Solid state DAC under 12K retail preferably with ethernet

Bel Canto Black EX DAC. It should be available later this month. 

Also, listen to the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC. 

Esoteric has the D-01 streaming DAC that is out with ethernet and everything. Wonder how it's going to turn out. This DAC with ethernet space is heating up.

Essrand,

I would agree with principle but disagree with practice.

In our shop we have quite a number of different pieces of state of the art digital from Lumin, Naim, Emm Labs, T+A, Light Harmonic and Aqua Hifi and many servers Baetis, Innious, Aurender.

It really comes down to the dac.

Right now we are listening to the Aqua Hifi Forumula which is a bit outside of your $12k list it is $14.7k however it sounds freaking amazing!

It has a way with textural cues that is so remakable you are just drawn in.

The Light Harmonic Davinci reference dac beats everything we have compared it to, check out the Davinci in Mattslip’s thread, it even beat the Overdrive as well as a very large number of other state of the art dacs.

Never being exposed to the Overdrive before going over to Matts house, it was fantastic sounding with that being said, there are some very talented people building some amazing digital front ends.

Yes the savings are nice with an ethernet streamer, howerver, you should keep this with an open mind and demo dacs accordingly.

Right now the best digital I have heard to date is from two dacs that accept usb vs ethernet and it is not an issue at all.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