Best non-USB Dac for $3k, computer as source?

Eh, some of the suggestions you got so far are strange cause you said you want 24/192 out your PC, which would only do it if using S/PDIF out your Juli@.

The PC/transport side of things is quite problematic for good sound cause of noise from all kinds of software subsystems, hardware peripherals and general nastiness. Conflate that with S/PDIF's problems, and you have a problem!

If you wanted to keep your PC, I would look at an Ayre QB9 (async USB up to 24/192) and a SotM tx-USB PCI card that helps reduce noise on the USB output. Total is well under your budget.

Another alternative - look at an Auraliti PK90 USB headless player and forget about most the problems introduced by using a normal desktop.

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I don't follow, first you say

24/192 out your PC, which would only do it if using S/PDIF out your Juli@.

and then recommend a 24/192 USB DAC

USB and Firewire are both easily capable of 24/192

IMHO the whole issue of noise and "nastiness" from a PC is overblown hype, there are too many people using a computer and a DAC with wonderful results to dismiss them for that reason. A good designer can easily build a DAC that can deal with any noise coming down the wire from the PC.

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Herman,
Ditto, Loftarasa`s post makes little sense.

Um, I'll try to clarify - it's my assertion that a PC is a bad base on which to have a high-end transport based on S/PDIF.

If keeping the PC, I'd contend that an async USB DAC capable of 24/192, which the latest revision Ayre is, will outperform any of the other DACs listed + the Juli@ + the normal PC.

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I see, that makes sense. Don't agree, but I now understand your position.

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