Okay, I will take a good look at the MS600, which would clearly be a huge cost differential vs any of the ID40/41 alternatives. I'll do my homework, but my assumption is that the MS600 acts just like one of the ID40/DACs functionally--C15 to TwinStore to MS600 (with router in middle, of course), with the MS600 receiving the music file natively, processing it, and converting it to analogue. Since it deosn't have a hard drive and isn't a computer, it could sit quietly in the music room (and was no doubt intended for that purpose), correct? So I'm not paying for the preamp and/or CD player and other functionality that the 8xx products provide and which I might not use. Is that a fair assessment?

If cost were no object (it always is, of course), and sound quality from the C15 were the only priority, it still appears that an ID40/41 is the way to go.

I still would be curious how people who have ever been able to make this kind of direct comparison feel about the C15 into a really top-notch DAC, designed with digital input and jitter control, as mentioned before, versus the Meridian-based solutions being discussed--MS600 and ID40/41 solutions. I've seen a couple of comments recently--one from John Marks, if I'm not misremembering--praising the C15/Bercasti combination quite highly.

Again, thanks for the feedback.
Jerry


Sooloos C15, 2x2TB TwinStores, Meridian 808.5, BSG Tech QOL, Allnic L-5000, FirstWatt SIT-1s, Zu Dominance; Modwrighted Oppo BDP95, Classe SSP-800, Sony VPL-VW50 Pearl.