--- title: "The Best Reference-Grade Audio Gear in 2026: Ranked" description: "Every piece in our catalogue scoring 9.0 or higher across every category. The shortlist - what reference actually means, and what earned it on the chain." url: "https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-reference-grade-audio-gear/" type: "article" section: "Buying guide" author: "Jakub Charkiewicz" published: "2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z" modified: "2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z" checked: "2026-09-19" --- > Markdown rendering of https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-reference-grade-audio-gear/ > Canonical URL to cite: https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-reference-grade-audio-gear/ > Generated from the published page. Text and links only; see the HTML for layout. Breadcrumb: [Home](https://theaudiostuff.com/) > [Guides](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/) > Best Reference-Grade Audio Gear # The Best Reference-Grade Audio Gear in 2026: Ranked Reference is the highest verdict on our scale: the piece is the benchmark in its category, the unit other gear in the same class gets compared against. This is every product that reached 9.0 or higher, across categories, and what a 9.0 means in each. - By [Jakub Charkiewicz](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) - 10 tested picks - Updated September 2026 - Score floor: 9.0/10 - Prices $299 to $14,495 ## The short version {#guide-qa-title} Our top pick among the best reference-grade audio gear is the HIFIMAN HE1000se (9.3/10, $1,700). Our best value pick is the HIFIMAN Sundara (9.0/10, $299). The runner-up is the HIFIMAN Serenade (9.3/10, $999). 10 picks in all, ranked by score from 9.0 to 9.3/10. ![The HIFIMAN HE1000se in side profile on a stand: a large egg-shaped open-back planar cup with a silver aluminium frame, a wood-veneer rim and the Window Shade grille, hanging below the black leather suspension headband](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-he1000se-full-headphone-1152w.avif) Best Overall ## [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) {#top-pick-title} An ex-$3,500 flagship, now $1,700: nanometer diaphragm, Stealth Magnets, a holographic soundstage, and state-of-the-art detail - bright, honest, merciless with bad sources. - Score 9.3 out of 10 - Verdict Reference - Price $1,700 [HIFIMAN HE1000se review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) See all 10 ranked picks - Best Budget Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary 9.1/10 · $699 - Best Value HIFIMAN Sundara 9.0/10 · $299 ## At a glance {#comparison-heading} **The 10 picks in ranked order, with price and award.** | # | Pick | Price | Award | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | HE1000se | $1,700 | Best Overall | | 2 | Serenade | $999 | No award | | 3 | PowerCell 14 | $14,495 | No award | | 4 | Arya Organic | $1,099 | No award | | 5 | Arya Unveiled | $1,299 | No award | | 6 | Enyo 15th Anniversary | $699 | Best Budget | | 7 | AD-1PA+ | $3,175 | No award | | 8 | Woody Queen | From €399/panel from $430/panel approx. | No award | | 9 | Hades 12th | $1,369 | No award | | 10 | Sundara | $299 | Best Value | 1. 1 HIFIMAN HE1000se Best Overall $1,700 2. 2 HIFIMAN Serenade $999 3. 3 Synergistic Research PowerCell 14 $14,495 4. 4 HIFIMAN Arya Organic $1,099 5. 5 HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled $1,299 6. 6 Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary Best Budget $699 7. 7 Tonewinner AD-1PA+ $3,175 8. 8 Ekustik Woody Queen From €399/panel from $430/panel approx. 9. 9 Denafrips Hades 12th $1,369 10. 10 HIFIMAN Sundara Best Value $299 ## The 10 picks by category and price {#landscape-heading} ### By category - Headphones 4 picks Top-scoring: the [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) (9.3/10) - Accessories 2 picks Top-scoring: the [Synergistic Research PowerCell 14](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/synergistic-research-powercell-14/) (9.2/10) - Speaker Amps & Preamps 2 picks Top-scoring: the [Tonewinner AD-1PA+](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/tonewinner-ad-1pa-plus/) (9.0/10) - Headphone Amps 1 pick The [HIFIMAN Serenade](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) (9.3/10) - DACs 1 pick The [Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-enyo-15th/) (9.1/10) ### By price - $200-500 2 picks Top-scoring: the [Ekustik Woody Queen](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/ekustik-woody-queen/) (9.0/10) - $500-1,000 2 picks Top-scoring: the [HIFIMAN Serenade](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) (9.3/10) - $1,000-2,500 4 picks Top-scoring: the [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) (9.3/10) - $2,500 + 2 picks Top-scoring: the [Synergistic Research PowerCell 14](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/synergistic-research-powercell-14/) (9.2/10) ## The 10 picks, ranked {#picks-heading} #1 Best Overall ![The HIFIMAN HE1000se in side profile on a stand: a large egg-shaped open-back planar cup with a silver aluminium frame, a wood-veneer rim and the Window Shade grille, hanging