Electronics Manufacturers for Digital Music: Power Amps, Preamps, Integrated Amps, DACs, CD Players, Streaming Devices, Music Servers

  • Aavik Acoustics - A member of the Audio Group Of Denmark companies.  This company manufactures high-end solid-state audio electronic components including several types of amplifiers, digital/analog converters, phono stages and streamers.
  • AGD - Italian-born nuclear engineer and audio designer, Alberto Guerra is the founder, CEO, and chief designer of AGD Productions, Inc., the California high-end audio company he established in 2015 in Los Angeles.  The company's products include mono and stereo amplifiers, an integrated amp, and DAC/preamps.  The company is known as a pioneer and technology leader in the area of Gallium Nitride(GaN)-based Class-D amplifier technology.
  • Antipodes - A company founded in 2009 that is dedicated to creating musically-expressive Music Servers/Streamers for great audio systems. 
  • Aurender - Manufacturer of Digital Music Servers and DACs. They are based in Lake Forest, CA.
  • Benchmark Media Systems - Benchmark manufactures high-end audiophile electronics including power amps, line amps (preamps), headphone amps, DACs and cables. Benchmark began in 1983 as the "Benchmark Sound Company", a small operation working out of a garage in Garland, Texas.   The company was incorporated as Benchmark Media Systems, in 1985, and relocated to Syracuse, NY. 
  • Bluesound - Manufacturer of wireless premium Hi-Res multi-room Streamers and speakers.
  • Border Patrol - A company located in Bristow, VA that manufactures a number of Vacuum Tube Amplifiers that use the ever-popular 300B triode in single-ended, parallel single-ended and push-pull configurations, as well as a DAC that uses a tube rectified power supply.
  • Boulder Amplifiers - A company located near Boulder, CO that has been building amplifiers since the mid-1980s. They started out building amps for pro audio applications in recording studios and moved into high-end audiophile stereo amps in the mid 1990s.  They have won numerous awards over the years, and their current line of products include very expensive high-end solid-state power amps, preamps, integrated amps, phono preamps, a preamp/DAC and DACs.
  • Bricasti Design - Manufacturer of audiophile amps, preamp, DACs, streamers and network players.  The company is based in Shirley, MA.
  • Chord Electronics - A British company that manufactures Solid State electronics including Streamers, Phono Stages, Upscalers, DACs (both standalone and mobile), Preamps, Power Amps and Integrated Amps.
  • Classé - A Canadian audio brand known for high-performance music and theater components, such as solid-state amplifiers, pre-amplifiers and surround sound processors.  The company was founded in 1979 by Mike Viglas and David Reich.  Classé components are designed in Montréal and manufactured in Shirakawa, Japan.
  • Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems - A manufacturer of high-end audiophile solid-state fully-balanced electronics including power amps, preamps, integrated amps and phono preamps.  The company is located in Cave Creek, AZ and was founded in 2011.
  • dCS Audio -   A manufacturer of audiophile digital audio electronic components, including DACs, Upsamplers, Clock and CD/SACD Transports, and a single component that combines a DAC, Music Streamer, Upsampler, Preamp and Headphone Amplifier.  The company was founded in 1987 in Cambridge, England by Oxford University graduate Mike Story and a team of electronics engineers.
  • Elac - A prestigious German audio manufacturer renowned for engineering high-performance loudspeakers, subwoofers, and audio electronics.  Founded in Kiel, Germany, in 1926, the company has spent a century pioneering acoustic innovations, transitionally evolving from nautical instruments to world-class home audio and audiophile equipment.  They are known as a manufacturer of reasonably priced electronics and loudspeakers primarily due to its collaboration with legendary speaker designer Andrew Jones, who helped create the groundbreaking, high-value Debut series, bringing true audiophile sound quality down to accessible price points. Their North American division is located in California.
  • Electrocompaniet A manufacturer of high-end audiophile electronics located in Norway, in business since 1973.  Their EC Living line is their wireless audio collection for 2-channel stereo within a single room.  The collection includes a streamer, a streamer with built-in amp, a small wireless satellite loudspeaker with streamer and DAC built-in, a small wireless satellite add-on loudspeaker minus the streamer and DAC, a wireless subwoofer and stands to mount the satellite loudspeakers.
  • Esoteric - A Japanese manufacturer of high-end audiophile electronics. The pride and mission of Esoteric is to reproduce the Original Master Sound.  Their products include solid-state power amps, preamp, integrated amps, phono preamps, SACD/CD players, DACs, master clock generators, turntables, and high-end audio cables.
