You said "Know that SACD cannot be output to external DAC unless you use something like D.BOB."
Don’t want to sound like a know-it-all, but I’ve been hearing this for years and, um, it’s not true. Yes, there is a copy-protection requirement built into the SACD spec that blocks S/PDIF digital outputs from transmitting high-res signals. That’s where I believe the confusion comes from.
However, you CAN output 96 & 192K digital signals from an SACD player to an external DAC through HDMI, which includes its own content-protection protocol, thus satisfying the constraints of the SACD spec.
I know this for a fact because I’m doing it myself. Right now.
And before anybody throws up their hands and shouts "HDMI? On a DAC?", I need to mention that very good HDMI-equipped DACs do exist. One of which is the one in the T+A R 2500 R receiver (and other T+A products I believe, all of which implement DSD-optimized decoders) that I mentioned in my last posting. There are also some good SACD transports that offer HDMI output, even the old $599/$1199 Oppo models.
So although D.BOB has a good reputation among users whose gear lacks HDMI connectivity, anyone purchasing new gear today is not locked by the SACD spec into buying one more box & cables.

