Best Bang for your Buck DAC ?


I just realized I’m in the market for a DAC , I don’t want to spend a fortune on a DAC either . I picked up a drangonfly cobalt a while back and am unimpressed  so I moved it to my CPU and sounds really good on my system there which when I bought it figured I would do anyway since it was my first DAC purchase . There are so many DACs I have no clue , how high up on the returns chart can I go at say $1,000 before I run into heavy Diminished returns resistance. I’m open to buying used . I was thinking about a Schitt made in the states ? Anyone’s take on best bang for buck DACs? 
ngiordano
A excellent dac Black ice audio uses dual 12Ax7 vacuum tubes 
which I would put in NOS Raytheon Black plates 
brent Jesse audio, and a Synergistic 🍊 fuse decent power cord 
And beats dacs 2-3 x it’s cost .Underwood Wally sells them 
Retail $799,which you can buy for  less build quallity compact but very good especially the Rcore power supply Burr Brown dac chipsets. Rich involving sound ,even stock ,the tubes mentioned 
and fuse just add to the musicality and resolution .I started there 
then went much further modding it monies well spent IMO.
I have heard many of the Dac's mentioned above.  These are all nice sounding Dac's and some good recommendations.  I have had a dozen Dac's in my system and am just stunned with how the SMSL M500 sounds.  This little Dac is like $400 and has clearly outperformed some pricey Dac's in my system.  It does require a fair amount of burn in.  
Even though you may prefer another Dac from above, it is all personal.  I can promise that it won't be embarrassed by any of them. 
Denafrips Ares II. 

Under $1,000 CAD into the country. 

So sweet I bought a second.  

It really shines after a couple hundred hours of use.