Can not afford a Z DAC right now, any $400 and under DAC's that you can recommend? Either no oversampling or very little oversampling.

Thanks

Thanks!
Will check out the links. Should have said not USB.
Right now thinking of iPod using an Onkyo ND-S1 transport, and other inputs, but not computer.

WARNING Newbie questions:
My CD player has an optional optical out - that is a pure digital stream that needs to be fed into a DAC before hitting my Decware amp - correct?
Will most DAC's work with the amps or do I need a pre-amp or DAC with an AMP? And with the later am I assume I'm killing some of the quality in the lower price ranges?

Thanks in advance

"My CD player has an optional optical out - that is a pure digital stream that needs to be fed into a DAC before hitting my Decware amp - correct?"

Correct.  Digital outs (optical, coax) allow you to use your CD player as a transport (bypassing its own DAC), leaving the digital to analog conversion job to your DAC.

I'll echo Lon's recommendation about saving up for a Decware DAC.
Steve produces very fine products for the money.  His prices reflect a direct-to-consumer sale, rather than also having to pay a distribution/retail channel for their efforts.

Torii MKI

You'll run into other owners of your amp in its dedicated forum.
Congratulations and happy listening!  I got my SE84 used from Decware ten years ago and have been a tube/high-efficiency speaker fanatic ever since.  Steve's new Zen Open Baffle speaker really intrigues me.

http://emotiva.com/xda1.shtm

No Brainer, XDA-1

Cool, you picked up an Torii Mk. I am considering the MkIII or one of Mr. Pass wonders, either the J2 or M2.

Cheers, Stone of Tone


Solid State System:
Denon DCM-290 (Transport)
Acoustic Zen MC2
Dac Magic
Monster M1000 MKIII  IC (from 1993)
Rotel RA-1062 (as Preamp)
Kimber PK10 Palladian (Rotel)
Kimber KCAG
Emotiva UPA-1 x 2
HGA SC-16 Silver Braid to Kimber 8TC
Polk LS90
360 Degree Room treats-dedicated Room

Tube Amp System: (#1 system = 80% of my listening)
Sony as Transport
Illuminati D-60
AA DTI-Pro
Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s
AA 3.0 Dac
Kimber Select 1030
Decware Zen Select
Kimber Select 3033
LS-90

You would not have control over the oversampling. I picked this one based on your stated budget despite oversampling. I like my Audio Alchemy gear where I do have control over the dither.

The size is for stacking.

Balanced outputs are great if you have balanced inputs to connect too.

I have never liked balanced inputs. My Kimber Select 1030 IC's I have never been able to best them. I have owned them for 10 years and purchased new at half the price they cost now for .5 meter. Pitty more people can't experience them because their to damn expensive now.

Stone of Tone

Cambridge Audio DacMagic, although its a wee bit above your budget.

Thanks,
Had not come across Grant Fidelity.