DAC for Aurender N200

Seems like this topic pops up every few weeks so I'll toss my Canor, DAC 2.10 into the mix. For $4K it's is as good if not better than all but the very hiend Mola Mola, Berkeley, DCS and Meitner pieces. I listened to a bunch in the $3-$7500 range and the Canor was superior in almost every way to the others including Weiss, PS Audio, Benchmark, etc. The separation of musical instruments in the soundstage is what floored me. Zero grain, no digital remanence whatsoever. I am partial to tube DACs especially in a highly resolving setup and this Canor has been a terrific addition to my system. Definately worth a demo. Just my experience...

@hickamore 

I think that’s the way to go. My best set up was a Rogue RP7 w/upgraded tubes and a pair of top of the line Odyssey Kismet monos. Only had one source so figured it was overkill .

sold everything and bought a Coda CSiB integrated. A very fine integrated but did not compete with my previous set up. 

@hickamore, my suggestion would be to audition the best DAC that you can afford and that sounds good to you. Streamers don’t mean a thing unless they’re sending the bits to an equivalently capable DAC. 

@adasdad Right, that is where this thread originated. I have researched every DAC mentioned, about 30 of them, and compiled my short list. Plan is to audition those available new within my budget, and if unsatisfied, try those on used market offering quick turnaround in case of dissatisfaction. That said, the bar is pretty low for audible improvement on my existing "legacy" DAC.

@hickamore, which of the DACs that have been mentioned attract your attention the most? Are you looking for sonic accuracy, musicality, reference quality neutral presentation, or a shiny powered box that weighs 20lbs sitting somewhere near the rest of your gear?