Yeah I get that (mehehe). Maybe look for black Friday sales on those EL DAC and amp... Heard the upgrade is worth it ! (but I haven't actually heard the devices)

What schiit do you have...? I'm not an expert, but my time researching these products makes me think you won't get much of a difference! Maybe try to find something higher-end second-hand?

I'll consider this, especially for how much good i've heard of it and at that price point ... Thanks for you answers and advice!

I only tried the Drangonfly black on "my" setup as the local store allowed me to do a few tests with the same gear (aren't they cool?!)... and I actually noticed a painful amount of "shh" and background noise on the DF Black. What do you think this could have been?

How much of an improvement is the OL DAC compared to AudioQuest Dragonfly Black on powered speakers? Thanks!