Move to the next level

@jbuhl, I studied the Bryston  Pi and the other Bryston items. Have you seen this review of the B-pi by Hans Beekhuysen?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4FU1tqZdeUI like him a lot and found it enlightening. But its not the direction I want to go. The Bryston player and dac are more in that direction but if I was going that high for hardware I think another Canadian offering, the NAD 50.2 would be a strong competitior. Especially since I have previous good experience with NAD products and the dealers are easier to find in my neighborhood. BTW that BDA-3 dac you pointed me to resides right down the road from me in New Jersey. I think it is more DAC than I want right now but I may go take a look. Thanks!

@bruce19 No, I have not heard the exasound. I live in flyover country where hifi sales don't really exist. I do a lot of reading and have put a pretty good system together without hearing it first. This is what the internet has brought us w/ online sales. Plus any have 30 day $$$ back which is helpful.

That sauid, one of my worst buys was heard prior in the hifi store. Sounded great. Then I took it home where I hated it for a year and sold it. That was back in the mid 80's. So I don't worry about auditions anymore.

What I’m running with right now in my system would fall within your budget. Roon Nucleus feeding Chord Qutest DAC via Curious USB Cable. The Nucleus has a bay which can be fitted with an SSD or HDD such that it could function as your server.
At full retail:
Roon Nucleus $1399
Lifetime Roon Member ship
                         $699
Chord Qutest  $1695
Curious USB    $350
==================
Total                $4143
Still leaves room within your budget to purchase SSD and upgraded power supplies if so desired for Nucleus and/or Qutest.
I’m currently utilizing Small Green Computer 5v LPS ($160) with my Qutest and stock power supply with my Nucleus.
The key to all this is using Roon Nucleus as your Server, functioning as Roon Core Server and Player. You can substitute the DAC and USB Cable of your choice. I find that this setup works very well.

@artemus_5 , you would think being in NJ I'd have lots of choices but perhaps it has to do with the death of retail but I have found that usually when you get to a dealer they may not have the model I am interested in, making it a "special order" and if they do it is connected to equipment that is so different from what I own that the listening test is meaningless.

@jazzman7 , Thanks for your post on a couple of counts.

First it brings me to realize I don't fully understand the exact meaning of the terms server, streamer, bridge and player. So I've got to do some homework. Which of these can access online streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal and radio stations vs playing audio files from a local source?
Second, I gather that the above streaming capability is a combination of hardware and software functions. There is proprietary software like the Musicast system on my Yamaha, but then there seem to be several downloadable versions of  software that can provde similar if not identical functionality presumably, if you have the right hardware. Piecing this part together is another blind spot at the moment. Any light you can shed would be appreciated.
Third, I'm was not familiar with Small Green Computer in New Hampshire, they look like an interesting company. Had you previously used their Sonictransporter before getting your Roon Nucleus. It looks like it is a parallel product.

Lastly, does your current set up offer access to on-line streaming services and radio, if so how? If not that is the key missing piece for me in you otherwise admirable setup.