DAC recommendations under $7K

According to AI that you like.  Report back to see how it works for you.  good luck

• A really solid deal would be around $3,500–$4,000 if box, remote, and original accessories are included.

• If it’s missing accessories or cosmetic issues, a price closer to $3,000–$3,500 might be reasonable.

this might be a fair market price.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650276316-bricasti-m3-with-network-card-no-headphone/

(What Hi-Fi) Good as the Bricasti is, there is room for improvement. Judging by the highest standards, we would still like a little more in the way of dynamic expression. There are occasions where we know that the original recording has more in the way of punch and attack but the Bricasti just underplays things a little. The Stravinsky symphony can be savage in its dynamics and rhythmic drive, but through the M3 it sounds a little more restrained than it should be.

We notice the same kind of thing when switching to Radiohead’s In Rainbows album. The Bricasti dutifully lets us analyze the recording – and make no mistake, it is very good at that – but doesn’t quite communicate the energy in the music with the forcefulness it deserves. It’s as though Bricasti’s engineers have decided that information retrieval trumps musical enjoyment. In our experience, the very best DACs we’ve heard at this level, such as the Chord Hugo TT2, manage to do both.

@audphile1 @zlone @rsf507 Thanks, looking forward to it. 
Ordered the all copper OCC balanced cable from Zavfino to tide me over until I figure out my cable strategy. 
@antinn Thanks. It appears that FW upgrades to the MDx board are via a plugin chip. 
@lanx0003 Thanks, there are actually 2 on us audiomart. The one you reference & one listed for almost $4k that has no cosmetic issues. Since cosmetic issues bother me, I leveraged him down $700 using the lower cost option. 
I did read the what hi-fi review. I am hoping it was either an anomaly or a pre MDx model. We shall see. 

@signaforce  The pre-MDx model stopped being manufactured by 2020. The What Hi-Fi review is dated 2022. Plus, if you look at its face-off image in the review, the network card is clearly visible.  

It is still a good deal if you get the one with the remote, even if it is a bit subpar in its dynamic expression in highest standard.  I don't think you will have any problem to resell it...

@lanx0003 Unfortunate. I have a hard time understanding how an internal $1k network card from a non streamer company can outperform an almost $4k streamer from arguably the best streamer company. It’s like saying an integrated amp is superior to separates. I might be wrong but, I don’t believe so. For what it is worth, chatGPT agrees, as did @audphile1 in a post when he owned the M3 & the N200… Regardless, that is my decision. Thanks 

Just my thoughts but my M3 with Ethernet card sounds amazing, even if @signaforce you don't use it having it will make it easier to resell if by chance you don’t like it although I would think not. Also it allows one less box one less cable and one less ac cord and the M3 does benefit from a better ac cord.