Higher End DACs

Just to have some other options, you could try the Bacch SP and see if you like it. It actually changes the sound to get a better stereo image. I attended a demo and it is a bit like magic. The Bacch SP ADIO has a dac and you can of course turn off the stereo effect.

https://www.theoretica.us/bacch-sp.html

There have been very few mentions of TotalDac here but they have some great dacs and usually gets very good reviews. I have only heard them at audio shows but they sounded great there.

Not sure I understand the T+A SDV can be configured with the preamp or without...or that you are essentially getting a ‘free’ preamp...

does the cost not vary based on the configuration?

The T+A SD 3100HV is a streaming DAC, the SDV 3100HV is a streaming DAC preamp.

https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/audiosystems/hv-series/sd-3100-reference-streaming-dac-2/

https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/audiosystems/hv-series/sdv-3100-reference-streaming-dac-preamp/

@ufguy73, A common question ... different directions are a quirk in development.
Streaming / Pre / DAC is common ... Look at the description for Pre Box
S2 digital.
Also for another version: https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/stream-box-s2/ ... for consideration.
Another example would be Hugo TT2 includes a Headphone Amp otherwise pure DAC.

In the example of T+A choose the Streaming DAC and use your existing Pre ... or T+A SDV-3100 Pre Streaming DAC for streaming ... you have to decide which sounds best to you.

@djones51@rego

thanks guys - i was confused by the nomenclature...

but it looks like the streamer+DAC+preamp is only $2500 more than the streamer+DAC (at least according to a review)?