DAC 3-4k range


Time to start looking for an upgrade. Will look to buy used in the 3-4k price range.

Currently using an Audio Note kits 2.1, and like it very much in all ways. One perspective I have is to just get "more of it" and upgrade in the AN line, if in fact higher level models improve on the basic characteristics.

But I don't have a lot of experience with DACs into this new price territory, so I'm interested in hearing what other folks like so I can do some more research.

My primary requirement is balanced outputs.

It will be driven by a Logitech Transporter and feed an Ayre AX-7e.
joncourage
Lots of great DACs listed already to which I'll add the Bel Canto 3.5VB. Had a previous version in my system a while back and it was fantastic. Neutral and natural sounding.
Gopher
Can you give us some detail on the Lamp,how does it compare to the EE.

Thanks
Thanks for all the great input. After considering the options, I've decided to go with an upgrade in the AN line to the 4.1.

There seem to be a lot of great sounding DACs with high end specs and interesting approaches out there but in the end, I already know how much I greatly appreciate the AN sonics and build quality, so it just makes sense to me to stick with them at least for now.
My eedac was actually a bolder cable company modified unit and was quite good for the coin. The dac was extremely resolved with it's sabre32 chip but the resolution was balanced well with tone and dynamics from the tube output stage and power supply augmentation.

It was a hard player to fault, and was among the best digital I ever heard, but it was clearly digital in it's presentation.

The lampizator level 3 I picked up to replace it is more analog in it's signature. I generally hate that as a descriptor, but what I mean by that is that it has a real flow to it, relaxed yet effortless. It's pretty resolved, but it never strikes you as detailed. It just has a weird intangible rightness to it. It stages wide and deep being really holographic and just breaths naturally.

It doesn't make my Kuzma turntable obsolete but it is what I do 90% of my listening on. It will sound good on a short audition, but it's over time it really proves it's worth.
Due respect, but it's very easy to like what you have right now. Before dropping a lot more cash on an upgrade into the same line (which may very well turn out to be the right path) it would be a great opportunity to hear what else is out there. Everything sounds great, but you don't know how great until you hear the competition. If you just take the easy route you'll always be asking yourself...