Looking for a good DAC under $500

while I am sure you will get some replies / suggestions what will work....
 
what ever happen to a member doing their own research ?  isnt that what the forums are for is to read / get info on equipment that members have used , and from there we can decide whether or not this piece will work in our system ?           

 just seems so many members these days want the answers .....much like kids doing their homework and they ask the parents for the answers so they can be done faster.   if the parents give the answers, what did the kid learn ?

not trying to start anything, just an observation......

Hi, yes i can suggest an amazing DAC for you in your price range. I have owned it for about a month now and it is the third DAC i have owned and by far the best, read the reviews. OK, it's a Cambridge DacMagic Plus. The price is $350 on Amazon and do get the optional BT100 so you can wireless stream to it, that adds another $75, so $425 total. It's not an extreme "Hi End" component but as a number of reviews state, it should spank anything in the price range you mention,
Happy listening!

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a DAC in that price range which would out-perform the DAC built into the Node 2. That being said, the Bifrost Multibit ($599) would be one to consider. I have one and think it’s a toss-up so, I removed it from my system. Of course, it’s all a matter of taste. Best of luck.

Parasound ZDAC / You should be able to pick them up for a couple hundred used. Very good value. 

You could always buy something used and maximize your dollars, digital depreciation is swift. This looks pretty good for around $500 no affiliation with the seller.......

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-factory-refurbished-2017-11-08-digital-ca78801c-1b9e...