Not many people have heard many DACs in the $2-4K range, with the possible exception of a few dealers. There is a thread on Audionervosa that describes a shoutout at a regional meet of DACs in the $3-5K range, including the Perfect Wave (not sure if Mk1 or Mk2), the AMR DP-777, and the Zodiac Gold. Everyone had slightly varying opinions and rankings, but the conclusion was they were all good and fairly similar in sound. You might want to search for that thread. It certainly dissuaded me from thinking about swapping out my Perfect Wave MK2 for something in the same ballpark in terms of retail price.
I would avoid buying any DAC that is not well-known in the audio community unless the manufacturer offers a trial period, because digital equipment depreciates in resale value quite fast, and I suspect you would have a hard time selling a DAC that very few have heard of.
I would avoid buying any DAC that is not well-known in the audio community unless the manufacturer offers a trial period, because digital equipment depreciates in resale value quite fast, and I suspect you would have a hard time selling a DAC that very few have heard of.