R to r dacs


I was completely taken by the sq of the Aqua hi fi la scala dac during a demo.  Even with a discount the price is out of budget and would have to add a streamer as well
I have been following multiple impressions of direct to consumer units such as Denefrips pontus, audio gd 7 and Holo May.  Anyone with experience with the Aqua hi fi and the subsequent dacs?
TIA

tennisdoc56
Now that Cees Ruetenburg is back at the helm at Metrum Acoustics, I would consider the Jade R2R DAC with their Ambre streamer. 

Those fit your budget and the Ambre streamer can come with a Roon SD card or a Volumio SD card installed or purchase both.

Im running their Pavane DAC with Ambre streamer w/ Roon




That was a great deal on la voce dac.  I saw a l scala used at 5k and waited to see cash flow receipts today and make an offer.  Gone
Extremely happy Pontus user here.
You might want to consider an Antipodes streamer/server. Excellent build and sound quality.

What really stands out for me with these 2 products is the terrific after sale service should you need it.

Good luck with your decision.
Another Denafrips fan here. I started with the Terminator with upgraded DSP board, then added the Gaia DDC. The DAC by itself was excellent, but adding the Gaia with an i2s connection to the DAC was a VERY meaningful improvement. I've since traded my Terminator for a Terminator Plus which takes it up another notch. 

I think the Pontus II would be a great option, particularly since you can get a nice performance boost down the road by adding an Iris or Gaia DDC.