Considering an upgrade

Thanks for your reply. Have you used one or the other of these? The CPU performances seems fairly low. How do them do running Roon driving multiple zones, and/or using DSP functionality? Are these generally used as streamers (using the USB output) or just as servers?

Thanks.

Thanks for all the comments. The only reason I was considering replacing the PC as the Roon core was to find something that could work in my stereo rack and eliminate the Ethernet cabling. The current PC is not silent so it's located in another room. I think I'd probably only consider replacing it if I could combine with a streamer. So the W4S or Innuos devices are definitely options too consider. 

My Yggy DAC is now my oldest component. I had a W4S Dac-2 prior to this and was never happy with the sound. I ordered the Yggy based on the positive reviews and liked the way it sounded so kept it after the trial period. So I haven't actually auditioned anything else in my current system. 

I went many years without making significant changes to my system. It's only been the past couple years that I've been working to upgrade my system to get the level of sound quality that I can be happy with for a while. 

I'm not sure that I want to upgrade the digital front end, but since these are now my oldest components, I thought I'd at least explore the options. This is also driven somewhat by my acquisition of new speakers which are much more revealing. 

Thanks for the comments. I really like the Roon interface and have a lifetime subscription. I also have four Bluesound Node 2is that I use for other zones in my house, so I would like to stick with Roon. 

I've spent some time looking into the Innuos Zen Mk3 and it seems like a good value. For those that have used this as a Roon server and endpoint, does it have enough horsepower to handle a few zones (almost always playing the same music) and a little DSP work (such as a couple of parametric equalization filters)?

I have a couple of old Intel NUCs lying around from my business, so installing Roon ROCK on one of those might also be an option. Anyone have experience with this? 

I'm also interested in hearing about DAC recommendations in the <$6K range that would be noticeably better than the Yggy. Particularly in the smoothness of the midrange. The dealers in my local area don't seem to carry many of the "hot" DACs, so auditioning will probably require a purchase with return option, which I'm somewhat reluctant to do unless I feel there is a good chance that I'd keep it.

The three DACs that I've read a lot about that seem intriguing are the PS Audio DirectStream, the Lapizator Amber 3, and the Denafrips Terminator. 

@nekoaudio - I don't have much experience auditioning different DACs. I've heard a few other systems, but the only DACs I've had extensive time with in the past ten years is the Levinson No 39, W4S DAC-2, and my Yggy. I had owned the No 39 since the mid 90s when I started to get into computer audio. At the time, I was using a USB to SPDIF converter which wasn't very reliable, so I bought the W4S. Unfortunately, I found that I liked the sound of the No 39 more, even though it was 15 years old. A couple years later, I bought the Yggy based on all the positive reviews, and liked it much better than the other two. 

My interest in the three DACs is based on other's comments and reviews. I have not heard any of them. I'm curious about your comments regarding a different direction than the Yggy. Can you elaborate?

Thanks,