I went with a used Yamaha CX-A5000. It’s a quality Preamp, DAC and has enough streaming for me. I do Spotify only. It cost me less than $500 and it drives my MacIntosh amp.

It was the company that became Kenwood. They were high quality items.

DSP doesn’t change what you were intended to hear, it fixes your system to enable you to hear what the music the way it was recorded. Unless your preamp and amp are broken, most of the coloration you will hear is coming from your speakers and your room, which DSP is designed to fix.

Used McIntosh MA6500 - you might be able to swing one.

16/44 provides more resolution and dynamic range than you can hear. It only falls apart when you start applying affects to multiple channels and mixing them, which is why 24/96 and higher were and are used in upstream recording systems so that you can get a clean mix-down to 16/44.

I just bought and barely got working a 42 year old Walkman. And I listened to and enjoyed music on it. Nothing like Uptown Girl on a period correct device.

I enjoy every bit of the equipment experience as there is music the whole way.

Ya, he’s full of shit and likely being paid.