I've been through quite a few DAC's through the years and am getting the itch to buy something new.

I've been listening through a Denafrips Ares II for quit a few years now and have been very satisfied with it. But I figure that it is time to pony up and see what has been improved in the DAC world.

Do I move up Denafrips' line? Do I look at a Holo May? PS Audio?

I'll say no more than $6K, unless there is something really good out there that would catch my attention.

I'm open to suggestions.

This will probably be a Christmas present to me, from me, so I will be getting serious about it in November.

From my experience, I have both the Holo May KTE and the STL DSD512 Super.  I have had the Holo May since 2021 and the STL a few months so I think burn in is complete for a subjective comparison.  In my opinion the STL is on par with the Holo May KTE but given its price point, if you were in the market for a new DAC, I would go for the cheaper version.  The only data point I do not have with the STL is reliability and factoring the cost of rolling tubes.  
Bob

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Yes.

Everyone I know says Denafrips does a great job with real SQ improvements as you move up the line, and if you like the Denafrips "house sound" you aren't going to be disappointed. Plus, you'll be able to add a DDC that will give you another SQ boost in the future. Or, if you want to go outside the box a little I also recommend Space Tech Labs:

https://space-tech-lab.com/DA_Converters_USB-DACs/DAC.php

They are a small Decware-ish company in Canada and make some really interesting stuff. I have their 300B amp and Super Tube Rectifier and am really happy with both, esp. for the money.

For me, I've had a Terminator 2 and Gaia for about 3 years now and it just keeps sounding better and better as I upgrade other parts of my system.

Check out the Laiv Harmony Dac. Fantastic reviews and getting a lot of praise now.    $2700 shipped with a 30 return with only $100 restocking fee and no shipping charges.  Anyone looking for a DAC this would be a good choice to try out.  I am considering trying one to see just how good my Lab 12 Reference stacks up. I do like Lab 12 better than my Gustard R26  but I haven’t compared it to many DACs

https://www.laiv.audio/harmony-dac

I’ve posted elsewhere in this forum about my relative unhappiness trying different DACs in my room over last year, yet I still feel like there is something to be gained just haven’t found it yet. For the popular DACs that make the news I feel like they add an alluring high end sparkle but never make up for what they lose in low end control.

The musical paradise DAC is high on my interest list currently. The ability to swap caps and tubes make it very user tunable to your space. Though not as expensive off the shelf as the cool kid’s DACs, I have a feeling that some well matched high-end caps and quality tubes would make the end user pretty happy and be a similar investment.

Space-Tech Lab is an intriguing option and was on my short list since I bought one of Al’s Super Rectifiers (STR).  The STR was an amazing improvement but beware if something goes wrong it is a PITA as I am going through now.  It is really a leap of faith. Al is great and stands behind his products but it is a test in patience to trouble shoot haphazardly with Al through countless emails.  Additionally, you have to pay for shipping both ways to Canada no matter what goes wrong.  To return it’s 20% restocking fee plus shipping both ways.  Lastly, he only takes Zelle or bank transfer so you have really no recourse.  I am not trying to bash Al as he is repairing my Super Rectifier which has a defective on/off switch, 2 defective sockets and it costs me $160 in shipping.  Just be aware.

OK, that link didn’t work. Try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drwOEzSzBdE

Jim, in your shoes I'd consider the Gain Cell DAC from PS Audio. I had one of these a few years and it is a GREAT DAC for the price. No longer made, but The Music Room is a very reputable source and has three at the moment:

https://tmraudio.com/search-results-page?q=Gain%20Cell%20DAC

This has a great preamp as well, but it's able to be switched out of the circuit if you don't wish to use it, and a good headphone amp.

https://www.psaudio.com/products/gaincell-dac/

If I were looking at a semi accessible priced DAC, I think I'd consider something from these guys.

https://geshelli.com/

The Cheap Audio Man carries on and on about them.

I recently picked up a musical paradise DAC second hand and it is everything I have been looking for in a DAC. There are so many options for tube and cap rolling, it is such a versatile unit. Sound-wise it easily tops every other DAC I’ve had in my system. I haven’t even gotten to trying different tubes yet. It came with Mundorf silver copper oil caps and after another week or so I plan to drop in some gargantuan Jupiter wax caps I have.

I'm going to pick back up on this thread after 6 or 7 months.

Well I didn't buy myself a new expensive DAC, I decided to stay with my old reliable Denafrips Ares II for a while longer. I kinda blew my money buying a new solid state amp (and yes, it was well worth it).

Anyway, I have grown tired of the Wadia DAC/amp that is powering my desktop stereo. It is just silly little things that drive me crazy about it.
The on/off switch is on the back side and about once every 64 days I knock my large ice tea all over my desk when I turn it on.
Also, after I clean up the mess, I have to turn the volume up (to 36, the ideal volume level) because it resets to zero when I shut it off.
Yes I could just leave it on, but my father spent the first 18 years of my life beating into me to turn everything off if I wasn't using it. He hated the power company with a hate that still burns brightly 33 years after his death!

Sorry I got a little sideways there, back to the matter at hand.

So to remedy this problem I have decided to move my ZKIT60 (Dan the Redheaded Amp) over into desk duty.
Well that posed another problem, no DAC to convert computer aughts and naughts into amplifier sine and square waves.

Well I broke down and ordered the cheapest R2R DAC, the Fiio K11 R2R.
It priced out at a earthshaking $160 on the Jungle website.

So now it is speeding my way on the wings of sparrows, stopping only for water and worm breaks, soon to arrive sometime between 3/21 and 4/12, hopefully in 2025.

So is a $160 R2R DAC any good, well we shall see, won't we?