Best DAC/preamp for under $2K?

Have you looked at the McIntosh D100 Dac/Pre?

Had the chance to audition one and it was very impressive.

I'm not sure if it's worth the $2.5K list, but it was very nice.

I recently went the other way, and picked up a ZDac on closeout for $300.00. Running balanced through an Ayre it's quiet and puts out a nice soundstage with good bass. They do run warm, and some have complained that they are prone to outputting a hum when running unbalanced.

The D100 is definitely better, but at slightly more than 8.3 times the cost. If I had the budget, the D100 along with the PS Audio MWII would definitely be on my shortlist.

W4S DAC 2 DSD w/femto clock - $1,600, 5 yr warranty, upgradeable if desired.

I will build you a dac for under $2K that will blow your mind.

Send me a message.

Happy Listening.

Bigkidz. How much under $2k? Also how much over $2k does it sound? And does it blow one's mind in a good way?

Here is an alternative that I'm considering.

As I've read various forum threads over the years, I've learned to appreciate the comments made by a few who seem to know their stuff. And I've also noticed that there are a few topics that these folks all agree on. One of them is room acoustics; getting control of the room environment can have a HUGE benefit on the sound quality of our listening experience.

That said, a decent pre-pro which includes a room EQ might actually sound better than an expensive DAC/pre with no room treatments.

Now, I'll put up my shield and hope none of the arrows from the "true" audiophiles get through.