Dac: Old vs New

The phrase "significant improvement in sound" is too general.

What sorts of improvements are you looking for?

The next question is, How can you get those improvements most readily? A different DAC is not necessarily the answer.

The most significant changes in sound come from room acoustics, then speakers and speaker/amplification synergy.

It's interesting how many people will simply weigh in on your DAC issue without knowing these other variables. It's like saying "How do I get there?" without letting anyone know where you want to go, or why. It seems people are more interested in saying anything than answering the question you are asking.

a SIGNIFICANT improvement in sound

Benchmark DAC 1 (in stock form)

$500 mark

Empirical Audio Synchro-Mesh ($600, last recall)

Very difficult question. This is very budget oriented equipment… so with limited design time and part choices based mostly on cost. So, if you want a significant improvement in sound quality, I recommend save up,twice as much and buy a used unit a few years old for around half price. This would put you in the used $2K range. 

A lot depends on you and your expectations. If you truly understand that you might gain a bit of spatialness or a bit more detail or a bit better soundstage or imaging, but most likely not all of these things, you will find differences and may be worth trying others. I have had no less than 15 different dacs and have never spent more than $500. I have found gems at a hundred dollars or so and some real dissapointments. What I am using now is without a doubt the best that I’ve had in my system. It is an SMSL SU9 with MQA version. I’ve had it about a year and since I’ve had it, they have come out with a few other models that compete in the same price range. Be aware that I sent mine back to SMSL for a firmware update to remove a distortion peak. I believe the current models do not have this issue. I’m sure that other manufacturers also have some great products for the buck. All I am saying a very long winded way is yes. You can find something else out there. A couple others that I have owned is the MODI 3 (akm) and the original Chord Mojo. I prefer the SMSL. One thing the SMSL had done for me is that I've always had a hot spot that I do not have with the smsl. 

Perhaps a DAC with a tube output is in order? Something way different sounding may just be what the doctor ordered.