What do you have now? Are you new to streaming? As mentioned above, your question is hard to answer. Only you can say what sounds "best" in your system.
If you are new to streaming and have no DAC at all, I suppose you just need a place to start. A $1K budget is nothing to scoff at and there are a lot of options out there.
I'd suggest trying to find a local dealer that will do auditions, letting you take a unit home to try it out before you buy something. If you can't do that, stick to the used market, that way you can try something and sell it if you don't like it.
I've found that when I'm trying new gear, it usually falls into one of two categories. Either I like it or I don't. If I don't like it, I either get rid of it (if I bought it) or take it back, if I can. If I do like it, I keep it, until I find something that I like better.
Personally, I really don't think that there is any "best" out there. For me, it's because my tastes change or I just feel like listening to something with a little different character. For me, finding a piece of equipment that suits me is a matter of settling on a piece of equipment that is the best I've heard for right now.
I'd say, do some reading and find out what suits most people and start from there.