FWIW, i have enjoyed the newer Wadia DACs a lot. to my ears, i have found the newer 2 generations impart quite a natural tone in the right system. I have heard ARC, Krell, Zanden, Esoteric, Stahl-Tek, and a few others.
My favorite is the Zanden which, second hand, might just be a margin above your budget (or perhaps not). The key is the Zanden is 16/44.1 only, so you might wish, given your stated desire for future needs, to have greater flexibility for hi-res. good luck.
My favorite is the Zanden which, second hand, might just be a margin above your budget (or perhaps not). The key is the Zanden is 16/44.1 only, so you might wish, given your stated desire for future needs, to have greater flexibility for hi-res. good luck.