Upgrading to a stand alone DAC

I would consider a used Schiit Yggdrasil. The Yggdrasil is a very good DAC for the ~$2K and performs very well for its class. I highly recommend getting up this far in the hierarchy of DACs to gain a significant sound quality jump. 

I recently sold a Stereophile “Class A” rated DAC that retailed for $3000 just a few years ago, because I prefer the $500 Topping E70 Velvet. The Topping is somewhat unique in that one of its filter modes is actually no filter at all, thus, it somewhat gives the listener two DACs in one—a modern high resolution sound and old-school filterless. In a sense it’s like getting a Chord Qutest (but sounds better than the Chord) and a Denafrips Ares in one chassis that allows you to switch between the two presentations on the fly.

Typically, when it comes to amplification and speakers, it’s my experience that one usually gets what they pay for. When it comes to digital sources though, I’ve concluded the technology has matured to the point that top-tier performance is available at budget prices, and has been for a few years now. You can spend thousands on a DAC or streamer, and subsequently discover it doesn’t sound any better than a $500 unit once you conduct a blind, level-matched A/B comparison.

Usually, when someone here solicits recommendations for the likes of a $10K DAC/streamer/CD player, I don’t bother to mention this reality, because those hobbyists presumably have plenty of disposable income. They are often seeking bragging rights more so than actual performance, even if only on a subconscious level.

However, since you stated a precise budget, I presume you want the best value and are not merely looking to spend that entire $1500. For that reason, my recommendation is to try the Topping E70V and invest the money you save elsewhere in your system or music collection. I have owned many DACs in your stated budget range and some at considerably higher prices (Chord, Line Magnetic, Questyle, and Electrocompaniet to name a few) The Topping easily bests all of them to my ears.

Do you really find the E70 Velvet to be better than the Qutest?  I have a Qutest but am looking for a DAC with balanced outs.  Maybe I should give one a try.

What specific improvements/sound characteristics are you looking for?

Do you really find the E70 Velvet to be better than the Qutest? I have a Qutest but am looking for a DAC with balanced outs. Maybe I should give one a try.

Yes, I wouldn’t have stated that were it not my experience.

I actually owned the Qutest twice. Even though I wasn’t particularly impressed with it the first go around, I bought one again a couple years later with the intent of flipping since I snagged it for a very low price. I put the second example in my system to test all its functions/inputs and to reevaluate the sound quality (though this time with an upgraded linear power supply) and it only confirmed my previous conclusion, that I preferred other, less costly DACs, including the Denafrips Ares II and Marantz HD-DAC1, not to mention the costlier Electrocompaniet, which was my favorite DAC at the time.

The Qutest was rather lean and fatiguing in my systems. It was resolving for sure, but the sound was very 2-dimensional and reminiscent of circa $300 Sabre DACs from years past. That pretty well applied regardless of its filter settings.

The EV0V in contrast, is at least equally resolving but with greater layering/dimensionality, and manages a smoother top end without sacrificing micro details.

I also prefer the E70V to the built-in DAC of the Eversolo DMP-A8, despite the fact both employ the same AKM chip.

Yeah, the Topping isn’t much to look at or behold, but on a pure performance scale, it’s one of the very best sounding digital front ends I’ve encountered. Regardless, trying one through an outlet such as Amazon or Apos is a risk free endeavor, so if you end up disagreeing with my assessment, all you need do is ship it back.