What does your DAC sound like

Notable DACs under 5k:

• Ferrum Wandla+1.2 HYPSOS power supply - HR competes w 10k DACs 
• LAiV Harmony DAC
• Musician Aquarius -sounds like a $5k DAC
• Denafrips Terminator
• Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC
• Wired4Sound DAC-2v2SE                    
• Audio-GD R7HE MK2           

For the best performance/price, the Ferrum Wandla+Hypsos power supply.

A used T+A DAC200 would also be an excellent choice 

If you want analog like sound with superb resolution and dynamic impact, I suggest one of several Lampizator Poseidon DACs currently available listed in HiFi Shark.  Otherwise, the less expensive used DACs, there are another 28 Lampizator tube DACs available listed at that site.  I own the Poseidon.  

@mitch2 Just read your post from yesterday.  I don't know how long you have had your new Mojo DAC but have you noticed a difference from the X SE.  From the website I read their where a few changes and some seem more for protection.  Also you said you had a monarch.  I had not heard of that DAC before.  I did notice the chip is the one Ben at Mojo said he was wanting to use the next generation.  What do you do to upgrade?  That seems like a very affordable way to get to a really good DAC.

I recently landed an Audio-GD R7HE Mk3 for comparison to my Esoteric K-01X.  The R2R GD slightly edges out the K01X with USB input from a Sonore Sig Rendu Deluxe, with further gains over I2S input from Pareto Audio’s new single mode FO EN to I2S node.  Couldn’t be more pleased with the change, though admittedly outside the $5K ceiling post-tariiffs.

My experience is for not much money the  Denafrips Pontus ll is a very good sounding dac. In fact I purchased the top terminator model and preferred the sound of the Pontus. However the Holo May Kte is what stopped my search. If you don’t care about DSD the Schitt YGGY is also a good try.