DAC for Aurender N200

@soix actually AES/EBU is best with N20. N200 only has coax and USB and the latter definitely sounds better.
I ran the N200 with PS Audio DSD MkI, Chord Hugo TT2 and Bricasti M3.
Love the Bricasti DAC.
You can pair the N200 with a lot of good DACs out there.
Used Bricasti M1S2 or even M21 if you’re lucky on a used market.
For PS Audio DSD MkII I would keep an eye on TMR website as they get used PS components frequently. I like PS Audio but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
@fthompson251 just paired his N200 with the latest Denaftips Terminator and he’s impressed. May be he’ll chime in.

@hickamore a word of caution/warning with ARC DACs - only the latest iterations include the USB card that is compatible with Linux based streamers. You would have to check with ARC if the unit includes the latest USB card or was upgraded. Otherwise your N200 is not going to be compatible with DAC9 if you’re planning to use USB.

Few more DACs to add to the list…

Chord DAVE: Awesome DAC but a bit long in a tooth so expect a replacement soon however the prices on a used market are great.
dCS Bartok: older non-Apex version is within your price range. dCS are considered to be top notch DACs. The brand’s been around forever and as with other big names (think Wilson Audio, B&W, McIntosh, etc.) has its fan base as well as plenty of haters. I would not hesitate to try a dCS DAC if one’s available on a used market at a price that would allow for a flip at minimal loss in case you don’t like it. And this is true for other DACs as well. Everything in this hobby is subjective. Some will say dCS sounds analytical, others will state it’s superb and is natural and musical sounding - too many variables to consider and is best to try.

@jonwolfpell that’s my PS Audio DSD MkI vs. Bricasti M3 results as well. No comparison. Especially in noise floor that’s pretty much the foundation for all other improvements over PS A.

@jimboman I use AQ Diamond and it sounds very good with the Bricasti. Good luck and keep me posted. 

@jimboman check your messages I replied there. I would bet a good USB would be better than AES but worth trying. Good AES not sure…haven’t tried anything recently except DH Labs which was decent. 
 

if coax sounds better than USB it means, in most cases, the DAC clock isn’t as good as the clock in the transport/streamer.

@hickamore I have compared the N200 via stock USB vs. via SPDIF using DH Labs digital cable. Yes the coax sounds a bit softer and it may appear to sound slightly more natural at first but the soundstage collapses in comparison and the dynamics are subdued. I haven’t used anything fancier than the DH Labs coax because I saw no point in it - USB sounds more resolving, more dynamic and destroys the coax in soundstage. I use Bricasti M3 DAC and it has a really nice DDS clock that the engineers at Bricasti optimized for their DACs.
I’ve upgraded to AQ Diamond initially and just moved from AQ to Stealth USB after comparing several USB cables. YMMV but you should experiment and determine for yourself in your system what works best for you