Looking for my first DAC

FWIW, I had Accoustat 2+2s with both interface As  and OTlL amps. I now have a Oppo 105 that I use as a transport though it  can function as a direct volume control/dac to amp. I upgraded the 105  with an aftermarket Linear Power supply.. still not satisfied with the sound, I bought Audio Alchemy Dac/Pre + outboard PS 5 power supply (outstanding) but  both are for sale (see US AudioMart or Audio Asylum adv that would work great, as I changed to PS Audio Stellar dac/pre and M700 amps 

@curiousjim I have both the Liberty and the DAC 2. The Liberty is much better sounding, the DAC 2 is kind of bright and thin in comparison. Mine has no upgrades, so it's possible the one you're considering is better. 

@soix The rumors are unfortunately still true. There customer support through the entire value chain from pre-sales to RMA is sorely lacking, I mean non-existent. I could never get an update on the shipping date for my Brooklyn despite numerous emails and voicemails. Then it just showed up one day. The product quality is good enough to dull the sharp irritation of the customer experience, but that may not be true for everyone. By contrast, the customer service at Schiit is outstanding with very personal attention and an open invitation to visit their facilities in CA. Makes the Bifrost extra delicious if you don’t need the bells and whistles the Brooklyn brings to the table. It is a tough choice, which is why I ended up with both of them😂

for Jitter, even though I have not noticed any jitter issues, I inserted a Schiit Wyrd between the Roon Nucleus and Brooklyn DAC+.

For what it is worth, my stereo is on a dedicated circuit with separate ground with PS Audio Power Ports and PS Audio Noise Harvesters.

Mark

@curiousjim -- The Project-ject Pre Box DAC replaced a Simaudio 100D, which I'd always been happy with but, as happens often, I was curious about the latest changes in DAC technology.

The improvement was substantial, better soundstage and a more 'articulate' sound while still sounding sweet. I was impressed with some of the little touches. As an example, the output level can be controlled from the front panel and the level for output to the integrated amp needs to be higher than the output to the Sennheiser headphones. Once you've set both levels on first use it remembers them, when you plug in the phones it automatically switches levels.

But the thing that impressed most was the improvement in the sound. I like it much more than I expected to, which hasn't always been the case when I get new gear. I think it's the best bang for buck purchase I've made in 50 years of swapping gear.

markcdaniel, sfar, big_greg, and all,

So far my list is the Liberty, The Wyred4sound D2, The Bifrost and the Pro-ject Box DAC. I’m probably going to start with the Pro-ject Box became it comes from Crutchfield and has the 60 day trial and the Bifrost with its 15 day trial.  That way I can A/B them.  I have to find if any of the Liberty dealers will let me try one out.

JD