below the black leather suspension headband](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-he1000se-full-headphone-1152w.avif) ### [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) An ex-$3,500 flagship, now $1,700: nanometer diaphragm, Stealth Magnets, a holographic soundstage, and state-of-the-art detail - bright, honest, merciless with bad sources. Score 9.3 out of 10 Reference $1,700 - **Sound:** Bright, lean bass - **Impedance:** 35 Ω - **Sensitivity:** 96 dB/mW - **Weight:** 440 g - Top-tier CNC aluminium, wood veneer, and real-leather build - Easy-to-drive flagship: 35 ohms / 96 dB, three cables incl. balanced XLR - State-of-the-art detail retrieval - hears deep into any mix **Watch out:** Bright, peaky treble [HIFIMAN HE1000se review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) #2 ![The HIFIMAN Serenade's front: a stepped glossy faceplate, three headphone outputs, top-mounted control buttons, and the heavy analog volume knob](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-serenade-front-panel-1152w.avif) ### [HIFIMAN Serenade](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) HIFIMAN's all-in-one R2R DAC, discrete Class A amp, and hi-res network streamer in one 3kg box - lush, musical, and powerful enough to drive almost anything. Score 9.3 out of 10 Reference $999 - **Power output:** 4 W balanced / 2.8 W single-ended into 32 Ω - **Inputs:** USB, Optical, Coaxial, Ethernet, Bluetooth, RCA (analog) - **Outputs:** XLR + RCA line out, 4-pin XLR, 4.4 mm, 6.35 mm - Massive, ultra-clean power supply (50W toroidal + 30,000µF) - 4W into 32Ω balanced - drives 99% of headphones with headroom - Every input and output you'd need: USB, optical, coax, Ethernet, Bluetooth, RCA **Watch out:** Voiced warm and lush on purpose [HIFIMAN Serenade review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) #3 ![The PowerCell 14's rear panel: fourteen Schuko outlets arranged in three isolated banks beneath the Synergistic Research branding](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/synergistic-powercell-14-rear-outlets-1152w.avif) ### [Synergistic Research PowerCell 14](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/synergistic-research-powercell-14/) A 14-outlet flagship power conditioner with seven SRX folded EM cells, ULF+DC biasing, graphene treatment, and a silver matrix ground strap - a tier above any 'power strip'. Score 9.2 out of 10 Reference $14,495 - **Type:** Power conditioner - **Weight:** 12.00 kg (12000 g) - **Outlets:** 14 UEF Purple 2.0 (three isolated banks) - ULF + DC Bias system with 3 selectable bias settings - 24-karat gold UEF tuning circuits - 10-gauge silver matrix point-to-point wiring **Watch out:** $15,000 entry price is far from affordable [Synergistic Research PowerCell 14 review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/synergistic-research-powercell-14/) #4 ![The HIFIMAN Arya Organic on a stand, showing its wood-veneer earcups and suspension-strap headband](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-arya-organic-open-back-headphone-1152w.avif) ### [HIFIMAN Arya Organic](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/) A continuation of the Arya series at $1,300 (or $1,100 on sale) - the most resolving headphone at this price, with spectacular detail and bass you can feel. Score 9.2 out of 10 Highly Recommended $1,099 - **Sound:** Bright, wide stage - **Impedance:** 16 Ω - **Sensitivity:** 94 dB/mW - **Driver:** Planar magnetic - Black plastic earcups feel premium vs. gunmetal Stealth - Halved impedance (16Ω) - drives easily - Most resolving headphones at this price - microdetails pop clearly **Watch out:** Vocals slightly forward, background vocals also pop [HIFIMAN Arya Organic review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/) #5 ![The grill-less Arya Unveiled with its planar driver and Stealth Magnets fully exposed - no protective grille](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-arya-unveiled-exposed-driver-1152w.avif) ### [HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-unveiled/) An open-back planar that strips away the outer grill entirely - exposing the driver to deliver dead-silent backgrounds, holographic imaging, and the smoothest Arya treble yet. Score 9.1 out of 10 Highly Recommended $1,299 - **Sound:** Warm, analytical - **Impedance:** 27 Ω - **Sensitivity:** 94 dB - **Driver:** Planar magnetic - Holographic imaging with dead-silent background - New fabric-sleeved crystalline copper stock cable - Grill-less design eliminates micro-reflections off protective metal **Watch out:** Driver fully exposed [HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-unveiled/) #6 Best Budget ![The Denafrips Enyo 15th's front panel with its metal buttons and red sample-rate and input LEDs](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/denafrips-enyo-15th-front-panel-1152w.avif) ### [Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-enyo-15th/) A $700 true balanced R2R ladder DAC with an O-Core transformer, I²S input, and a natural, musical sound that easily competes with delta-sigma converters costing far more. Score 9.1 out of 10 Highly Recommended $699 - **Sound:** Warm, wide