Here is one I am eyeballing that fits the budget:
Weiss 204 $2,900. Reviewers are gaga over this
DAC du jour. Gotta get in line now though.
The ANK 4.1x can be bought in kit form for $3k
and assembled for $3.5k. It uses 4 tubes and an
older AD 1865 chip. Very musical and detailed.
Good Luck!!