DAC Under $3000

The non-upsampling LAB12 DAC1 is a no brainer.  Read the reviews. Maybe a bit over 3K but well worth it!

Also a real beauty!

https://www.lab12.gr/product/dac1-reference/

+1 Lab 12 reference DAC (bought Mint  6 mo used $1800) with 1960 French Phillips (Mazda, RT, Dario Miniwatt) e188cc tubes is fantastic.

+1 Also have a Black Ice Audio DSD Glass DAC with 1950 Rca 12AX7 Blackplate It is really good and plays way above its price and doesn’t get a lot of attention. Bought 3 years back $650.  

Love my LAB 12 DAC 1 Ref.    Bought new,  traded a preamp toward it ,cost about $1600 out of pocket.    One of my most musically satisfying components ever.  

I have a Musician Aquarius for sale on the “other” site for a really great price. It’s the best digital I’ve ever heard in my house. Haven’t heard the stupid price stuff by way better than the 1-1.5k dacs I had before.

Of all the DACs I’ve owned the Electrocompaniet ECD-2 best fits that description. To my ears it has the “layering” and lush midrange of an NOS DAC but all the resolution of the measurement kings like Benchmark and Chord. Its measurements are nearly SOTA but it also has just enough color and warmth to keep it from becoming clinical or glassy. It retails for $3K but can occasionally be found pre-owned for much less.