(2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $549

Website: www.bluesound.com

Gordon said: In short, the Node is an affordable, painless way to add streaming and other 21st-century capabilities to a legacy audio system.

Read the SoundStage! Simplifi review.

The gist: Do you really need to spend more to stream music?

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Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $5995

Website: www.bryston.com

Gordon said: Quite simply, it’s the most revealing and most musical digital source I’ve ever had in my system. (It’s also the most expensive.)

Read the SoundStage! Simplifi review.

The gist: Hardware is an A+, but has operational quirks.

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $499

Website: www.cambridgeaudio.com

Mark said: It’s a jack of all trades—other DACs in its price range might do one or two things better, but you’d be hard-pressed to find something anywhere near its price that does everything as well as does the DacMagic 200M.

Read the SoundStage! Access review.

The gist: Latest feature-laden budget DAC from Cambridge is a winner.

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: 2go AU$2000, 2yu AU$1000

Website: www.chordelectronics.co.uk

Edgar said: Coupled as a seamless single unit, the 2go and 2yu form a beautifully-built component which will open the door to streaming an endless universe of music.

Read the SoundStage! Australia review.

The gist: Chord’s answer to the streaming question.

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Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $810

Website: www.denafrips.com

Dennis said: If your main concern is simply enjoying music from digital sources but you think digital sounds inherently too sterile or clinical, then the Denafrips Ares II might scratch an itch you didn’t know you had.

Read the SoundStage! Access review.

The gist: Huge value in the under-$1000 DAC market.

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $8698 SGD

Website: www.denafrips.com

Evan said: After many weeks of very enjoyable listening sessions, the Terminator-Plus proved a distinct step up in sound quality from my Bryston BDA-2 DAC in every regard.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Unique in the world of me-too high-end DACs.

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: AU$59,995

Website: www.linn.co.uk

Barry said: Bringing to bear the power of Space Optimisation and the Organik DAC, the Klimax brought a level of improvement to my system that was not subtle.

Read the SoundStage! Australia review.

The gist: Space Optimisation took Barry’s system to new heights.

Details

Parent Category: 2021 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2021) Stereo Digital Source Components

Price: $5995

Website: www.linn.co.uk

Stephen said: It does perform beautifully with loudspeakers and has a great deal of flexibility.

Read the SoundStage! Australia review.

The gist: Needs a better owner’s manual.