The best DAC for the money


I'm thinking to buy a DAC, but not really sure which one to choose... Preferable with HDCD decoding, and reasonable price... You name it

System
Source: NAD c541i
Amp: Sim Moon i-5 integrated
Speakers: Revel M20
Cables: AZ Satori, etc...
dmitrydr
Hi Viggen,
I had almost given up listening to cds before I got the dAck!. I had the MSB linc dac and found it hard to listen to more than a few songs before listener fatigue set in, which had me going back to vinyl my primary source for serious listening.
Since I got the dAck! I find I can listen for hours without any fatigue what so ever.
The battery issue doesn't really bother me to much since I can always listen to a LP while the dAcks! batteries are charging. The manual says it takes 45 minutes to charge but I find they fully charge in about 20 minutes.
Who wants a DAC that needs batteries though?

Knowing that the Dack was built originally using Scott Nixon's boards, I like the Nixon better than ANY DAC I have ever heard except for the Audio Note 3.1x Balanced, at $6000+!!!!
Judging from posts from AudioAsylum, the question remains what makes the AckDack sound as good as it is described. Is it the digital filterless design or the battery?

Either way, Chris Own has described all current production of his Ack! stuff are a departure from Nixon's boards. He also credits himself, post found in AudioCircle, for "properly" designing his new boards which presumes the Nixon DACs are not designed up to snuff.

However, does the difference in design of the board in the Ack! result in a different or better sound than the Nixon? That's the $400 question.