The overall player implementation affects the sound as much as the DAC chip does, so it requires listening to determine which implementation suits one's tastes better.
Listen and compare. Think about whether you like the idea of using an iPad to control the network player to play music, without depending on other things like a computer. Think about whether AirPlay is important to you, e.g. iPad YouTube -> AirPlay -> player, or iPad music or other online music app -> AirPlay -> player.