Audiofun, thanks for the tip on iFi iTube, I am very tempted to try it and am trying to overcome my reservation of adding a zero gain device to enhance the sound as I had tube buffers before. This implies an additional set of expensive interconnects and the reservation that something gets "lost during the translation". Which ICs do you use between transport and DAC, DAC to iTube and iTube to amp(s)?
I am using NordOst Valhalla as PC and hope to add more body with a HiDiamond P4 shortly, loosing some speed and maybe resolution in the process.