Best DAC $1000 and under used

Just observing the passing circus here, but find it interesting that no one has asked/specified what the transport is. (Or what DAC/player is currently used that Gixerman desires to upgrade. Or what the speakers are for that matter.) My own DAC will sound quite different when fed from different transports or players, even with a jitterbox in between. Without this info, recommendations could be like whistling in the dark...

Gixerman: Trust me, I'm being as "real" as real can be, and not just for my benefit. But don't get bent out of shape, read my post on your other thread.

OK, I guess :-) You and I actually have similar systems in many ways, and I suppose if you posted this thread after the other one, then you may have come to the same conclusion about the Link as I was suggesting. My "just observing the passing circus" quip was more about me not purporting to have a specific recommendation than it was about the points I raised afterward, valid though I feel they are. Anyway, best of luck with whatever you try.

I can't speak to the sonic differences between a modded Link and the Gold Link. But FWIW, a "hard" treble was not among the faults I found with the Gold -- quite the opposite in fact. Then again, reading your other thread, you and I hold pretty much opposite opinions of what the MSB upsampling does to the sound, and also the effect of the Monarchy DIP to a degree, so take that for what it's worth. And also this: I own a Pearl, and am familiar with the sound of the Data Basic. IMO, Theta transports have their virtues but treble sweetness is not prime among them. One thing you might also try, if you haven't already, is a "filtering"-type power cord on the digital stuff.