[mitch stl]

I'm a little late to this discussion, but I'll second the motion on a Schiit. I have a Bifrost 2 ($700) which is one of their "multibit" DACs (R2R) and just love the way it sounds -- very organic.  The $900 Gungnir someone else mentioned is a delta-sigma DAC. If you want their multibit version of this DAC, that hikes the price to $1,300.  I had a Bel Canto prior to this. It was very good -- a clear sound -- but a bit sterile compared to the Bifrost I have now.

One nice thing about Schiit is they do offer a two week trial period. You can return it if it doesn't fill your bill, though there is shipping and a 5% restocking fee. Not bad, though, to discover if it is really to your liking.

[Ice10]

Thank you all for your suggestions and input on this.  This thread made me realize I may need to cut my wife some slack in the future as I have done what I give her a hard time about, that is I asked for an opinion then went a different direction. 

To end the suspense, after researching the Border Patrol, W4S, Arye, and Schitt and then ordered one of Tommy’s upcoming DAC DAC3’s.  This will will be not only my first DAC but my first Digital Audio Company piece of equipment.  I haven’t received it yet but I hope to soon.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions, I looked into everything offered and learned quite a bit.