DAC advice

I currently have an arcam cd36, matched to a mcintosh ma6900 integrated amp, and focal electra be speakers. I feel the arcam is the weak link in my line up and would like to get better digital performance. Is buying a new (or used) DAC at approx $2000 to pair with my arcam the best rout? If so, what DACs should I consider? Furthermore, I've been reading how important the transport is to digital playback and am wondering if purchasing a whole new player might serve me better. In this case I can sell my arcam and put the proceeds towards a new player in roughly the $2800 range. Would this be a better option? If so what players should I consider?