At these price levels most of the DACs are state-of-the-art and it's really a preference of choosing the type of sound that you want or which DAC pairs best with the system you have. There is a very real point of diminished returns once we move past the $6000-$8000 price point.
My suggestion would be to try as many DACs as possible and chose the one which sounds best to you. A lot of the DACs mentioned allow you an in-home trial or can be listened to in-home from a good dealer.
My suggestion would be to try as many DACs as possible and chose the one which sounds best to you. A lot of the DACs mentioned allow you an in-home trial or can be listened to in-home from a good dealer.