stage - **Inputs:** USB, Coaxial, Optical, I²S - **Outputs:** RCA, Balanced XLR - **Architecture:** True balanced R2R ladder, 24-bit + 6-bit DSD (OS/NOS, slow/sharp filters) - I²S input alongside USB, coax, and optical - True balanced R2R ladder with 0.01% tolerance resistors - Selectable OS/NOS modes and slow/sharp filters **Watch out:** I²S pinout isn't standardized [Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-enyo-15th/) #7 ![The AD-1PA+'s brushed-aluminium front panel with its red-lit standby button ringed by an LED status indicator](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/tonewinner-ad-1pa-front-panel-1152w.avif) ### [Tonewinner AD-1PA+](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/tonewinner-ad-1pa-plus/) A 43kg switchable Class A/AB power amplifier paired with a fully balanced preamp - 100W Class A or 500W Class AB into 4Ω with serious bass control and golden-hued mids. Score 9.0 out of 10 Highly Recommended $3,175 - **Power output:** 100 W Class A / 300 W Class AB into 8 Ω · 500 W Class AB (one channel driven) into 4 Ω - **Inputs:** Balanced XLR, RCA - **Outputs:** Dual A/B speaker binding posts - Massive 43kg overbuilt chassis with side heatsinks - Switchable Class A / Class AB topology - Fully balanced differential input and BTL output stages **Watch out:** Significant heat output in Class A mode [Tonewinner AD-1PA+ review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/tonewinner-ad-1pa-plus/) #8 ![A Woody Queen panel standing in the listening room beside a floor-standing speaker and the audio rack](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/ekustik-woody-queen-in-room-1152w.avif) ### [Ekustik Woody Queen](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/ekustik-woody-queen/) Handmade Czech acoustic panels with a luxurious wood frame and PET felt core - true broadband absorption to 100Hz, zero fiberglass, and a 0.94 NRC rating. Score 9.0 out of 10 Highly Recommended From €399/panel from $430/panel approx. - **Type:** Broadband acoustic absorber - **Dimensions:** 60 × 120 cm - **Core:** PET felt (Envizol), fiberglass-free - NRC up to 0.94 - 94% sound absorption - True broadband absorber, effective down to 100Hz - 60x120cm standard footprint suits most rooms **Watch out:** 15cm Performance Bass version is chunky on the wall [Ekustik Woody Queen review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/ekustik-woody-queen/) #9 ![The Denafrips Hades 12th's brushed-aluminium front: an input/standby knob, the red dot-matrix volume display, and the volume knob](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/denafrips-hades-12th-front-panel-1152w.avif) ### [Denafrips Hades 12th](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-hades-12th/) A pure Class A, fully balanced, true discrete preamp with a 60-step relay-based resistor ladder volume control - perfect channel balance, 0.00045% THD, 122dB SNR. Score 9.0 out of 10 Highly Recommended $1,369 - **Inputs:** 2× balanced XLR, 1× RCA - **Outputs:** Balanced XLR, RCA - **Topology:** R2R ladder - Precision-machined thick aluminum chassis, no flex - 60-step relay-based stepped attenuator (R2R volume) - Perfect channel balance at any volume **Watch out:** Three feet instead of four [Denafrips Hades 12th review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-hades-12th/) #10 Best Value ![The HIFIMAN Sundara's open-back ear cup, showing the metal grille, matte cast frame, and headband bar](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/sundara-open-back-ear-cup-1152w.avif) ### [HIFIMAN Sundara](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara/) An amazing value proposition - the latest Sundara revision performs exceptionally well at $300 in the open-back planar market. It's just steel. Score 9.0 out of 10 Highly Recommended $299 - **Sound:** Warm, bass-heavy - **Impedance:** 32 Ω - **Sensitivity:** 94 dB/mW - **Weight:** 372 g - Great wide and decently accurate soundstage - Strong dynamics with serious punch and slam - Fast transients with above-average decay **Watch out:** Inner pad diameter likely too small for many ears [HIFIMAN Sundara review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara/) ## Torn between two picks? {#matchups-heading} 3 pairs from this list with a head-to-head page of their own. [#4 HIFIMAN Arya Organic #1 HIFIMAN HE1000se 9.2 vs 9.3](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-organic-vs-hifiman-he1000se/)[#5 HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled #1 HIFIMAN HE1000se 9.1 vs 9.3](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-unveiled-vs-hifiman-he1000se/)[#4 HIFIMAN Arya Organic #5 HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled 9.2 vs 9.1](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-organic-vs-hifiman-arya-unveiled/) ## Questions buyers ask {#faq-heading} 1. ### What does 'reference grade' actually mean? {#guide-best-reference-grade-audio-gear-faq-what-does-reference-grade-actually-mean} On this site, a 9.0 or higher means the piece is the benchmark in its category at its price tier - the unit that other gear in the same class gets compared against. A 9.0 headphone is reference for headphones; a 9.0 DAC is reference for DACs. The scale is anchored within each category, not against the catalogue as a whole, so a 9.0 doesn't mean a piece is better than every 8.9; it means it's the unit that defines what the price tier can do. 2. ### Is every 9.0+ piece automatically 'Reference' verdict? {#guide-best-reference-grade-audio-gear-faq-is-every-9-0-piece-automatically-reference-verdict} No. The Reference verdict is reserved for pieces that hit 9.0+ AND have no meaningful flaws at their price tier. A 9.1 headphone with a known driver quirk that affects 5% of users gets Highly Recommended, not Reference. A 9.2 power conditioner with no meaningful flaws gets Reference. Both are on this list because both crossed the 9.0 threshold. 