Best Dac/Transport Under 50,000

From out in left field comes the obligatory AudioNote suggestion. If I had $50K to spend I'd look hard at the DAC5 Special and the new CDT Two MkII transport, at a combined total of only $36,375. I know these don't have the Audiogon cachet of the Meitner or the dcs, but there's just something about AudioNote DACs that makes everyone who hears one stop talking for a while. For a bit of a budget stretch go all the way to the DAC 5.1x Signature. The package would still come in under $65K...

My experience is at the lower level of the 4.1x Balanced Signature, but everything I hear from it makes me sure that if I had the bucks I'd be very happy staying within the AudioNote family.

You may also want to check out the Zanden Signature separates as well. They have been getting a lot of coverage in the 'phile press lately, although I am not sure how easy they are to track down in order to audition.

Cheers,

You just missed the Zanden transport that was sold for 15k. I think that Signature dac is still for sale.

A Esoteric PO/GO driving a GMA First Overture DAC.

Tube Research Labs makes a signal processor that meets your criteria.
In that price range, I would want an in home trial with my system in my room, but that is probably stating the obvious.

http://www.tuberesearchlabs.com/products/mult_proc.htm