Mr. Tennis - knowing you don't have a preference for a DAC, I'll still throw one out there. The Monarchy M24 uses a 20-bit DAC chip (for Redbook). You might want to look at the review Lynn Olson did in Positive Feedback (see link below) or for a more technical discussion of non-os DAC chips and why Lynn feels the M24 20-bit technology is superior, the other link will take you to that article. I own a couple non-os DACs and like them very much, but upon hearing the M24, which I now own, I was very impressed. It also features a tube output stage (not a buffer) and can double as a preamp (which can be bypassed if you only want to use it as a DAC). I put in some Siemens NOS tubes and the DAC really sings.
BTW - if I recall you're in SoCal. If you want to audition an M24 I'd be happy to let you hear mine in your system.
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/monarchy_m24.htm
http://www.clarisonus.com/blog/?p=80#more-80
BTW - if I recall you're in SoCal. If you want to audition an M24 I'd be happy to let you hear mine in your system.
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/monarchy_m24.htm
http://www.clarisonus.com/blog/?p=80#more-80