I think Kbarkamian and Musicslug are on the right track. I like to use each upgrade as a chance to further improve my system for my preferences. Try asking yourself this: "if I could fine tune my system, what would I like more of, or less of" Try to get a degree of those qualities in your new dac. A wise woman once told me that hifi is like ice cream, some people like chocolate, some people like strawberry, which I like a lot more than the right or wrong sound train of thought. Sooo, how do you want to dial in your system?