New DAC recommendation $1K, hopefully tube.

Mimberman - Airport Express has rather poor sounding analog outs but digital output is pretty good. In test performed by Stereophile http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple/# it produced 258ps of jitter and that is pretty respectable performance.

Peachtree Nova, although I believe the tube is in the preamp section.

I've been auditioning a Neko Audio D100 in my system for the last few days and have been very impressed by the sound. It doesn't have a tube output stage but it does use output transformers which gives it a very smooth and clear sound, similar to what I'm used to from tubes.

I'd put it on the shortlist for anyone looking at DACs in this price range.

---Gary

I've just recently got a Tube Audio Design - TADAC tube dac, it is using the el cheapo original Chinese tubes and it still sounds amazing. Completely blows anything I've tried to this date - that includes the Music Hall dac.

And when I say completely blows away, it's like pealing away multiple layers, it's night and day better than anything I've tried to date. Incredibly revealing and yet has that tube magic :)

It's only available used but you can get a new PreDac which is supposedly a big jump up from the Tadac.

I agree with Joshcloud. I had a Benchmark DAC, which has a lot of tremendous reviews. Then I listened to the original TADAC and immediately sold the Benchmark. I just purchased the latest DAC from Tube Audio Design called the Tdac and it is superior in every way to the original TADAC. Even more detail comes through the dynamics have improved and the sound stage is larger and deeper.

The first time my wife heard the system with the new DAC she asked if I added or changed something because it sounds more realistic. She is right this new DAC is like a high definition version of the original.
The DAC comes with a set of Electro-harmonix tubes. It is small and simple looking, but it is one heck of a performer.