Should I really, really buy a Berkeley Reference DAC...Testify!

Um, listen to the latest from Mytek, Schiit and Ayre. I think they are going to be far less expensive, and you might like them more, or at least, not tell a difference, than the "reference."

But to your own ears and wallet be true.

+1 for Erik's post.
I own the Schiit Bifrost and Modi Multibit DAC's and couldn't be happier.

I've never heard the Berk Ref DAC but I do wonder why I see them up for sale so often considering how new they are.

I'm a Meitner/EMM Labs man myself and would step up to the MA-1 as gateway drug option from where you are now before going whole hog on ANY $15k DAC

These days, I just don't see the point spending that kind of scratch on a DAC. These things go the way of the dodo Bird within a year kind of like dropping $5-8K on a new flavor of the month Flat Screen TV. Within a 6mo to a year that same TV will be 1/2 it's current price.

Just my 2cents

I would not buy any uber expensive dac before first trying other highly regarded products that cost less first.  Take you pick.  There are many very good ones out there these days.    It's increasingly becoming the norm not the exception.