Upgrade from Benchmark Dac2 L

What improvements would you like to achieve, and what sound characteristics are most important to you?

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I am wanting something with tubelike mids and and imaging but no sacrifice in detail. The dac2 is no slouch in my opinion, just wanting to try something new if I can find a step up in my price range if possible. 

Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “tubelike” used in any Benchmark DAC review.  Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing because Benchmark DACs have other virtues, but it is what it is.  

Given what you’re looking for I’d take a hard look at some of the better R2R DACs that bring the tone but won’t short you on detail.  A bit below your budget I’d recommend the Denafrips Pontus ll, and if you can stretch a bit the Musician Aquarius is excellent and offers a lot of performance and parts quality for the price. Here’s a review I think you’ll find informative, and best of luck in your search. 

https://soundnews.net/sources/dacs/musician-aquarius-r-2r-dac-review/