Dated but still A rated DACs

I still like my ps audio pw dac (mark 2)...

In my opinion all these are the best for doing Redbook pcm and the last, and in my view the best of the R2R Mutibit dacs, before they were stopped because of high cost of manufacture EG: laser trimming resistors ect. Now they’er making a big comeback as discrete R2R Multibit.

Mark Levinson No39 cdp hdcd but can be used as dac.
Naim CD555/P555 hdcd most stunning Redbook pcm player I’ve heard maybe also be used as a dac.
Linn CD12 hdcd player very close to the Naim.
Cary 303/200 hdcd for the budget minded.

Cheers George

A+ rated by Stereophile : Benchmark DAC 2 

You could afford the newer DAC3 brand new on your budget...no need to buy dated components.

Ayre Codex. New around 2K, and much less on resale.

Hegel HD25.  Picked mine up for around $1100 and it sounds fabulous.  If you don't *need* DSD, MQA or more than 192 PCM then it could be all you need.  Personally I prefer native redbook or HD files - it sounds beautiful with either.