Moving up from an Oppo 205

Good question which brings up another question of what would be the price range for improvement.  So there are some in the 2-3k range such as Mytek, then there are as several in the 5-6k range such as PS Audio etc. all the way up to DCS with a Bartok at 15k to Vivaldi at over 100k . 
Cant afford the the Vivaldi :(  but don't want to spend 2 or 3k for a "lateral" move.  I would guess then that some those in the 5k plus region would ( or should ) provide a noticeable improvement in Sound quality as well as a stable and reliable source.  ( ie the DAC in my McIntosh C2500 often locks up when changing sample rates, hence my move back to the Oppo which is very stable and actually sounded better ) I would say the DCS Bartok would be to top of the budget would prefer something less expensive that would still be an improvement 

What about the Border Patrol DAC which is very highly thought of?  Only $1400!

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/04/16/border-patrol-se-dac-review/

http://borderpatrol.net/DAC.htm

The Mytek Brooklyn sounds great and one of the earliest DAC’s with MQA.


Available inexpensively as people upgrade to the DAC+ and the Manhattan.

Yes but are these a noticeable improvement in sound quality over the Oppo 205, or simply comparable ?
Thanks

I started with Oppo 205 for both 2-channel and HT, then purchased a Marantz SA-10.  I still use Oppo 205 for HT and multi-channel audio, but only use SA-10 for 2-channel.  SA-10 requires a very long break in time but once broken in, it sounds very 'analog' yet detailed.  Vocals and instruments sound real.

I also use the SA-10 as a USB DAC with Innuos Zenith Mk2, but still optimizing Intel NUC with iFi accessories and Euphony playback software since Zenith does not support DSD 4x.  I still play SACD and CD physical medias on SA-10 when I want to get the best sound.  I also purchase high-res music, mainly in DSD 2x and 4x, sometimes in PCM as well.

Now I have 2 units of SA-10 in different houses.  Please note that the SA-10 does not use a D/A chip, but instead upscales to DSD 4x using FPGA which is then sent straight to analog output stage.  This player is really underrated and not getting 'glowing' reviews it deserves.