New DACs High End Munich 2023

Buy a DAC that you won’t feel the need to upgrade in a year or two

So, if you notice my system, I am long time "keeper. I am not a person who sells within 4-5 years. Most of my components are long term and I try to derive maximum joy before moving on. I am sure that whether I get a Okto or T+A or Holo or Dana or whatever - I am not going to change because there is something new in the market.

But I do appreciate your advice and it is taken well. Playback is a great DAC. Will consider used ones.

The Playback piece is superlative and the trickle down is already here…in the form of the Playback Edelweiss MPD-6 - still well over $5k however 

I have a Musician Aquarius. It’s easily the best digital I’ve had at my house. Makes everything sound like gold. Also my 1st R2R dac so dunno what’s better worse etc. 

Wow!!! There are SOOOOO many great DACs on the market these days and most peoples suggestions are solid (not the Marantz suggestion!). The only real way to decide is to audition multiple options (preferably in your one setup) and decide what ‘you’ prefer! Zero chance that all these recommended brand options will match exactly what the OP is looking for!….

I spend a lot of time listening to DACs in this price range.  There are some great suggestions above.  Particularly I hear great things about Merason though I have not heard it personally.  Two that I didn't see come up that I think you would find interesting are:

Canor DAC 2.10.  It is ESS based but with a tube stage that softens the edges from that chip and list is $4K.  I have several dealers around the country where you can here it and I also lend this out.  8 or 9 filters are available and it fully unfolds MQA.  Tons of detail, nice staging and not fatiguing.  

The Audiobyte HydraVox is an FPGA DAC with tons of detail and a huge soundstage.  It has a reputation for being quite natural sounding and is the FPGA side of Rockna.  Lisit is $4500.  

Having had several oppo products here as points of comparison I think both would be very appealing as an upgrade.  Neither is in the league of the Playback MPD6 or MPD 8 but if you listned to either alongside the Playback you would get why I am suggesting them.  

Full disclosure, I am obviously a dealer for these products along with Playback designs.  If you can, do your best to try and hear the product in home in your system.  If does make a bid difference.