The LAIV Harmony Micro DAC. $994 of Pure Music Goodness.

The LAIV Harmony Micro DAC. $994 of Pure Music Goodness.

By Steve Huff

SPOILER: If you are looking for a DAC under $5k and you love full bodied sound with a more organic top end vs analytical, the Micro DAC from LAIV may be right up your alley.

The Video Review 

It’s true. I am a music lover AND a gear addict. This alone has taught me many things but especially and mainly I feel we should never chase gear as it is not worth it, nor does it change anything really. I still do it but that is because I run this site and channel, so these days it’s like a job for me.  Some job huh?

I have heard so many DACs over the last decade and these DACs had price ranges between $29 and $71,000 and yea, for sure DACs can make a drastic difference within a high end system. Not as much in a mid to lower tier system. It really does depend on how revealing your system is as a whole. The more revealing then the more you will heart gear changes. Also, synergy is 100% real and I have been experiencing this more than ever these days as I try AMP A with Speakers A, B and C and I do this with all kind of combos. Even if I have an amazing speaker, it CAN sound subpar with the wrong amp or source.

I always crack a smile when I browse audio forums and people act as if a $100 DAC sounds exactly the same as a $20k DAC. That is pure nonsense. The only DACs I have ever heard that sound pretty much the same are those under $500 as usually they are not that great in parts quality or sound. They often sound similar and have the glaring defects like glare and a digital sound that over time can get unpleasant. I think this is why many still think Vinyl is superior, they have been listening to some very un-refined DACs.

Usually as I spent more on a DAC, I heard more of the music but it wasn’t always “better”. Another thing that has been a constant is that most DACs in the $1k price range sound somewhat similar but some may be leaner, some may be fatter in sound. Overall though, these budget DACs usually still have those digital nasties present and once heard it is hard to not hear them. It’s why I have chased DACs for years and in my system sat a DAC I could not afford, but I did buy used for a fraction of the new cost. Still, the retail of the Nagra HD DAC X is $71k USD. I ended yup having to sell that DAC as I had some financial things happen right after I purchased the Nagra setup. I had no choice and I thought I would miss that DAC immensely, and I kind of do miss it but as I sit and listen now to the LAIV Micro DAC…the pain is much less.

Where I live I can buy a house for $50k, even today in 2025. Many for $75k that are quite decent. Heck, my two homes on 20 acres of hidden private beauty set us back $200k in 2020. We even have a big 4 car garage, a carport and trails on the property. So a DAC that costs $71k retail is just insane to me. Even so, I can not dispute the sound, the design, parts quality and pure beauty. It is the finest DAC I have ever heard or experienced in life, so yea, sometimes price does dictate quality. No, this DAC that costs so much is in no way $70k “better” than what I am listing to right now.

LAIV MICRO

A couple of months ago a new DAC arrived on my doorstep from LAIV. It was the new Micro DAC and man is this thing small but yet built nicely. It’s built to a  level of sat a Chord Qutest and IMO it sounds better, richer, more organic. When it arrived I thought there was no way it would deliver sound I like. I loved the full sized Harmony and at $2700 I feel that DAC is a great buy. It offers up a live sound with a brilliant top end and super great bass. It’s a natural sound and a full R2R DAC. How on earth could this micro sound nearly as good? Well for one it uses the same R2R architecture and parts of the larger Harmony and has a Class A Buffer.

I unboxed the DAC and found the packaging was quite lovely, just like the full size Harmony. Just mini.

I saw that this DAC has only an XLR output and does not have any RCA outs, so it is a balanced only design. One can use adapters though, and they are cheap at $7 a pair HERE. 

This DAC is a fully balanced design and the output buffer runs in class A which means it does run a little warm. There are several inputs such as I2S, COAX, Optical and USB. Its simple design means it has one rotary dial on the front and two small buttons next to it. One for selecting menu items and one for going through them. There is one power button and a nice display on the front that reads out the resolution of the file being played.

I placed it in the system after disconnecting the Nagra and expected a huge shrinkage of the sound.

OK….

I started with Tidal streaming and as soon as I hit play and heard the first sounds my jaw dropped. I mean, really. The reason is at first I didn’t notice a huge difference between the LAIV and the $71k Nagra! Oh yes, I heard the differences as I listened more and swapped them out again and again but this little guy gave me a very impressive first impression.

I noticed some similarities between it and the Nagra like some warmth in the mid body of the music, more organic treble that was in no way analytical. Bass was big, just like the Nagra but maybe bigger by a sliver. Where they differ is resolution and in the way each delivers the soundstage and handles the imaging.

As I listened deep into the night, every night since getting this DAC it was blowing my mind at how musical, refined and smooth it was for $994. Usually this price range of DACs can sound sharp, leaner in the mids or grainy even. None of this was present in the LAIV Micro.

This DAC is a special rarity that comes along every now and again in this hobby. Something that is much better than its price dictates. Now, I can not speak to the longevity or reliability here as I have now only had it for 3 months or so. No issues yet.

I have it paired up with my Nagra Streamer and the combo is simply awesome. The Nagra streamer has the Nagra character, which is detailed yet organic. Open, but with some warmth and body. When I compared this streamer to any other I had here, I always preferred the Nagra. The Streamer from Nagra is my fave piece from them that they make because it’s also the lowest cost piece they make. It’s $5k but because it’s in a plain sculpted metal box instead of one with meters, knobs and dials they can make them more affordable (it is for Nagra gear). There is no app, no remote control other than your smart device. It works amazing with Spotify connect, Tidal connect and is ROON ready. You can use a 3rd party app for Qobuz.

This Dynamic Duo of Nagra Streamer and LAIV Micro DAC is truly a knock out and while you do not need a Nagra streamer to get the most of the Micro DAC, its one that will bring a richer sound if that is what you desire.

The LAIV Micro DAC is a knockout and the only downside I see is that there are no RCA outs, but then again, adapters for under $10 can be used if you want to use RCA. You can upgrade to a linear power supply but it’s not needed here. In fact, I would not seek more refinement for my system as it’s already stunning and just to my liking.

This is the best DAC deal going in 2025. Under a grand for such a performer. Some reviewers will tell you it’s the best DAC under $1k. I will tell you that it may be the best under $5k. I prefer it to the $5k+ HiFi Rose DAC I reviewed not so long ago, and I enjoyed that one a lot. This is one case where money doesn’t dictate the quality. The review game can be political as well, where some are afraid to say things like I just did. I do not care though, I just say what I feel. The LAIV Micro Harmony brings a lot of the flavor and then some from some expensive boxes but also, synergy is a thing. If your speakers are very warm and bloated, this would not be the DAC for you. If you have neutral speakers, that maybe could use a dose of “oomph” and beauty, you must hear the Micro DAC!

SEE THE LAIV MOCRO DAC PAGE HERE and you can even read reviews from customers who have bought from them. It currently has a 5 out of 5 rating from those who purchased.