There's a Bel Canto DAC 3.5VB for sale here now with the VBS power supply in your price range. I had the DAC 3VB in my system and it was outstanding (the VBS power supply makes a huge improvement over non-VB version -- I compared both in my system), and I found the preamp to be absolutely transparent and on par with my Bryston preamp, although it doesn't offer a balance control if that matters). Read the reviews. My only concerns would be that I don't think it does DSD and only has SPDIF input that may require their converter depending on your setup.
If any of these concerns are deal breakers I'd take Erik's advice and try the Mytek. Gets very nice reviews, and the ability to demo it in your system is a big plus. Best of luck.
If any of these concerns are deal breakers I'd take Erik's advice and try the Mytek. Gets very nice reviews, and the ability to demo it in your system is a big plus. Best of luck.