Is there a DAC ranking list?

Based Upon the Responses…it looks like buying a Bluesound NODE would be the best next step.  That would replace streaming from my iPad Pro and AirPort Express.  Then I could follow up later with a better DAC.  
The responses will help me narrow down the best Value in a DAC.

Hi,

Just my 2 cents and I am an importer/distributor for audio brands.

We have A/B tested slightly over 100 DAC's and approximately 30 different servers/streamers. The most overlooked part of digital is the actual set up. Running a separate router, upgraded connection from the router to the server/streamer and the digital cable from the DAC to the server/streamer.

In terms of DAC's, my personal favorite is the 130 lbs Aries Cerat Kassandra. However as a combination and at a much more realistic price point I really like the Rockna DAC's and matching Rockna Wavedream Net server/streamer. If I had to keep just 1 DAC for the remainder of my life it would be the Aries Cerat Kassandra paired with the Pink Faun 2.16 Ultra server/streamer.

There is lots of good digital product but it very difficult to find digital manufacturers that build both a server/streamer with the matching DAC and clock them together perfectly. I recommend that everybody buys their server/streamer first and then focuses on the DAC.

These are just my opinions so please be gentle and have a nice weekend.

Cheers,

@smer319 

The CH Precision Factory certified $29K dac is a bargain with a HD streamer board. 

A fine example of the kind of comment that only a high end dealer living in their high end world might come out with.

I bet even Stereopile would baulk at uttering such obvious drivel.

"The CH Precision Factory certified $29K dac is a bargain with a HD streamer board. "

I just ordered three, one for each one of my homes.  I got a 10% discount because i am a senior citizen. hahaha

The first question to ask yourself is what problem you're trying to solve. For example, when I bought a small-format desktop computer its sound output was awful because it used the minimal sound support on the motherboard and because there was so much electronic noise inside the box. I realized that this was a use case for the Griffin iMic I'd had in a drawer for years. Moving the D->A conversion outside the computer made a huge improvement even with a low-end, decades-old chip.

I took the same approach in the living room. My TV set is the hub for all the digital inputs, so I fed the TV's TOSlink optical digital output to an entry-level Schiit DAC and now hear a big improvement because the outboard DAC is so much better than what's in the TV.

So, how good is the DAC circuitry in the devices that are now in your system's signal chain? Adding a better DAC is a cost-effective way to improve the sound if what you have is marginal, just as choosing a better cartridge is the most cost-effective way to improve the sound you hear from your LPs.