Suggestions for DAC auditions - upgrade from HRT III+?

Buy  the Wadis 121 Decoding Computer ( really just  DAC). You have remote volume and balance - yahoo!  I bought 3 to replace my older PS Audio DAC III, and Wadia was my choice by a margin greater than 5 x 1. The others were the Wired 4 Sound and Rega. But my system is all custom made to my specifications., so it may note have the same "curve" for sound. I happen to think it is as good as any I have heard at Audiofest and Al Stiefel was a treasured and missed personal friend. If you buy it used on Audiogon, like I did, you can sell it after a full month audition or keep it and save a chunk off of retail.  

One footnote, the Wadia has a mute clamping diode issue that Wadia will fix if it occurs. Volume drops by 98% so you will know if it happens.

Vincent Raptor

Thanks Vincent - I'll take that under strong consideration!

Leahy,

If I were you, I'd hold off making a move to a new DAC for a few months.

The main reason is that it looks like MQA is getting some positive traction in the marketplace.  Tidal started streaming "Masters" from Warner Music about two months ago, they have about 1000 titles available on their app.

A few weeks ago Universal Music signed on to a multi-year agreement to provide MQA (Beatles, Stones, U2, Lady Gaga, etc etc).

Only a few DAC manufacturers have taken "the plunge" and incorporated "end-to-end" MQA decoding into their hardware.  I suspect that, with Universal Music joining the MQA world, more will need to take that "plunge" in the near future.

MQA is not very well understood.  It has two main benefits, #1) delivering high res files in a small package and #2) "de-blurring", reducing the "pre-ringing" ("digital sound").  Though #1 can be done in software, to me, the real sonic benefit of MQA is #2 and the only way to get that is to have a DAC that does "end-to-end" decoding.

The Wadia is an excellent choice. If you can save up a bit more, the Ayre Codex is another outstanding dac. Playing your current Redbook music through either the Wadia or Ayre will make it sound like hi res compared to what you have now.