Consider a used Audiophilleo (if it has the PurePower, the better), with a Metrum Octave Mk.I. I have this setup which I bought new, and recently bought an exaSound e22 that retails for $3.5k and is new (and getting much praise). If playing PCM through JRiver the Metrum+AP sounds better. Much better. So much so I will be selling the e22.
FWIW, Steve Nugent from Empirical Audio has been quite vocal here saying the clock is where you should spend most of you budget.more so than on the DAC itself. That is what the AP with PP strives for, and the Metrum is one sweet DAC.
FWIW, Steve Nugent from Empirical Audio has been quite vocal here saying the clock is where you should spend most of you budget.more so than on the DAC itself. That is what the AP with PP strives for, and the Metrum is one sweet DAC.