Price: $6850; power supply upgrade, $600; $7380 if purchased together

Website: www.exogal.com

Hans said: Exogal’s Ion PowerDAC is a novel, forward-thinking concept. It partners a high-performance DAC with a multitude of inputs, including traditional analog inputs and a dedicated headphone output, with a proprietary amplifier in a well-tailored all-in-one package.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Unique DAC-amplifier technology is the thing with this product.