3. ### Why is the list ranked by raw score and not by category? {#guide-best-reference-grade-audio-gear-faq-why-is-the-list-ranked-by-raw-score} Score is the only number that's directly comparable across categories on this site. A 9.2 headphone earned the same scoring rigor as a 9.2 DAC or 9.2 power conditioner. Ranking by category would imply we think one category is more important than another - we don't. We just publish the score, and the score sorts itself. 4. ### What changes a piece's score after it's published? {#guide-best-reference-grade-audio-gear-faq-what-changes-a-piece-s-score-after-it} Two things. First, a new reference arrives - if something genuinely better at the same price tier ships, the old reference may drop a fraction of a point as the bar moves. Second, a long-term reliability issue emerges that wasn't visible during the review window. A changed score is a substantive edit, so it moves the review's updated date. Most audio reviews use a five-star scale because most audio reviews are written for SEO. Five stars is generous, easy to skim, and meaningless - half the products on every retail aggregator land between 4.2 and 4.7. The scale has no anchor: a five-star $30 cable and a five-star $30,000 speaker are calibrated against different benchmarks, by different reviewers, on different days, against nothing in particular. We use a 10-point scale anchored to a published reference list. A 9.0 here means something: it means the piece is the benchmark in its category at its price tier. A 9.0 doesn't get awarded because the marketing was compelling. It gets awarded after weeks of head-to-head testing against whatever currently holds the reference slot in that category, on the same chain, with the same recordings. This shortlist is everything in the catalogue that crossed that line. ## Reading a 9.0 across categories {#reading-a-90-across-categories} A 9.2 power conditioner earned its score against other power conditioners, not against a 9.2 headphone. When two pieces from different categories share a score, both sit at the top of their own field; they do not sound the same, and they do not solve the same problem. That is the only way a cross-category list can be honest, and it is also why this one is uneven by category. Headphones make up most of it, because the catalogue's deepest field is [open-back](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/open-back/) [planars](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/planar-magnetic/) and four of them have reached 9.0: the [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/), [Arya Organic](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/), [Arya Unveiled](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-unveiled/) and [Sundara](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara/). Amplification contributes three, one for headphones and two for speakers. There is one [DAC](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/dac/), and two accessories whose categories rarely produce a benchmark at all. What is missing says as much. No loudspeaker, no in-ear monitor and no digital source has reached 9.0 yet; the best of each sits on its own guide, just under the line. If you are building a speaker system, this list gives you the electronics and the room, and the [speakers guide](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-speakers/) gives you the speakers. ## Building a chain from this list {#building-a-chain-from-this-list} Because every piece here is a benchmark in its own role, the list can be read as a set of systems rather than a ranking. **A headphone system.** The [HIFIMAN Serenade](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-serenade/) is an [R2R](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/r-2r/) DAC, a discrete [Class A](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#class-a) headphone amp and a network [streamer](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#streamer) in one box, so it and one headphone from this list are a complete chain: the [HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) at the top, or the [Sundara](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara/) at $299 for most of the way there. **A speaker system's electronics.