Best DACs under $7,000.00

Your enthusiasm is great for you and for others willing to mod things.  You could resell these modded units or have people pay for you to mod them.  Great business for you.  But for those of us who have minimal interest in modding things, whether it be lack of familiarity to some folks who are nervous about soldering, etc... This is fools gold without modifications it is a fairly price amp that presents a good value vs its competition.  Not significantly better than other units available and when you take into account it lacks a volume control, it can just be a giant PITA.  

I may reach out to Peachtree and I would consider being a dealer but I can't see this amp being as disruptive as you see it being.  It needs to be elevated.  The technology could be extremely disruptive.  I am VERY interested in an elevated version of this.  Change will happen if it makes sense for consumers.  The market will change.  Those that don't embrace change will die.  Those that do will thrive.  

or other options?

1. Audio-GD – R7HE mk2

2. SMSL VMV D3

@ricevs

Definitely interested in the mods for the Puritan outlets and will be checking in to see how they are implemented...

Wig😀

Mods now done to the Peachtree GaN1 amp......This ($2000 with mods) PowerDAC is now outrageous.  Info on Peachtree amp thread and on my website.  

I’ve been running a AudioGD R7HE Mk2 since late last year and it hands down beats my previous best, an Accurate Studio Audio DAC-1000 (Rockna Wavedream knockoff) which in turn bettered my prior Abbas Audio DAC 2.2SE in most areas. Definitely not a fan of the Musician Aquarius. That was just too polite Andrew digital sounding.

My streaming chain is Network Acoustics Muon Pro streaming system > Accurate Studio Audio MBS-S800 streamer > Gieseler Audio Reinigen > AudioGD DI20HE DDC > AudioGD R7HE Mk2 > Absolute Audio Labs ASL-1Z pre > Absolute Audio Labs SIT-A15 VFET power amp > Lii Song Platinum-10 based speakers in humongous custom “Emperor” bass reflex cabinets build by Andrew Tilsley of Creation Audio.

DDC and DAC are both clock synced from an Afterdark Emperor Double Crown OCXO clock.

Running Duelund tinned copper power cables, Duelund pure silver 50ohm clock cables, Gothic Audio Semperfi “The Outsider” USB cables, Tubulus Concentus I2S cable and FoilFlex RCA & speaker cables.

I won’t both going into network tweak’s prior to the streamer etc s just too much to list. My streaming setup surpassed what my CEC TL5 CD transport was capable of quite some time ago. I can confirm the Stereophile review is spot on if a bit flowery and long winded. Great recordings are as always singing though what is most impressive is how even poor recordings are lifted significantly releasing the natural tones and timbres in the recordings exposing a lot of instrumentation and background covers ruins  which were just never even hinted at before. The DAC doesn’t seem to have a colour of its own yet instruments are full bodied and impactful where called for or gentle and nuanced. Some recordings have a massive sense of scale while others are smaller, it’s just nuts. It has the qualities I love about analog playback with none of the shortcomings, just allowing me to get closer to the recording itself and damn but isn’t engaging. Anyway I could go on and on but better leave it at that other than to say the optical input is also amazingly good for TV. Once more I’ve never heard better.

 Cheers guys.