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Best DAC under 2k US ?

I'm thinking of a DAC for my nearfield focal monitors (CMS series). I'm looking for a nuetral to warmish sounding DAC without overly harsh or bright tonality and also musical.

I don't know much about DAC's and I can't audition where I am right now.

Calyx DAC, Bel Canto, Peachtree, Ayer, W4S, Weiss Minerva. Anything else?

Which would suit me best.

Thanks
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Showing 2 responses by phusis

phusis's avatar
phusis
1,248 posts
 
NuForce DAC-9.
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,248 posts
 
There's also HEGEL's HD20, with the (to my mind) very worthwhile feature:

... The HD20 has a high performance digital pre amplifier, fully capable of driving a high end power amplifier.

http://www.hegel.com/hd20.htm

Price in Scandinavia is roughly $1700, so I'm assuming it won't (severely) exceed $2k in the US.

(ultraaudio.com's review of my other recommendation above, the NuForce DAC-9 - also with build-in preamp, though not with the asynchronous 192k USB input that's now available:

http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205:nuforce-dac-9-digital-to-analog-converter&catid=37:full-length-reviews&Itemid=2)
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