dacs that I have had in my system - a listing

OP 

You could make a DAC review channel with short videos. Many people don't need to buy a new DAC every 6 months and just watch your videos.  Alex/Wavetouch

Would you mind commenting on the differences between two units still in your possession, the Weiss DAC501-4ch and the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 / M Scaler combo that are in the same price range?

tonally, the scaler/hugo tt2 sounds very very similar to the weiss, they both have extended airy detailed treble, a nicely saturated, well textured midrange, true tone/timbre, and powerful quick deep tuneful bass

in terms of imaging, the scaler/tt2 has similar image density and width but slightly greater depth (in terms of depth of stage think of the weiss as an ’8’ and the chord stack as a ’9/10’ -- both delineate instruments quite precisely -- on excellent recordings, one can hear the treble of the chord stack has a touch more sheen, silkiness, more ambiance decay, whereas the weiss is a little more matter-of-fact

the sonic differences are quite slight between the two... i would think most would judge them as pretty much identical

this said, each has certain tricks up their respective sleeves... weiss has numerous useful eq and importantly, a brilliantly easy to use room bass mode adjustment (quite transformative of sound in some situations) and the tt2 has 4 filter settings to dial down the treble if one desires, and of course, the scaler can be used separately to upsample into other dacs too if ever desired

sidebar: i have come to firmly believe that upsampling really helps dacs do good filtering and analog signal reconstruction, and this helps dacs sound more natural and manage sibilance

I guess since I’m in the market to replace my Chord Qutest after 5-happy years of ownership I’d be curious what are your fav $1500 to $3200 DACs might be.

if you have been a very happy qutest user, i would heartily suggest moving up to a hugo tt2 -- they are in the $3500 used range now...tt2 preserves all the strengths of the qutest but adds even greater subtlety and saturation to the sonic palette -- otherwise, you can write more about your system, what sonic presentation and features you prefer and i can share additional thoughts

You could make a DAC review channel with short videos. Many people don’t need to buy a new DAC every 6 months and just watch your videos. Alex/Wavetouch

haha, not really interested, i am somewhat camera shy 😂🤣 , not to mention i am rather turned off by the yt click-bait game -- what i am is a loyal, longtime a-gon member, been here from the start, learned so much here over the years from other dedicated audiophiles who generously shared their experiences and learnings (especially re analog), so at this point, i am happy to pay it back now to others, feel zero need to monetize my opinions/experience

otherwise, you can write more about your system, what sonic presentation and features you prefer and i can share additional thoughts

My digital system is a Jay's Audio CDT2 MK3 Transport, a SoTM SMS200 Ultra network streamer with SMP500 power supply, The Chord Qutest with Sbooster power supply, a Naim Supernait 3 integrated and Harbeth P3ESR speakers.

I really like the sound stage depth and the separation between instruments the Qutest provides. As for what I want to get from something else is really more of the same with a sense of ease and realism.

I stick with gear i like a long time. Every few years I like to try something new, something different to see if "better" is out there.

On my list of possible replacements for the Qutest is Holo Audio Spring3 KTE, the Weiss DAC 204, Denefrips Pontus II, and maybe Gustard R26. I'm interested in R2R because I've not heard one,  The Spring and the Weiss are at the top of my list.

For a long time I was only looking for a used Hugo TT2 - but I kind of feel like I've been there and done that. So, I'm looking at something different than the Qutest.

@jjss49 Thank you.

Only had a few dacs. Presently running a vintage Audio By Van Alstine Insight Multibit dac from 2008, A Schiit Modius AKM4493, Schiit Modi 2 Uber, and an original ifi Zen Dac Signature. IME all are very good dacs for the money.

One of the best sounding dacs I have heard was an Anodyne Adapt hybrid from the early 1990’s using Burr Brown chips. Not inexpensive at the time (about $2500 - nearly $6000 US in the present day), but very impressive. Sorry I ever sold it.