Please recommend a budget tube dac

MHDT Havana:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue45/mhdt_havana.htm
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1208/mhdt_labs_havana.htm
http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/havana_dac_e.html
There are also many threads on audiogon on the MHDT Havana tube DAC. I don't own it nor have I heard it but fom what I read this may fit the bill for you.

Or less expensive mhdt Paradisea, usually about $400-$500 used.

Pick up a Monarchy M-24...it's a tube preamp, and a tube DAC (you don't have to use the preamp if you don't want to)....around $700 used,

The preamp section is very good, and the DAC is outstanding.

If you use the preamp...you can sell the one you have now...that makes the cost very low.

Dave

Paradisea+ is probably about the least expensive tube DAC around. I have one it did the job quite well. I've now upgraded to the PreDAC which is so very impressive though over budget for you.

The M-24 mentioned is also a very good deal.

Meant to say "so far very impressive"... as that reads a tad too glowing a review for my liking.

If you like the CD 25.2, then I highly recommend the DAC 25.2. It has the same sound, just better.

The stock unit was good, but I tweaked it by replacing the op-amps with OPA-627 from partsconnexion, and replacing the stock feet with 3 spikes. The new op-amps made it more musical, and the spikes cleared up a slight haze/peakiness.

Grant Fidelity has a new tube dac, pretty cheap and may be worth a shot. They do have a free in home trial so you can always send it back. Limited reviews so far which can be a good thing, clean slate so to speak.

Another vote for the Paradisea. Very smooth with an excellent midrange.

MHDT is great. I loved the Havana, and have heard great things about the Pardesia as well.

Thanks -- did anybody hear the new Jolida tube dacs at RMAS?

I'm in the process of breaking in a Music Hall DAC 25.2 and can't stop listening to it. It flat out slays my old Consonance CD 120 Linear. For a 'budget' DAC, you can't go wrong. My system is quite revealing and I can't hear the defects that others have posted elsewhere. It is very musical, detailed, articulate, nuanced, fleshed out, you name it. I finally have a great center stage and the images stay stable and layered. I plan on swapping tubes once I get accustomed to it for evaluation purposes but right out of the box, it is one fine DAC. I am running it out of my Oppo DV-983H DVD player and it is a great pairing.
As for that 'rich' tube sound, that might be an apt term. There's nothing syrupy, or bloated. Just the aforementioned observations along with great tone, decay and extension. And it just gets better the longer it plays.

Have you seen this auction?

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?dgtlconv&1258425159

You might be able to get it for a good price.