OK, that narrows things down a bit by excluding amp devices. So the choice is between separates (streamer + DAC) vs one-box streaming-DACs, over quite a wide budget spread, so still a ton of options!
I might suggest shortlisting just the one-box solutions first on the basis that they can be compared more easily and also because standalone streamers are much fewer in number vs straight DACs. You might read therefore that standalone streamers are best for folks who already have a DAC they like and want to keep, rather than because separates are superior for a given spend. Also, the weak point of separates is you need to ensure high quality USB/SPDIF implementation between the streamer output and the DAC input; another rabbit hole.
Some usual suspects would be Auralic, Mytek, Simaudio. The new Gold Notes also look interesting. I’m reading that you like a clear, neutral sound given you have a hybrid amp + KEFs, so perhaps biasing towards a warmer sounding front-end would make sense. The only way to be sure is to trial components in your system.
I might suggest shortlisting just the one-box solutions first on the basis that they can be compared more easily and also because standalone streamers are much fewer in number vs straight DACs. You might read therefore that standalone streamers are best for folks who already have a DAC they like and want to keep, rather than because separates are superior for a given spend. Also, the weak point of separates is you need to ensure high quality USB/SPDIF implementation between the streamer output and the DAC input; another rabbit hole.
Some usual suspects would be Auralic, Mytek, Simaudio. The new Gold Notes also look interesting. I’m reading that you like a clear, neutral sound given you have a hybrid amp + KEFs, so perhaps biasing towards a warmer sounding front-end would make sense. The only way to be sure is to trial components in your system.