DAC 3-4k range

do consider the ARC DAC8...its an excellent piece and Im pretty sure it has balanced outs.

" 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... "

Really excellent point. I've given this a decent amount of thought, but given that there are really no high end dealers nearby it's difficult to audition in person, research is about all I have to go on.

I've heard a few in my own system over the years and a few more in others' systems, but none I can remember in the same price range. A few close but none quite as high end. Nothing I've heard has even really come close to the AN.

In the end I guess I'm choosing to take the conservative route since, based on the obstacles I'm facing auditioning competitors and somewhat that what I've heard hasn't come close to challenging what I know. I have at least spent time reading up on the units suggested here and some are quite interesting but nothing is overwhelmingly compelling me to risk the money to try them out first. At some point if finances or circumstances allow I would certainly like to audition some of the ones suggested.

The Berkely, Lamp, and ARC would all be high on the list to try. Possibly the AMR.

A DAC with built in volume control could be nice, since my next logical upgrade may be a separate amp but a significant obstacle to that is the need for an expensive pre.

Will you be upgrading the 2.1 that you have to a 4.1? or will you be selling the 2.1 and buying a whole new unit?

I was listening to a lampizator 3 tonight with the volume control option driving an Alchemist Forsetti Signature on a pair of Daedalus Ulysses speakers and it was very competent in the volume control position. The system wasn't lacking in the ways I feel a system usually does in the absence of an active preamplifier.

That said the system was employing a lampizator transport which was not cheap.