Best sounding DAC I have heard in my system (to date)

I recently joined a local audiophile society. I had no idea what I was getting into; I was invited to the next meet-up. This meet-up happened to be at the home of a co-organizer. Unaware of how these are run, I ended up going to optimistically see what it was about.

After talking to some of the members, I mentioned that I was interested in pieces of audio equipment, but without hearing them first, I was reluctant to upgrade. If I bought a piece of equipment and decided it didn't improve the sound, I'd have to sell it on the secondary market for a loss. I'm too frugal for that! In that conversation, we were talking about DACs (digital to analog converters) as an example. One member quickly chimed in, stating that he has a DAC that he'd let me borrow. The other members said that the specific DAC was of high quality. I jumped at the opportunity, not knowing if there was a catch! Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be a catch. Just a nice guy wanting to share.

I brought the VEGA home with an Audioquest Monsoon power cable and a high-quality USB, all from this same member. Due to travel, I wasn't able to test it out immediately, and I anxiously waited a week until I was back home. Quickly plugging everything in with my Node N130 and C2700 pre-amplifier. I could immediately hear a sonic improvement. The only disappointment was the meaty weight of the DA2 (DAC) in the C2700 as missing, everything else was no contest. I had to crank the pre-amplifer just to get a moderate sound level. After beating my head against the table while researching, I came to find out the variable volume on the Node N100 was at 50%. I have no idea why that was the default when it detected this DAC. Quick fix, and all is well.

After a couple weeks of listening, I am still surprised at the soundstage, texture, and realistic sounds this produces. It's amazing. I do miss the weight of the notes that the DA2 provided, even if they were colored or otherwise unnatural. That extra weight added a bit of energy to the music.

Hearing the VEGA, a DAC that came out in 2013 that sounds this good, I am unfortunately not able to go back to the DA2 in the C2700. Bring out the wallet. I am currently looking for a Denafrips Terminator II, a DAC that, in reviews, is a bit warm-sounding and life-like; probably a good paring with my Cornwall IV speakers.

At this point, I'm wondering if this audiophile society is good for my finances...