Suggestions for a top flight streamer/Dac around the $2000 mark?

I did pick up an older Ayre QB9 DAC for peanuts as I was pretty happy with the Ayre DAC quality in my old EX8 and Ayre right now are offering an update to this to Twenty status which basically means the only old parts surviving are the outer casework!

After reading on other threads of Aurender outstanding customer service and support that has pushed the N100H way up my list of viable streamer contenders.
It is USB only and the QB9 is USB only so maybe a very good match.

Decided to go with an Aurender N100H for now.
Hopefully will be a good move.
Thanks to all for their useful and helpful suggestions

@uberwaltz,

Congratulations on your purchase of N100 and QB9. You’re in for a very nice treat. Did your N100 came with MQA upgrade?
Enjoy!

Lalitk.

I am not sure on mqa but I really only stream Qobuz now so not truly a consideration for my purchase.
But I will find out definitely.

Well this is another fine mess indeed. Lol.

While waiting for the N100h to arrive I picked up a Bryston bdp-pi and had been using that through a very cheap simple meridian explorer 2 USB DAC.

Set up the n100h today and hmmm, what's the fuss about?

The Bryston bdp-pi sounds a lot better to my ears. A lot more bass and body.

Now the only big difference I can see is the USB cable.
Because the meridian DAC us s a mini USB b port that has a different cable, a WireWorld Starlight 7.

The n100h into qb9 regular USB cable which is just a Pangea one costing about $50.

Could it just be the cable or?

Next I am going to try the n100h through the meridian.
Which only has a 3.5mm output so using a Audioquest adapter to twin RCA.
Really should be a lot worse than qb9 via XLR cables!

Perplexing.