A member here A/B'd the RME vs Soekris on approval and sent the Soekris back.
DACs with Preamp Stages, Pt 2
First, I’d like to thank everyone who responded to my last post on DACS that do well without a preamp (https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/dacs-that-do-well-without-a-preamp?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website)
The responses led me to consider several DACs I had not originally had on my radar, particularly RME-ADI 2 FS, soekris 1541, Bel Canto e.One 2.7, and Hegel HD30.
Recently, I also had a chance to hear a used Auralic Vega DAC, and thought it sounded very good, especially at a price point of ~$1200. Since this is the least up-to-date of the DACS I’m considering, I do wonder if it makes sense to buy a DAC from 2014, when there has reportedly been so much change since then. Am I likely to find noticeable improvement with any of the DACs above?