Blue Circle BC509Price: $1205

Website: www.bluecircle.com

Jason said: The BC509 dished out more depth and dynamics, more realism in the bass, and a silkier top end, and while each of these is small potatoes in isolation, together they cohered into a whole that, once again, sounded more like music.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Musical sounding, modestly priced DAC from Gilbert.