** The [Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-enyo-15th/) has [balanced](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/balanced/) [XLR](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#xlr) outputs, the [Denafrips Hades 12th](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/denafrips-hades-12th/) is a fully balanced preamp with XLR in and out, and the [Tonewinner AD-1PA+](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/tonewinner-ad-1pa-plus/) takes balanced XLR in and is stable down to 2 ohms. One caution from the Enyo's own review: its outputs are high [impedance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/impedance/), so check the [input impedance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#input-impedance) of whatever follows it. **The room and the mains.** The [Ekustik Woody Queen](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/ekustik-woody-queen/) panels and the [Synergistic Research PowerCell 14](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/synergistic-research-powercell-14/) work on the two things every system shares. Treat the room first; conditioning earns its place only where there is noise to remove. ## Reference-grade is not the reference chain {#reference-grade-is-not-the-reference-chain} The six pieces every review on this site is heard against are published on the homepage as the reference chain. Four of them are on this list. The other two, the [Triangle Australe EZ](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/triangle-australe-ez/) loudspeaker and the Denafrips Hermes 12th digital source, are not, because they score below 9.0. The chain is a fixed yardstick, chosen so that every review is heard the same way; this list is a score threshold. Being on one is not the same as being on the other. ## What "reference" actually means on this list {#what-reference-actually-means-on-this-list} The Reference verdict is the highest in our five-tier scale: Reference, Highly Recommended, Recommended, Mixed, Pass. To earn Reference, a piece needs a 9.0-or-better score, no meaningful flaws at its price tier, and a sound or function that defines what the category can do at the price. Highly Recommended is one tier down, and it can carry a 9.0-plus score with a meaningful caveat - a known driver behavior, an ergonomic issue, software stability, a feature gap - that stops it being called the unambiguous benchmark. Pieces in this tier are on this list because the score is the same. The verdict tier is the asterisk. ## Just below the line {#just-below-the-line} Pieces scoring 8.7 to 8.9 are not on this list, and they are still excellent: they are the difference between "extraordinary at the price" and "the reference at the price." The [open-back guide](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-open-back-headphones/) and the [headphone amplifier guide](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-headphone-amplifiers/) both reach further down the score scale. Pieces in active testing are not on this list either. We don't pre-announce reviews, and a piece doesn't appear in any guide until the [listening window](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#listening-window) is complete and the verdict is published. Ranked by score, on the one rubric every review uses: Sound 30%, Technical performance 25%, Build & comfort 15%, System fit 15% and Value 15%. Best Value goes to the pick, other than the winner, with the most score for its price (score against the log of the price). Best Budget goes to the highest-ranked pick not already awarded in the cheapest quarter of the list. No placement here is sponsored, paid for, or negotiable. [How a score is built](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#rubric) · [Funding and independence](https://theaudiostuff.com/legal/#advertising-title) ## Related buying guides {#related-heading} ### [Best Open-Back Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-open-back-headphones/) 14 picks, led by the HIFIMAN HE1000se (9.3/10). 10 of them are not on this list, led by the OLLO Audio X1 (8.9/10). ### [Best Headphone Amplifiers](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-headphone-amplifiers/) 4 picks, led by the HIFIMAN Serenade (9.3/10). 3 of them are not on this list, led by the HIFIMAN EF500 (8.2/10). ### [Best DACs](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-dacs/) 8 picks, led by the Denafrips Enyo 15th Anniversary (9.1/10). 7 of them are not on this list, led by the Henry Audio DA 256 (8.2/10). ## Tools for this shortlist {#guide-tools-heading} Finder ### [Help Me Choose: Audio Gear Finder Quiz](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/help-me-choose/) What should I buy? ![Jakub Charkiewicz, founder & lead reviewer at The Audio Stuff](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/jakub-charkiewicz-112w.avif) Curated by ## [Jakub Charkiewicz](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) {#guide-author-box-title} Founder & lead reviewer · on The Audio Stuff since May 2023 [Full profile & standards](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) [@TheAudioStuff (opens in new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudioStuff) [LinkedIn (opens in new tab)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-charkiewicz) [Report a correction](https://theaudiostuff.com/contact/#report-correction)