DAC UPGRADE QUESTION

@laoman : don’t worry about Jason Bourne. He does not even read the threads. He just spews his venom any chance he gets. The first poster.

This is the very dude who proclaimed his $16 universal DVD player he got from eBay sounds as good as any CD transport out there. For spin CDs that is. Go figure. Sick

He obviously did not read the OP saying his CURRENT DAC is way better than any Topping stuff:

3. Chord Qtest DAC

….. The Qtest Dac was around $2000.00.

I was asked if I was happy with the CJ amp.

The CJ amp was an upgrade from a Rogue Audio 100 watt per channel tube amp.

The CJ amp is better to my ears, but I have been advised that a high current

solid state amp would be better sounding due to the impedance dips.

that as well.  I thought about the PASS Amps but the heat they generate as well as very high electric bills are daunting to me. If I am incorrect, about my assertions would be happy would be happy to listen.

be corrected.  Thanks.

@kjl1065 

I would not worry about the questions of “what do you want as an improvement”. Often, you just don’t know… but have been greatly rewarded in the past. This is not a question that is really appropriate to anyone but highly experienced audiophiles. 
 

For at least the first couple decades of my pursuit of the high end my investments were on faith that I could do better. After fifty years, I know with absolute certainty that if I double the investment in any component or my whole system will very significantly improve it. Although, at this point, I could survey the possible components and articulate how it would improve my system.

You may want to consider adding the Chord Hugo M-Scaler. If you can find one used, it should be reasonably close to being within your budget.

I really don’t know much about your setup in that I haven’t heard any of the components, but based on price, your speakers and power amplifier seems to be at a higher price point than your streamer, or DAC and that it will take way more than $3000 in the new and probably the used market to raise these components to the same level as your amp/speakers. My integrated is a bit less than my speakers which are about the same price as my streamer + DAC. I would be looking at something like an Aurender N200 and a DAC in the same price range. I love my DAC, but I haven’t heard that many DACs.