  • Geshelli Labs - A company that manufactures reasonably-priced DACs and Headphone Amplifiers.
  • Grandinote - An Italian company producing a line of audiophile loudspeakers and solid-state electronics. The company was founded by it's current CEO, Massimiliano Magri, an electronic engineer. The company's electronics use "Magnetosolid® Technology", which uses "tube amplifier schematics" with solid state devices.  Their CEO claims that he has designed the best marriage of tube and solid-state electronics and that all Grandinote devices use solid state components, but their sound is rich and natural, like tube devices. 
  • ​Hegel Music Systems -  A Norwegian high-end audio manufacturer founded in 1988 by Bent Holter that designs and produces award-winning solid state electronics amplifiers, CD players, and phono preamplifiers.  Their products include power amps preamps, integrated amps (some with built-in streamers), phono preamps, CD players, DACs and master clocks.
  • Infigo Audio - A Canadian company founded in 2020 by Hans Looman that manufactures high-end solid-state power amps, preamps, DACs, and cables.
  • KitsuneHiFi (HoloAudio USA) - They strive to deliver the best hand picked audio gear, supplies and components for the Do It Yourselfer kind of person. Their HoloAudio USA division custom builds-to-order their electronics.
  • Lumin Music - A Chinese company based in Hong Kong that was founded in 2012. They concentrate on high-end digital music electronics.  Their products include network players (music streamers), network transports, a solid-state power amp and a network music server.
  • Mytek Audio - An American company whose products include DACs, DAC/Streamer/Preamps, Preamps, Power Amps, Cables and Headphone Amps. Mytek Audio was founded in 1992 in New York City by the current President and Chief Designer, Michal Jurewicz.
  • Nagra - A Swiss company located in the Lake Geneva area founded by Stefan Kudelsk in 1951.  Nagra was THE name in analog tape recording for studio and mobile use through the early to mid 1990s.  They then took over the digital recording world in 1995 when their Ares C digital recorder for broadcast, became the absolute reference for major radio stations around the globe.  The company began producing high-end home Hi-Fi equipment in 1997.  Their current product line includes Power Amps, Preamps, Integrated Amps, Phono Stages, DACs, a Turntable, a moving coil (MC) cartridge, Vibration Free System (VFS) base plates and spiked feet for under the base plates.
  • Naim Audio - A an award-winning British hi-fi manufacturer celebrated for engineering luxury, high-end home audio equipment. The company designs and manufactures solid-state audiophile electronics from separate components to all-in-one systems and includes streaming and multi-room audio components.  They also have a Naim Records division.   Naim was founded in 1973 by Julian Vereker MBE (1945-2000), who was a racing car driver, entrepreneur and self-taught engineer with a deep passion for music.  Naim earned a dedicated global following among audiophiles for its uncompromising design philosophy. Rather than targeting the mass market, the company prioritizes "PRAT" (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing), absolute mechanical grounding, and ultra-isolated power supplies to preserve the pure energy of live musical performances.  Naim operates under the umbrella of VerVent Audio Group alongside French speaker giant Focal.
  • Orchard Audio - A boutique audio company that aims to provide an immersive listening experience by offering top-quality DACs, Streamers, and Amplifiers.  The company is based in New Jersey and was founded in 2017 by Leonid (Leo) Ayzenshtat.
  • Parasound - Founded in 1981, Parasound Products, Inc is a privately owned U.S. company based in San Francisco, CA that specializes in making award winning high quality audio and home theatre components for critical listeners. The company manufactures solid state electronics.  Their product line includes Power Amps, Preamps, Integrated Amps, Phono Stages, DACs, Multichannel Power Amps for Home Theater applications and Multi-zone Power Amps for multi-room audio.  A number of their high end audio and home theater amplifiers have been designed by circuit designer John Curl.
  • Plinius Audio - New Zealand-based manufacturer of solid-state Power Amps, Integrated Amps, Preamps, a Phono Stage, a Digital Network Player, a CD Player/Digital Network Player and a Net Audio Controller/Librarian/Music Player app that runs on an iPad.
  • Schiit - A manufacturer of small-sized and reasonably-priced solid-state audio electronics including Amps, Preamps, DACs, CD/DACs, and Headphone Amps.  The company was founded in 2010 when two audio industry veterans decided it was time to shake things up a bit. The two audiophiles are Jason Stoddard, formerly of Sumo, and Mike Moffat, formerly of Theta. ​

