recommendation of amps

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. ALL very good. Its been awhile, here is what has transpired. I decided to Move the ATI 6002 Amp into my smaller stereo room, (As I like it that much,so do the Fritz Carbons) and sounds great.

     As my main listening area, has higher end equipment and much better acoustics,  I chose,  via a GREAT DEAL a Pass X250.8 AMP. (which I'm still paying on) Have it running all Class A (efficient speakers) and sounds GREAT, still breaking in!  Now (have to wait a while MONEY, or lack of) looking for a DAC that will considerably best my Benchmark DAC 3B   Like it a lot, just looking to jump up a level or two. 4 or 5K new or used. My wife thinks I'm nuts, probably right. Thanks all as usual. Robert TN

What sound characteristics/improvements are you looking for over the Benchmark?

I may just keep the benchmark, as it is very good. I had the benchmark in my main system earlier, and felt it was lacking (maybe in clarity, and depth,voice)  I replaced it with a great deal (meitner MA1 V2 DAC) The Meitner seems to punch ahead  ( In my opinion) with what I felt the Benchmark was lacking. More accurate and more revealing in those areas. My wife wholeheartedly agreed!   You didn't have to listen with a microscope to hear the difference, is was quite apparent. Hopefully, that describes what I was hearing or not. Robert    Ps My wife really likes the benchmark DAC, But, as I said earlier she noticed the Meitner superiority.   I think after The pass amp and Meitner DAC purchase, and this being a smaller, less dedicated room, she feels it's good enough, and don't spend anymore money?

I have the DAC3B and it is rather good, but a little hot on the top end. I had a $15k Lumin X1 to replace it and it was really good for the year I owned it. In fact, it was the best DAC and 2nd best streamer I had.

I traded the X1 in to buy speakers. I could not wait the long time needed to save up the cash for a second DAC I am planning on getting. Since Schitt Audio is 70 miles away from me and they have a 15-day home trial I thought I would try the new Yggi+ Less Is More DAC (1 of 3 new Yggi+'s and the worst measuring one).

I use the Yggi+ with my Sonore Optical Rendu streamer and feel that it is a better DAC than the X1, definitely better than the DAC3B. I notice the difference in the top end where the X1 seems a little rolled off to me. They Yggi+ is more like the DAC3B but not hot. 

I was so impressed by Schitt that I also bought their Aegir 'Class A' amp for my headphones, and I love it. Yesterday, I ordered a new MJOLNIR 3 preamp for the Aegir.

Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California

I was using the Benchmark LA4 with both the Aegir and Sanders Magtech, but I came close to messing that up by being a bit careless, so I bought a second preamp.

I had a Benchmark AHB2 for almost 3 years and really enjoyed the clean sound and wide stage. I decided to make a big jump about 2 years ago to the Pass 250.8 and instantly heard why people enjoy Pass. The soundstage was deeper, taller, and most importantly it made listening more fun. Instruments and vocals had more weight/tone to them and the soundstage felt more cohesive than the AHB2.

This is exactly how I felt when I dropped an AHB2 into my system which was anchored by an X250.8.   I really liked the AHB2 for the $$ and how clear it was, but I found it lacked the front to back soundstage depth and life-like texture and tone of the Pass.   I sold it after a month or two and kept the Pass for like 5 years.

@robshaw, if the 250.8's hint of warmth, musicality, lack of any harshness, and a killer soundstage interests you, I recommend you listen to the AtmaSphere Class D monos.   They come very close (IMO) to the 250.8 and XA30.8 sound signatures that I'm very used to.   I now own a pair of the AtmaSphere monos and am very happy with them.