The best used preamp and d/a converter

If you don't listen to any other sources but CD (i.e. FM, LP's, cassette tapes, etc.) THEN YOU DEFINITELY DON'T NEED A PREAMP. Look for a used Resolution Audio CD-50 player, which will drive the amp directly (the output transistors are HUGE BIPOLARS). It's better than any Wadia. Also much better than the Theta Miles. HOWEVER, if you do listen to other sources, PUT THE BEL CANTO DAC-1 AT THE TOP OR YOUR MUST AUDITION LIST, www.belcantodesign.com. They let you audition them for only the cost of shipping, I believe. The Theta Data Basic 2 was one of the best transports, but they've told me that the new "Pearl" is it's equal, for less. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. I'd just use a DVD player as transport for a while, if I were you. As for preamp, I don't know what you'd like. The competition is baffling in the $1500 range. You'd probably want to settle on a few tubed units, and an equal number of solid state, AND TRY TO AUDITION ALL OF THEM IN YOUR SYSTEM. I'd perhaps try the ARC LS-15 or Sonic Frontiers Line 1 or 2 for tubes. And I'd try a Threshold T-2 or Krell KAV-250p for solid state. OR YOU COULD PERUSE STEREOPHILE'S RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS...most of us do this at one time or another, and we also subscribe to way too damned many of these rags...or maybe that's just me. Personally, I've not been able to get all the way thru one issue ever since I got "internetitis"...and it's becoming gangrinous to the wallet, heh heh heh.

YOU'RE DEAD WRONG ABOUT CD PLAYERS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO DRIVE AN AMP DIRECTLY, so go educate yourself about them, and stop showing your ignorance. YOU'RE ALSO WRONG ON SEVERAL POINTS ABOUT OPTICAL CABLE. For one thing, the glass ones and the plastic ones ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS: Toslink is plastic, and AT&T is glass. For another thing, it is widely known that Toslink connections induce large amounts of jitter, where coaxial SP/DIF connections have lower induced jitter. That said, the Bel Canto DAC I recommended above seems to work well with a toslink connection and a DVD player, since it has advanced jitter reduction circuitry. "MATC", TRY IT, and ignore guys with stupid member names 100 characters long...

The BEL CANTO UPsamples (with a slow roll off filter that doesn't kill the top octave like Wadia's) and has much jitter reduction ciruitry (as well as the highest quality caps and resistors), therefore it plays CD's better than a 24/96 DAC that DOESN'T UPSAMPLE. IT'S ALSO MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE THAN THE MUSE UNITS. HOWEVER...I DEFINITELY don't doubt the superiority of the I2S connection, BUT FOR THAT MONEY MY CD 50 WOULD BLOW YOUR MUSE RIG AWAY playing CD's (NOT DAD's of course). Because: While Muse makes great product with high inherent value, YOU STILL NEED A PREAMP FOR THEM. GARFISH: Sony XA7 with a Sonic Frontiers Line 1? NOT AS GOOD A VALUE, OR AS HIGH IN PERFORMANCE, as my CD50!! With it, string tone EXCEEDS MY BENZ GLIDER in warmth, roundness, solidity; all from FEEBLE old CD...and that's just stringed instruments...which is partly why I upgraded to a LO4 cartridge...Not that the Glider didn't have some leg up over my CD50, but I tell ya, IT'S ALMOST FRIGHTENING HOW GOOD THE CD50 IS...it's just killer! IT'S A CRIME THAT EVERYBODY DOESN'T HAVE ONE!! OK, that was over the top, but you get the idea.

The CD50 is indeed in your price range, so Fenix is less than accurate there. It'll blow away anything that doesn't upsample, guranteed.