New DAC recommendation $1K, hopefully tube.

I've just recently got a Tube Audio Design - TADAC tube dac, it is using the el cheapo original Chinese tubes and it still sounds amazing. Completely blows anything I've tried to this date - that includes the Music Hall dac.

And when I say completely blows away, it's like pealing away multiple layers, it's night and day better than anything I've tried to date. Incredibly revealing and yet has that tube magic :)

It's only available used but you can get a new PreDac which is supposedly a big jump up from the Tadac.

I agree with Joshcloud. I had a Benchmark DAC, which has a lot of tremendous reviews. Then I listened to the original TADAC and immediately sold the Benchmark. I just purchased the latest DAC from Tube Audio Design called the Tdac and it is superior in every way to the original TADAC. Even more detail comes through the dynamics have improved and the sound stage is larger and deeper.

The first time my wife heard the system with the new DAC she asked if I added or changed something because it sounds more realistic. She is right this new DAC is like a high definition version of the original.
The DAC comes with a set of Electro-harmonix tubes. It is small and simple looking, but it is one heck of a performer.

Havana

This is an old thread, but I have both a Paradisea (Havanna's little older brother) and TAD's PreDAC. Couple of cheap components modified and stuck together, but sounds great.

i'd like to sell my Havana DAC, over the period i had invested around 4 tubes, so you will be able to tune the sound a bit with the extra tubes, e-mail me if you are interested, oh and i'm selling because i bought a cdp with digital in which helps to downsize.
In terms of naturalness of timbre, Havana is as good as my esoteric.