Best DAC under 2k US ?

Stanwal, I tried posting a ping to you and another Metrum Octave subject line and they must have been moderated out. Anyway-

I'm in the market and the Totaldac review really stopped me looking at the usual suspects which lead me to the 6Moons review of the Octave. If its half as good as that review I'm all in. Also, I became interested in the Audiophilleo.

Could you post an update?

I put 2 up today.

W4S DAC 2 will suit your needs. A bargain at the price, because sold direct.

Neal

I wholeheartedly recommend the Metrum Octave. I've owned the top two dacs from MHDT, Weiss Minerva, and used a Peachtree as a DAC. IMO, the Minerva would "exaggerate" highs and lows. I thought it was great until I started listening to NOS dacs. It's then when I thought the Minerva sounded too "aggressive". I used the Peachtree Nova as a dac. The dac is the best part of the Nova I think, but a bit too much on the bright side when compared to NOS dacs. The MHDT Havana is ok, but for a few bucks more, and well within your budget, try the Metrum Octave. IMO, it is very natural and organic. Sounds less like hi-fi and more like music.

I just ordered the Metrum Octave DAC in Blanc at the current 01/29/2012 exchange rate for $1156.63 which includes shipping, PayPal fee, and a 5-7 week lead time.

I'm considering the Audiophilleo-2 @ $579.

Devilboy's system would seem more than capable of revealing the different presentations of his direct experiences. Thanks.

I was seconds away from a half hearted order of the W4S DAC-1 with the cap and BNC upgrades. With California sales tax and shipping it would have been a bit more expensive.