How much should I spend on a new DAC

+1 @sgreg1 is spot on, the Gustard R26 is truly the only 'unicorn' DAC I've yet had in this crazy hobby, replaced my Terminator II, also that frees up your funds for a good ethernet switch + fiber optic isolation kit, which will give you almost as clear uptick in SQ as the R26 - and don't forget to spend freely on good cables, EVERYTHING in a digital source chain is important IME.

@celestial__sound

Hi - my system is pretty similar, broadly, and I’m running a MacBook with Roon/Tidal as my source.

When I upgraded from a DAC comparable to the Pro-Ject, I went with the Benchark DAC3, and am delighted with the choice. Hadn’t anticipated the difference would be so tangible and immediate. I don’t feel any desire to search further.  Had the same reasoning on budget, btw

I use Tidal, and decided I could live without MQA given how good the Benchmark is. Haven’t missed MQA (or, said another way, I’m so pleased with the sound that I don’t really care about further experimentation)

Returnable if not to your taste (if purchased as an amazon prime member)

(I Kimber Kable for everything (their second tier up) - figure it’s well built with good materials, and that’s enough mental investment in cabling for me)

Let us know what you decide, and enjoy!

@soix 

Thanks for spending time talking to me about the values of the r26. If you read all the reviews on the Amazon link you provided, you will see a couple of very negative ones regarding obvious sound issues probably due to some manufacturing problems. Understandable since r2r is a brand new thing for Gustard. And it's not the only site where I heard of these issues. I will be patient and wait another year, when my pro26 warranty runs out, before I may give it a try. Those issues will likely be resolved by then. 

The Gustard R26, something I’m definitely interested in has a rival in the family; the Gustard A26 with the new AKM chipset that’s getting some positive attention.

Another vote for getting a real streamer first.  You might decide that you don’t need another DAC.

All the best.