I went from a Vault2 using their internal DAC, to using the Vault with an external DAC, big improvement, then I upgraded the Vault to an Aurender N200 with the outboard DAC. Very happy with the improvements that each change gave me. Each was a step up and well worth it.
Yes, I see lots of haters for brands such as PS Audio, McIntosh and Aurender. Some on B&W speakers also.