Seeking DAC $300

Halide Design DAC HD is easy to use and requires no cables and sounds great. About $400.

For $750 for the non-USB version, I purchased the Schiit Gungnir. Everyone who hears it is blown away. I have a very high resolution system: latest Merlin VSM speakers and ARS-Sonum amp. What I have now with the Gungnir is, without a doubt, the best digital sound I have ever heard.

Make it an even 1k and find a Wadia 121. Everything else you've been thinking about won't come close. The Bi-Frost is a solid recommendation on the cheap however, so if you are sticking to 300 that's a safe bet.

But if you can spend more you can do better. Depends on the rest of your system of course. The Wadia is wide open and neutral so if you're looking to warm up your system it's not the ticket.

Spring for the Bifrost... I have it and I'm completely satisfied with it... I had the v-dac but returned it after all the recomendations for the Bifrost... You can check it out in my system pics...

With the Gungnir, how would I set it up? I have a SPDIF connection on my motherboard but isn't that tied to the internal sound card that I want to avoid?

Thanks for all the suggestions - I have some research to do!
Any thoughts on the Ifi Idac?