A new dac?

@thecarpathian 

I don't know, your current system looks like it was put together with care, and a lot of thought was given to component selection and the end sound produced.

Given a $10,000 budget, you could (probably) significantly improve upon it. With $1,000, you can't realistically hope for anything better than a lateral move.

Streamers are the one major component with the least bearing on the end sound. Why not get a Wiim Ultra; it's cheap enough that when you upgrade you can move it to your kitchen system.

If I were in your situation, I would keep my current system, and I would spend my $1,000 on a Wiim and a nice used turntable and cart. Something fun! A new $1,000 DAC doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun.

@devinplombier , I did indeed put a lot of thought into it, thanks. Patience and waiting for a really good deal paid off! Think I will grab a Wiim Ultra. Read good things about them and inexpensive enough. I actually have two turntables and a nice phono preamp. I've got a Denon dp-57l, weighs a ton and has a beautiful rose wood veneer in pristine condition, with a sut as it's a Japanese market version (dp-62l American). Also a while back bought a Fluance RT85N to see what all the hubbub was about. It's a dandy of a tt. Phono pre is a BAT VK-P5. Didn't bring them up as they're of course not relevant to a dac search.

@thecarpathian 

a quick story - 

when I was looking to upgrade from my old Bel Canto DAC, I got two DACs for a home audition - Chord Qutest and Mytek Brooklyn II. I chose Qutest. It sounded more natural and had a less forward presentation than the the Brooklyn II. I had two of my audio buddies hear my system with both DACs independently and both picked Qutest as a winner without me telling them what I liked. 
My system at the time was Rogue RP1, Rogue ST100, Martin Logan Montis. Source was old Mac Mini via USB. 

Doesn’t mean you would like the Qutest but it’s in your price range. 

Carpathian

Nice vinyl rig you have already!

Meanwhile, there's a Signature version of your Belles Aria that pushes out 125wpc @8 ohms and 235wpc @4 ohms. That should be plenty of headroom in your setup. If you like your amp's sound signature, maybe it can be upgraded. Just a thought

Streamers are the one major component with the least bearing on the end sound. Why not get a Wiim Ultra;

My experience deviates from yours. The digital front end is far more important—just like the DAC. The Wiim Ultra sounds fine, but only fine. I owned it for a long time, but it won’t be considered a ‘decent’-sounding streamer (using digital out) unless it is paired with a good DDC.  If you really aim for budgetary gear, get Node Nano instead.

I later acquired the Volumio Rivo Plus, which is in another class above all budget streamers, including the Ultra, iFi Zen, and even the Node Nano. Don’t just take my word for it—cross-check with professional reviewers such as Hans, Tarun, iiWi, Passion for Sound, and others.

The clock and the cable are also critical for achieving true audiophile-grade sound.

My system at the time was Rogue RP1, Rogue ST100, Martin Logan Montis. Source was old Mac Mini via USB. 

I thought you had an Aurender N200—or at least that was my impression—since you were advocating for Aurender and mentioned this particular model, @audphile1, if my memory serves me well...