Best path to upgrade my source

Mel, I forgot to add:
You mentioned "Any old transport will do?"
It would depend on the answer of; "Does the music really matters?"
Anthony

Anthony,

I've looked inside and don't find anything there that is surprising. There is nothing I can hear on a pretty revealing system that indicates an EMI problem. It is extremely quiet. (Specif. at -109db minimum not weighted)

I can't believe you have any experience with this DAC. If you want to prove me wrong why don't you share your advice with everyone, not just me privately. Let us know how you can improve this DAC. Perhaps then I can forward it on to Dan Lavry for his comments.

Capt369, you asked about the soundstage of the DAC Ah. It's very good and an improvement over what I've heard in the four or five mid-priced ($300-600) CD or DVD players I've compared it to and tried with it as transports.

In my first post I did compare the DAC Ah favorably to the Benchmark DAC I also own and the DAC Ah is amazing given the price difference. I should make it clear, though, that the Benchmark does sound better to me in every way. Whether the difference in sound is worth the difference in price is entirely up to you. It is to me but it might not be to anyone else.

The difference becomes a lot more significant as you upgrade the rest of the components in the system. I A/B'd the two with a pair of $400 Usher S-520 speakers and the difference was obvious but not dramatic. The same comparison using a pair of Merlin TSM-MM's and a pair of DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 8's, both of which I own at the moment, reveals a lot more about how much better the Benchmark is.

The DAC Ah is a great piece of equipment at a great price. I got it to give to a friend who has a nostalgic but unreasonable affection for an AMC CD8b player. I've been unable to convince her to upgrade the player so I decided I could sneak the DAC Ah into the setup without her really noticing and I wouldn't fret any more about the AMC's being the weak link in her otherwise very nice system. In her system the DAC Ah is a huge improvement and seems like an incredible bargain but the Benchmark's price means it wouldn't make any sense. In my system, the Benchmark does make sense.

"You mentioned "Any old transport will do?"
It would depend on the answer of; "Does the music really matters?"
Anthony"

Anthony,

Almost any transport can deliver the bits. With error correction it doesn't even have to be 100% accurate.

A good reclocking circuit in the DAC liberates us from expensive players and cables. That's the main point that a lot of manufacturers and their allies among reviewers don't want you to know.

It's not only theoretically correct. My ears tells me it works.

I think if you can pick up an older player, such as ARC CD2 or Meridian 508.24, you'll have a much better sound than you would get with Benchmark DAC1. I heard the dac1 in my system and compared it with Bel Canto DAC2. Benchmark went back to the dealer. DAC1 is a pure example of digital sound. Bel Canto DAC2 was way smoother and much better balanced top to bottom.

ARC CD2 or the Meridian 508.24 players will be in another league altogether. Not even a comparison to Benchmark.

But as a cheaper alternative to the above players, I can strongly recommend Bel Canto DAC2. You should be able to get this dac at around $700 or less. You won't regret it. And if you want to sell it later on, it's going to be easier than selling some kit dac like Lite Dac Ah.
Good luck.