Recommend me a DAC under 3k

@hilde45 

yes I know you’ve been a fan of the Carbon 7’s

They have been an amazing purchase (along with the AVA gear)

re: Border Patrol….maybe “move on” is too strong.  I don’t think I’ll actually sell it.  I do like it, but I like experiencing new gear and the truth is that the Border Patrol dac can be a bit soft some times… despite all the things it does well, including pumping out a very natural and engaging impression … I sometimes find it a bit rolled off and diffuse.  Kind of depends on other factors like what I’m playing and which other equipment is hooked up.  I don’t want a hyper detailed dac… but something with a little bit more resolution and perhaps a lower output impedance would be nice to experiment with.  I have been assuming I’d stay with R2R but now I’m feeling a bit more open minded on the actual conversion.  I think the output stage in a dac is really the thing that is most interesting and could have the largest effect on its success in a system.

@j_andrews 

"I don’t want a hyper detailed dac… but something with a little bit more resolution"

I feel exactly the same way. A friend got the BP and, in his system, he said it was more "musical" than either the MHDT Orchid or the Bifrost 2/64; he got rid of both. I am reluctant to follow in his footsteps not only because I have tubes in other places (to "soften") but also because I want the *information* to be audible! This is not about "hyper detail" as you say, but about a very smooth and "musical" rendering that is nevertheless not hiding or "rolling off" anything. I believe that is something I have heard most evidently in the Holo May and Holo Spring DACs, but for now, I'm hearing enough of it in the Bifrost.

My best purchase ever after my AKG K340 is a dac...

The french battery dac NOS TDA 1543 of Christophe Mariac...

I got it on a bid on EBAY new from the designer himself for 15 bucks.... 😊 It sells new after that near 500 bucks ...

I used it with my very detailed modified small speakers ( 100 bucks ) ... A match in heaven...

I will never need to upgrade...😊 My small speakers beat most headphone anyway and my headphone AkG K340 beat most speakers put in a living room ...

Audiophile experience for small purse does not mean a soundfield with too much compromise at all...

I wrote this for those who dont have much money... Dont believe in market publicity nor in any reviewers ... Believe in your ears...Go with your ears and learn basic acoustics to understand Sound experience...

The best 50,000 bucks is in music purchase not in gear anyway, especially not in costlier dac...

@robbydouglas2 another vote for Black Ice - I'm using NOS Mullard's but I'd think the Bugle Boy's would be great as well.

@kuhyay I used to have MoFi UltraDeck with Hana ML cartridge and Sutherland 20/20 MkII LPS phono amp. Nice table!!!

The deck I’m using is a Bricasti M3 with Network card. You can use it as a Roon endpoint or use Mconnect app to stream Tidal and Qobuz. The M3 is a very nice DAC with none of the digital nasties that come with cheaper options. Also, you will not need your Wiim Pro Plus for two reasons - 1) you can run the M3 without a streamer and 2) it will beat the Wiim and other streamers like the bottom of the line Auralic and Lumin. 
There’s a good one on USAM now. Worth trying to bargain down and up your budget a but. 
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650006905-bricasti-m3-dac-with-network-player-card-excellent-condition/