Seeking DAC $300

I was thinking a little more about it. How much SHOULD I spend? My limit at $300 is pretty arbitrary. Would I notice a lot of difference if I spent say $500? or $700?

There are excellent sub $300 DAC options at the moment. The new $99 Schiit USB DAC is one option, or the HRT Streamer DACs are solid in that price range. BitFrost and Dragonfly suggestions above are also solid. Used, you could get a USB only Tranquility DAC for a few hundred more. Really excellent sounding USB DAC, though it doesn't do hi-rez (24/92 or 24/192). Wyred4Sound also has some nice options in that range. I'd start looking at reviews of those, and hopefully you will be able to audition the ones that seem to best fit your preference and budget. A number of these are sold new by companies that have good return policies, or by online sellers who take returns (Music Direct for example).

Halide Design DAC HD is easy to use and requires no cables and sounds great. About $400.

For $750 for the non-USB version, I purchased the Schiit Gungnir. Everyone who hears it is blown away. I have a very high resolution system: latest Merlin VSM speakers and ARS-Sonum amp. What I have now with the Gungnir is, without a doubt, the best digital sound I have ever heard.

Make it an even 1k and find a Wadia 121. Everything else you've been thinking about won't come close. The Bi-Frost is a solid recommendation on the cheap however, so if you are sticking to 300 that's a safe bet.

But if you can spend more you can do better. Depends on the rest of your system of course. The Wadia is wide open and neutral so if you're looking to warm up your system it's not the ticket.