Higher End DACs

I wonder how much of the above we all comprehend? What was the question again?!
Any DAC with the top shelf DA chip-sets is halfway to nirvana, the other half is quite a mark of the jitter and clock designs...that’s the hard part to DAC design. The designers who get that second part right are leading the market and most of us consumers have no idea what that is all about. Someone above said it is very difficult to hear many differences in a blindfolded Pepsi challenge, I agree with that.

Take a block of gold and machine out a pocket so it slides over a iFi Audio PRO iDSD DAC and then you’ll have a DAC that streams, has a preamp mode, has a tube stage, upsampling filters, ultra-quiet power supply etc. and still sounds sounds better than any $20k DAC on the market.
Machine some solid knobs out of silver and glue them onto the two rotary controls, you’ll still have a DAC that sounds better than a $25k unit.
I have no problem paying $20k plus for a DAC, I don’t care what a DAC costs. I want the BEST DAC for my two systems, and spent a lot of time searching for it, both systems are running McIntosh gear. the office system (near field) is using active ATC monitors where the listener can hear the DAC’s smallest nuances with extreme detail, as well as everything else on the recording.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/pro-idsd/I have two iFi PRO iDSD DACs and until something big happens I don’t think it gets any better.

Steve Segal in Seattle is a very personable dealer who is one-on-one with all his customers.

Audio Video Concepts and Design

15336 NE 96th PL. Suite C-3

Redmond, WA. 98052

(PH) 425.881.5621

www.avcd.com & steves@avcd.com

I don’t know where to buy the block of gold, but you’ll have plenty of funds left over to do so.

This list reads like the A+ category of Stereophile's recommended processor list.  So let me add the  PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream DAC from that list.
I've had this DAC for 2 years now and really like it.  I've got it connected to a McIntosh MX151 -> MC452 -> B&W 803D2, which is my front speaker setup.  You can make it a network streaming endpoint using the Network Bridge II card, which I do have installed.  But I have to say it sounds a little better going through my old Mac Mini (2012) via a WireWorld USB cable.  Either way it's an excellent DAC and has the advantage of being able to upgrade it's firmware via an SD card on its rear panel, each upgrade does make it sound better too (it uses FPGAs), I've been through 5 firmware upgrades now and each as refined the sound for better.  

https://www.psaudio.com/directstream-dac

Additionally, I'm currently using Roon for streaming to it today, along with 4 other endpoints in my house.  When switching to Digital its software that is also worth a look. For me it really took the headache out of streaming and has made my listening experience fun without working to get music streamed reliably.

https://roonlabs.com

I recently purchased a Benchmark DAC3 DX and totally love it. Benchmark makes a veryu special line of products. The sound is very smooth and analogue-like in character. Good for all day listening without fatigue.

I also am also enjoying the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC.  Also using a Roon Nucleus, Parasound Hint Integrated, to Sonus Faber Olympica III speakers. Sounds terrific. The DAC upgrades are a major plus as each upgrade improves the DAC. Never need to replace it. Great waf…  Good luck in your search for great sound.  

@ufguy73  I have been running two cd transports (Esoteric P-0s VUK, Forsell Air Reference CD Transport MKII) into TotalDac DAC, then feed Burmester preamp and 911 MK3 power amp before going to current speakers from Voxativ Ampeggio Signatures.  Interconnects are Tara Labs Zero Gold/Analysis Plus Golden Oval/Kharma Enigma.  Power cords are Stealth V10 and above plus several NBS Black Label IIIs.  I am using Ansuz D2 grounding station.  My Burmester amp is over power for the Voxativ speakers and I am planning to change soon, but still sounds beautifully musical.  Cheers!