hi
@dextrostar
I have done something similar to what you want, but for fraction of the cost what you have budget for.
I got a FX Audio Tube-03 Tube pre amp for 5K to directly connect the Crown XLS and also got a switch box.
What it actually did is I could use the same set of speakers and crown for both Stereo listening and HT purpose.
You can refer to the below thread.
Have you had any experience with Yaqin CD 03? How much and what kind of difference does it make? I had owned the Yaqin SD2, very well built and hand wired tube buffer. I liked it most with the Voshkod replacement tubes which imparted the most balanced sound with very nice mids. But it was not a...
www.hifivision.com
Coming to the DAC I built my Own RPI streamer based on Linage OS (Android OS), sounds very good to my ears. I can play Tidal at 24/88-96khz or Apple Music at 24/192khz. This won't be comparable to the Topping or higher end DAC's but under 8k this was worth it. You can read the same below.
Recently I have been toying around and reading about making a network streaming player out of Raspberry Pi 4, there are a lot of FMs who already use Rpi + Allo Dac or Allo Boss Players with Volumio or Moode. Most of them are happy. But Tidal is paid and with Apple launching lossless, one needs...
www.hifivision.com
I even tried getting Yamaha WXC 50 to be used as Pre Amp but the soundstage and dynamics everything was small compared to the mere 5k Tube Pre Amp. I was shocked, I returned it.
Just to summerize this is how my chain is:
RPi Streamer cum DAC > FX Audio Tube 03 > Switchbox > Power Amp > Speakers
AVR Sources > AVR > Switchbox > Power Amp > Speakers
With the Topping D50s you will have to add a streamer or some source, what are you looking at?
What speakers are you going to use?