I have a Pontus II, and, IMHO I think it is pretty hard to beat in the under 2k range.
DAC better than Denafrips Pontus II
As I try to finish out my system, looking at user recommendations for DACs better than the Pontus II. This is one area I have not spent a great deal of time on (the digital side) but I have not found anything negative against the Pontus II or the Ares II.My transport will likely be the Nuprime CDT-8 Pro. I like the AES to AES ability between these two devices. From what I've read, it's the best connection.All comments appreciated.