Admittedly not much worthwhile. The mhdt labs dacs might be your best bet used imo, I personally like the orchid for something a bit more fun but controlled, or the pagoda for something more neutral with a bit of sweetness (the istanbul is the most fun leaning but I think that gets a slight bit out of control)
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Is it possible to get the project dac box rs for under $1k in the US?
Quick google search says possibly, I see a few new for 1099
Ahh, they commonly go for around Ā£500 used here
Iād assume itās probably similar then here but I havenāt looked into it
Actually saw one Pagoda on sale in Estonias classifieds , but when I contacted the seller he said sorry and its already sold 
Was for ~800 euros.
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how exactly does a tube DAC work? or is that a misnomer and itās just a combo DAC / Amp?
All DACās with a few exceptions like the border patrol contain a buffer/amp thatās referred to as the output stage.
Most āTubeā DACās have a Tube output stage, instead of an op amp or discrete transistor section
Some use tube rectifiers in the power supply.
The Border patrol DAC has no output section which has itās own issues and a Tube rectifier.
The design of the output section, and the PSU have as much impact (or more) on the sound of the DAC, than do the specific DAC chip, or even in some cases the DAC technology.
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interesting. what kind of sound are tube DAC known for?
Itās the wrong question, like what kind of sound does R2R have.
You donāt listen to an output stage or a dac chip or clock, or any other single component, you listen to the DAC.
Having said that a manufacturer putting tubes in a DAC is usually looking to increase the stage, and possibly soften some of the digital hardness.
The Lampizator for example you wouldnāt think tube just listening to it, but itās a very āanalogā sounding DAC, still quite resolving, but itās more focused on the staging and micro dynamics.
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Talking about Border Patrol, I just saw this on my YouTube feed. A quick take on the DAC by Sine Craft Audio.
I agree with this, I wouldnāt buy a dac just because it has a tube in the output stage when it comes to higher end dacs, same with higher end amps since they can all be so wildly different and it really doesnāt matter too much what they use to achieve their sound as long as it sounds good, itās really going to solely depend on system synergy and preferences and not the type of single component inside as you have to consider everything as a whole, as itās not wise to focus on one single aspect as a focal point and assume that dictates the sound
Man. Not a fan of the border patrol. I can kinda see why people like it but, itās just a warm mushy mess. Firstly itās hard to pair, having no output stage it has a wildly high output impedance meaning you need to have something with a very high input impedance to compensate (at least 50k ohms input impedance probably) for it to sound passable. 2ndly I just canāt understand why this dac sounds favorable at its price point, it has minimal detail overall, very sluggish, dynamically blunted, little texture, a wide stage but barely any placement accuracy, it does have great timbre but too rich tonality and too much density. Itās extremely underperforming for what it sells for. But for some people thatās exactly why they would want it, to add gobs of coloration to the sound and not be a high technical preformer, but thatās not for me lol
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I enjoyed the BP when I had it, but as soon as I was able to listen to higher end DACs it was very evident when the BP fell short. What I like about it was the staging, very wide but Iāve realized that width is the easiest of the staging dimensions to get. And it quickly becomes a one trick pony if you donāt also have the depth and (IMO the hardest to get) height. There is a very ārightā sound to it though and I guess thatās why people enjoy it. Noting about it is offensive and it sounds, well itās a DAC that masks poorly recorded content. Some people, that may be a deciding factor.
Donāt know if you can comment @M0N but saw this today and it may be an interesting thing for someone wanting to try a DAC w/a tube in it for not BP dollars.
So I really wouldnāt be complaining if it was 300-500 bucks, but at 1k+ it retails for, itās a hard sell given what other competitors in the price bracket can do
Itās a nice dac, but admittedly I donāt remember much about it from the short demo I had in like 2012 of it or something lol. It didnāt sound like a borderdpatrol though, if you wanted a dac that sounds like a higher end border patrol you would want to look at a lab12 dac1 reference
info about the lab12
To sum it up, feels like a logical borderpatrol upgrade without the output impedance issue and with a more neutral signature. Has a lot of tonal density and is very rich, very spacious and enveloping stage but also poor placement accuracy and can feel hazy, great timbre, mediocre dynamics and detail for the price but very forgiving, softer, and fun if you are into that. It really feels like a borderpatrol but further refined and more capable, but Iām personally not a big fan of the borderpatrol that much and the lab12 while an improvement overall is a high price to pay for that improvement, but if you are a diehard borderpatrol fan this is totally worth a look
Oh, Iām good on DACs, just shared in case someone was interested. lol
Have heard the MHDT Labs Canary as well? 
I have, itās less technically capable than the others, but is warmer thicker relaxed, not my first choice out of their options
Not exactly on topic but a side step. After the Volot HP amp my next purchase that Iām saving for is the Manley Chinook special edition tube phono.
I heard one of these recently and for vinyl was exactly the direction I want to take my 2 channel rig.
I asked the Tor Audio guy some questions, but he hasnāt replied for some time. Does anyone know
- How big is the sound difference between the two DACs?
- Does the tube part affect the RCA outs or is it just for the headphone part?
- What tubes does it come with?