Much of what goes wrong in a DAC occurs after the DAC portion itself. For example, a datasheet implementation of an industrial op amp I/V/LPF/buffer. The DAC will never achieve better than that limitation. Industrial OA are relatively easy to use but they are limiting in sonic results, no matter who does the design or how much the unit costs.
And all R2R are not equal of course; for example Denafrips DACs are unusual in that they have no output buffer at all. The ladder drives the line out directly. Obviously this will at least have benefits in no buffer coloration added, since there isn't one.
TK