DAC shopping - Trying to sift through the Hype. Can I trust the reviews these days ??

An anecdote about how much I like the sound of the Pontus II. I decided to listen to much more expensive DACs over the past two years, because I was curious to figure out what spending a LOT more money in a DAC could get me.

Note as context for my impressions: I listen to a lot of acoustic and vocal music (jazz, classical) so an organic tonal quality is important to me. Detail and resolution is important as well, but secondary to tonal quality and a sound that conveys air and space well.

I listened to the dCS Bartok APEX, dCS Puccini Apex, and the Linn Organik DAC in their Klimax DSM. Of these three network music players that I heard, the only one that I would want to replace the Pontus II regardless of price was the Linn.

1. dCS Bartok APEX, $14.5k: Not only did this not clearly sound better than the Pontus, my impression is that I liked the Pontus for the music I prefer.
2. dCS Puccini APEX, $32k: Really good from an "objective" standpoint on your typical audiophile measures, but didn’t seem to engage me. The tonal quality of the sound also seemed a bit synthetic.
3. Linn Organik DAC in the Linn Klimax DSM: $40k (but Organik DAC is also available in the Selekt DSM unit starting around $20k): Definitely better in all ways than my Pro-ject streamer/ Pontus II DAC, but the improvement in resolution (and tonal quality to a lesser degree) is only a marginal gain.

I am also searching for a DAC/Streamer. I have been looking at the HiFi Rose the model 150 and the model 250A. My equipment is a McIntosh MA 462 power amplifier and a C55 Preamplifier. My C55 has a built in DAC. How good is the DAC in my Preamplifier compared to the HIfi Rose or other DACs? I am open to recommendations, viewpoints, and critical evaluations.

@marquis4099 what streamer / server do you have paired with the McIntosh DAC in your pre?  I haven’t heard the DAC in your Pre but have read posts by others who own Mac gear and have very positive thing to say about the DAC.  I’d get the HiFi Rose 130b which is a streamer only but an outstanding streamer.  Buy it from a dealer with a return / trail period.  If you feel like you want to upgrade the DAC and streamer you can exchange for one of HiFi Roses DAC / Streaming combos.  If you get the 130 you’ll be set up to upgrade your DAC down the road.  Have fun, good luck.

@bunkertoy you’ve got an awesome streamer / server!  I confused your set up with someone else’s in this thread who piggybacked off your initial question.  Have fun with the DAC search!  You have a great system that will highlight the differences. 

@calvinandhobbes @vthokie83 It seems like the performance of the Pontas ii can't be denied.

 I can get a used one at a reasonable price. Do a comparison and see where I'm at. Cheap experiment that might yield new results.