[doggiehowser]

I'm always partial to FPGA/discrete DACs so my pick would be the Chord Hugo TT2. It doesn't have a streamer though, so you need to factor that in.

If you don't need balanced outputs, the Qutest is even more of a bargain.

Both step up to another level, IMHO even outperforming the DAVE on its own, when you add the MScaler.

Another DAC that I quite like - but with a totally different architecture is the Aqua range. The one with the tube (la Scala) is simply stunning. More traditional R2R sound with discrete stages.