upgrade question regarding DAC and streamer

I'm in a similar position, with a McIntosh C2700 preamp, currently using its DA2 DAC but am looking for a more musical/emotionally engaging experience.  I borrowed an MSB Discrete DAC from my local dealer for a couple of days and had a rather interesting experience - when I connected the Discrete DAC to balanced inputs on my C2700 I wasn't terribly impressed, feeling that it wasn't notably more enjoyable than the DA2.  What got interesting is when I connected the Discrete directly to my power amp.  It was a completely different experience and had the sound I was seeking - very open, and completely engaging.  One of those experiences where I wanted to keep listening to more and more songs.

The downside is that the Discrete (as well as the Premier above it in the MSB lineup) doesn't have an option for an analog input.  I no longer have a turntable but I do have a surround processor (McIntosh MX123) that I feed the front left and right channels to the C2700 in Passthru for watching video.  So for me this would mean a completely separate setup and getting a couple other speakers to connect to the home theater setup.

@bthartman your experience supports what I recommended earlier in this post which is to connect DAC to amp and use DAC’s preamp section. 
The McIntosh preamps and integrated amps tend to homogenize the input signal from different sources. It could be a good thing if that’s what you’re after. But if you’re looking to easily discern differences between components and cables, this won’t work. This isn’t a knock on McIntosh…there are other brands that stick to the same design philosophy. 

I am the designer and owner of Audio Mirror company. Here I write as audiophile.

I highly recommend you to try WAVE DAC and WAVE preamp. I can send you both for audition with no obligation to buy. I will ask you only to cover the shipping cost.

I always build audio equipment for my self. To satisfy my taste. If I like it - it becomes a product. I compared both pieces to very high price, top models and they (WAVE DAC and preamp)sounded better. For example VAC Statement and Conrad Johnson ART88. Lampizator Horizon 360 and Aries Kassandra. I can advise on a streamer too. I also think I can fit in your budget. 

Vlad

This has been a great thread, I have went through a lot trying to come up with the best streamer for my system, twists and turns ended up with a dead in. I had the Nagra Streamer coming from Switzerland, I cancelled that yesterday because of the cheap made in China power supply that comes with it a 6k streamer with a crappy power supply. Good thing I didn’t give the dealer any money, he had it already coming so he can just sell it to someone else. 
I have a problem with my current streamer the Magna Hifi Mano ultra mkIII with a farad power supply, I have the Denafrips Venus hooked up to it with I2S and the New Ontech Dac07 hooked to that streamer at the same time with a RCA cable, the streamer doesn’t like two dacs at the same time even though one is turned off so I am constantly changing out cables..thus the reason looking for a streamer for the New Ontech Dac07…
I really don’t want to spend more then 5k and hate the idea of a streamer with art work and a Dac in there also the reason for the interest in the Nagra streamer, so I guess I will just unhook one for the time being, I like the New Ontech more, the Denafrips is going into a deep sleep…

I say something else. 

Since you stream Qobuz, start at improving the feed to your streamer.  Having optical isolation before and after the switch and ethernet filtering before and after the switch will send a cleaner signal to your streamer and cleaner signal from your streamer to your DAC.

I have a Network Acoustics ENO Ag filter between my router and EE Switch8, then a SOtM Ethernet cable with filter to an OpticalModule then fiber to an EtherRegen and then another SOtM Ethernet to my streamer.  I also use another OpticalModule between the streamer and DAC.  It sounds like overkill but it is very effective at stripping away noise and feeding the DAC with a beautiful sounding stream. 

Remember Garbage is Garbage out.

Then you can then better hear the upgrade of a streamer or DAC or both.