Rega DAC? Oppo 95 and wait?

You're looking for more, but without spending more. Good luck. Trading sideways in the 1K range may get you something different, but that's about it. If you like screwing around with different equipment, that's fine, but if you're really looking for something "better", you might have to dig a little deeper. Personally, I would recommend the demo Ear Acute that up for sale by a dealer, or the Doge6 with upgraded tubes (about 2K) from Pacific Valve. They are both VERY good, IMO.

Rob

I say "Better" should be clearly defined by a concensus of listeners before laying out double the dough or more. At the very least you should listen first. I am NOT convinced that 2-3K spent on a DAC is necessarily going to reap the benefits to one on a budget looking for value over very subtle differences UNLESS you are willing to pay but AGAIN this may be a line when you might want to audition first.

The OP has owned some good CD players. I've heard both the Apollo and the Jolida and, IMO, they would satisfy many listeners. Obviously, the OP is not satisfied with these very decent players and I think it's a waste to move from one 1K player to another. I remember when I thought $1500 bought you the best CD player there was, until I heard a $3K player side by side in a dealer demo. Absolutely no question in my mind that the more expensive player gave a much more satifying portrayal of the musical event. I also realized that I wasn't going to get what I was looking for for my budget of 1.5K. Well, that's life. Choices have to be made as to what's important to you. It just that I hate to see yet another person chasing the holy grail of 1K DACs. It's pointless - unless, as I said before, your goal is to just screw around with new equipment. It's totally valid. If that's the way you want to spend your money, that's up to you. But it's not going to get you the sound you want - IMO.

Tubegroover....right on. The Manley Amp and Merlin Speakers are the first components I've bought that were bought without too much consideration for price. I swallowed hard to pay out so much cash for 18 watts of tube power. At the same time there are people who spend more on cables. Insanity is relative and factored by the mood of one's wife.
Last night I listened to Eva Cassidy-Live at Blues Alley and thoroughly enjoyed the system. And that's with an old lightly modified Oppo DVD player! The system sounds beautiful and I've heard a LOT of high end systems over the last 30 years. I'm not seeking the holy grail of audio because it doesn't exist. I AM seeking to round out my system with a more state-of-the-art source, but I don't want to experiment in the art of diminishing returns beyond reason.

Rob

Chayro I do understand your point and it may certainly have had more validity in the past than now. It seems to me the real excitement in digital is happening at the budget end of the market. In reading professional reviews I am seeing many of these low priced DAC's being compared favorably with much more expensive units. I can certainly attest to the quality of the units I have on hand. This is not to say that you might find something with more refinement or more to your liking at a higher pricepoint which is often the case and the general rule in most things audio. The question of course is whether or not it is worth paying the difference, ESPECIALLY a moving target like digital. All the units I have mentioned are superb performers. The Eastern Electric has just been released and the folks at Stereophile though the OPPO 95 was good enough to put it into their A+ category of digital sources, maybe a bit over the top but it does say that they think very highly of it as do I. I also own an $850.00 MHDT Havana a NOS unit that has been compared favorability (better than) the reviewer's 3.5K NOS unit.

My only point is that before laying down more money for something "better" it would be wise to listen first to be sure. Buying at the budget end of the market is less risky in that if you don't like, its easier and less costly to turn over.