Best DACs under $7,000.00


I'm tentatively beginning the search for a DAC upgrade.  Currently, I have Innuos Zen MK3 as a streamer connected via USB to a Denafrips Iris DDC that is connected via I2S to a Denafrips Pontus II DAC.  The Pontus II is excellent but I feel it's the one point where I could gain incremental improvement toward that illusive natural, layered, analog end-of-the-rainbow.  I simply can't / won't spend above $5,000.00 - $7,000.00 on the DAC. The rest of my system:  top-of-line Prima Luna Evo 400 Integrated Amp and a set of Harbeth speakers.  Right now, I'm looking at Denafrips Terminator II or Holo Audio May DAC.  I've never seen an a/b comparison of these two, but both stand out and have a following.  Of course, the unsettling thing is DACs have evolved so much and are still in a blooming state technologically, making it a given that whatever we have today will probably be surpassed by better for less later, like electric vehicles. But that's the nature of the beast.  Does anyone have alternative suggestions in this current climate?

gregjacob

Looking forward to hear impressions of GAN1 beta-testers @verdantaudio and @yyzsantabarbara on comparisons|whether GAN1 sounds better than $7K dacs.

Post removed 

Let’s be honest, for many including myself $7k is a lot of coin.   I would suggest checking out LAB 12’s DAC 1 Reference for half the money.  It is a great sounding DAC  if you don’t need DSD or MQA.    
 

 

I have 2 systems in my house, and I started with the Aqua La Voce S3 $4000 and then picked up a Saturn Audio series 200 Dac, $3800.00 and every bit as good even better than the Aqua. I moved the aqua to my second system. 

So where does Berkeley Audio's Alpha DAC (not the Reference DAC) fit in all this? The recent series 3 has raised the RRP to 11k, but I seem to recall both Series 1 & 2 being under 7k, and used prices definitely under that.