DAC under $1K

The Monarchy M24 DAC may be of interest to you.

In my opinion, the BelCanto DAC2 (or even the DAC1) would be better than anything else you mention. The DAC2 can be found used for under $750 and the DAC1 for less than $500.
Both are most musical, analog sounding DACs I've ever heard that don't cost stupid money.

-Wendell

What sonics are you looking for? Different DACs gow quite in different direcion. (Take a look at the reference DAC thread for example) I find myself being very selective about sources in general.

Here is a list of DACs I considered recently for about $1k:

Benchmark DAC1
Lavry DA10
Wavelength Brick (USB only for PC audio)
Altmann Atraction
Monarch D24

After long back and forth I decided to get the Lavry and Wavelength Brick. Two very different flavors, but the two looked the most promising. I will be doing a comparison as soon as both are here. Ultimately I have been hoping to switch from my Audio Aero Prima CDP to a PC based system. The AA Prima will be a tough one to beat. Form my first impressions the Lavry is very good but quite different from my Prima. Also, it is unbelievable what differences transports make to the Lavry.

I would have loved to try the Altmann :)

Good luck with your search!

Rene

The New PS Audio Digital Link III is amazing. USB Input, Balanced Outputs, Upsampling and no op-amps. And can be had for under 1K.