Apex is best known for its all-out Pinnacle headphone amp, a $10,000, two-chassis, three-tube beast. The new Apex Glacier ($495) is a 24-bit/96kHz DAC as well as a headphone amp, and its gain switch makes it suitable for use with a wider selection of 'phones.

The Glacier is thinner than an iPod and only a little bigger, so an entire portable listening system, including in-ear monitors, will fit easily in a shirt pocket.