Unforgiving DAC or add Tube Preamp??

A couple DACs from the listings under $2K:
A bit esoteric but a highly regarded Japanese DAC:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9a71i-47-laboratory-4705-progression-dac-with-4799-power-dumpty...

Not to bombard you with Japanese DACs but this Reimyo is one I’ve wanted for years if you can bargain them down a few $100 its in your price range:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9a0a1-reimyo-dap-777-20bit-k2-amazing-dac-da-converters

And Electrocompanient is known for warmer sounding SS gear this DAC is quite well reviewed and under your price range:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9a4b5-electrocompaniet-ecd-1-da-converters
Good luck and happy listening!

@audiotroy One of the advantages buying used is essentially an "in-house audition" if you are smart and buy right you can listen at your leisure then resell and move on, I did it for years. And frankly resolution is overrated. There are plenty of older dacs that have fine resolution and excellent musicality. My current DAC an original Audio Note Dac-3 Signature was built in 1995 and sounds great.  Audiogon is at its heart a website for buying and selling used equipment I was offering the OP a few good looking used options from the listings.

Audio Doctor I will live with my being wrong then. :) Your car analogy however is not a very apt one. Modern cars are in some ways built to a lower standard than older cars. One of the reasons I've stuck with my current car, a 2003 VW Passat, is for the way it was built. A very sophisticated suspension, a powerful and reliable engine and it just handles in a way new cars don't. But enough of that,  you have new Dacs to sell and as we know I am wrong. Cheers!