What replaced your Antelope Zodiac DAC?

But USB is not the best or even good for audio IMO.

This is NOT true.

Other than that, good advice and recommendations.

The better question to ask yourself is:

What source will I primarily utilize? Am I happy with it? If yes, then which output from that source is considered best?

Pick a DAC that complements not only that output from the source but also your overall system goals.

If you are agnostic on source, or will be moving in another direction (for example cdp to streaming) then what you choose should be based on the goals that define those aspects of the front end of your system.

great answers I didn't expect anything like those. My primary source will be a streamer, roon and tidal. if not usb then what? aes/spdif?

Depends on the streamer / network player. Some are optimized for USB others for AES, I2S, LAN, etc.

For example, with my Schiit Yggdrasil, many owners prefer AES over it’s USB input, however I utilized it’s USB input because I was already invested in USB. In the case of my Denafrips Terminator, though USB is very well implemented, Denafrips suggests I2S as the optimal input.

Any of these outputs / inputs may serve you well, however if you want to push your system, matching the preferred output from your streamer / player to the preferred input of your DAC will likely be the best pairing (per the designers).

Just something to keep in mind. No need to make it a bottleneck in terms of making a choice (in case it presents in that way).

Since you are considering R2R DACs, you have many very good options. And in most cases, most DACs will allow for very good sound quality across their input set.

@1graber2 has given you some great recommendations. I recommend the top two levels of Schiit, all four Denafrips DACs, and the full Metrum DAC range. There are many others. All the best in your search.