[supra1988t]

I am looking for a DAC for my father.  He will be using a squeezebox touch through the DAC to a modified Ampex preamp which feeds McIntosh monoblocks to a set of modified Klipsch horns.  He loves the sound of his preamp and so we want something that is going to color the sound the least.  Just simple optical/coax in and RCA line out.  He doesn't want to spend more than $500 but I probably could convince him to.
 
Any suggestions?

 

[supra1988t]

The Cambridge Audio DACMagic has good reviews but I am ignorant to how the filters work and sound.  Seems to me that this may not be the "truest" or most accurate DAC.  Any suggestions guys?

 

[Willakan]

Digital filters are a neccessary part of any decent DAC. They don't colour the sound by their nature, although it is entirely possible for the designer to screw up their implementation.

 

[TubeDriver]

You can read my review (posted yesterday) of the Schiit Bifrost DAC in comparison to the DacMagic posted in the Schiit Bifrost thread.  Both are good DACs but the Bifrost is certainly more neutral/colorless.  BTW, I also use horns in my system.