High-end Audiophile DACs

  • Gishelli Labs - Geshelli Labs is a family-owned American audio engineering company based in Melbourne, Florida, that designs and hand-assembles high-performance digital-to-analog converters (DACs), preamps, and headphone amplifiers.  Gishelli Labs was founded in 2017 by Gino and Sherry Geshelli.  Gino handles engineering and circuit design, while Sherry manages operations and custom powder coating.  Products are manufactured and hand-assembled in the U.S., featuring in-house printed circuit board (PCB) creation, chassis coating, wiring, and assembly.   Known for offering unique chassis aesthetics, including textured powder-coated aluminum, custom acrylic/plexiglass tops, and real wood chassis crafted by Gino's father.
  • Immersiv - 
  • Infigo Audio - A Canadian company founded in 2020 by Hans Looman that manufactures high-end solid-state power amps, preamps, DACs, and cables.
  • Jadis Electronics - A French manufacturer of high-end vacuum tube-based audiophile power amps, preamps, integrated amps, phono preamps, CD players and DACs.  The company was founded by André Calmettes in 1983.
  • Mytek Audio - An American company whose products include DACs, DAC/Streamer/Preamps, Preamps, Power Amps, Cables and Headphone Amps. Mytek Audio was founded in 1992 in New York City by the current President and Chief Designer, Michal Jurewicz.
  • Nagra - A Swiss company located in the Lake Geneva area founded by Stefan Kudelsk in 1951.  Nagra was THE name in analog tape recording for studio and mobile use through the early to mid 1990s.  They then took over the digital recording world in 1995 when their Ares C digital recorder for broadcast, became the absolute reference for major radio stations around the globe.  The company began producing high-end home Hi-Fi equipment in 1997.  Their current product line includes Power Amps, Preamps, Integrated Amps, Phono Stages, DACs, a Turntable, a moving coil (MC) cartridge, Vibration Free System (VFS) base plates and spiked feet for under the base plates.
  • Orchard Audio - A boutique audio company that aims to provide an immersive listening experience by offering top-quality DACs, Streamers, and Amplifiers.  The company is based in New Jersey and was founded in 2017 by Leonid (Leo) Ayzenshtat.
  • Empirical Design - A company from Oregon that manufactures high-end audio analog and digital interconnects, speaker and power cables, and computer cables. They sell primarily to end users over the Internet. They also recently started modifying audio components. Their modifications include improving power delivery, signal paths and digital circuitry where applicable. They modify mostly DVD & CD players, DACs and solid-state amplifiers.

Portable, Mobile or Desktop DACs

  • AudioQuest - A company that was founded in 1980 by William E. Low that provides Audio/Video Cables, DACs, Headphones, Power-Conditioning products, and various Audio/Video Accessories.
  • Chord Electronics - A British company that manufactures Solid State electronics including Streamers, Phono Stages, Upscalers, DACs (both standalone and mobile), Preamps, Power Amps and Integrated Amps.
  • iFi Audio - Born in England in 2012 as the brainchild of ultra-hi-fi company AMR, iFi was conceived to deliver portable and desktop audio products that addressed the growing trend of computer-based audio.  Their product line includes DACs for home stereo or portable applications, as well as power conditioner adapters.
  • Jeff Rowland Design Group - A manufacturer of high-end audiophile solid-state Preamp, Power amps, Phono Preamp, Integrated Amps, DACs and Power Storage Units.  The company was founded in 1988 and is located in Colorado Springs, CO.