adding a DAC/Streamer or what

There are tons of great DACs and streamers. I of course like the brands and models that we've chosen to carry, as well as many others that we don't carry.

In addition to the budget, it would also help to know what kind of sound character you're looking for. We can make a guess based on your choice of KEF Reference 5 and Pass Labs INT-250, but maybe picking gear that also provides a similar sound would be pushing you too far in one direction, and you'd instead prefer adding more neutral gear. ???

Well, you need a DAC of some sort in order to convert digital to analog. Whether or not the hardware that your DAC is part of also contains a streamer or has volume control or other functionality is a question you'll have to answer for yourself.

You don't need an expensive DAC (or streamer) to enjoy music, but you will have more options for higher-quality sound as your budget increases. Particularly given your choice of KEF Ref 5 and Pass Labs Int-250, you wouldn't want your other equipment to be less than up to the task.

The benefit of a network streamer is of course the convenience of listening to digital music either from your local library or one of the streaming services. Generally speaking, a network streamer does make the the music listening experience more enjoyable than connecting a regular computer.

@raw33 if you're looking for a DAC that is similar to your existing gear, then I'd recommend researching the following options:

• Prism Sound Callia
• Musical Fidelity M6 Encore (streamer) or M6sR (DAC)
• MSB
• CH Precision C1
• Lumin S1 or X1
• Soekris dac1541

There are more I could list, but those are the ones I thought of quickly off the top of my head.