digital Gear (Retired)