Looking for best streamer without DAC under $3500

I’m entering the discussion late, but I am still perplexed about the whole streamer/DAC issue.  A few months ago, I A/B’d my Bluesound Node 2 streamer with the Aurender N100 running through the DAC in my Hegel H190.  I wanted to love the Aurender because I could have bought it for a great price.  I confess that the build quality of the Aurender, but try as I might, I could detect no difference in sound quality over a broad spectrum of music.  I ultimately decided to stick with the Bluesound.  I have since upgraded my system and am streaming my Bluesound Node 2 into a Chord Qutest DAC that connects with a Prima Luna preamp that are run by an old, but sweet, YBA Passion 400 Amp.  My speakers are Harbeth 30.2s.  I love my system, but am still wonder, as all Of us crazy audiophiles do, whether the holy grail of streamers will make a difference.  I should add by the way, that I have the Bluesound Node 2 running through the Chord DAC and also streaming through its own DAC into the PL.  I notice more air in the Chord, but can’t say it knocks my socks off.  All of this is predicate to the question of how much to streamers and DACs really matter.  To the extent that A/B’ing is the closest I can get to a scientific assessment, I am left only with questions.  And finally, all of this being said, my system still sounds sweet!  I am fascinated by all of the discussion and look forward to any thoughts folks might have.

@sfseay What "break in" are you talking about? The Bricasti is just taking bits on network, de-encapsulate / uncompress the payload and send it out to DAC. It's as simple as that, just digital bits in and out, no more no less.  No

@bfleetwood  Put all on DAC, the streamer just does bits in / out and it provides interfaces for DAC, control and input/output.  The DAC makes the Digital to Analog conversion, not the streamer!

@owl

The computer’s background processes create a ton of noise and so do the power supplies which feed back into your electrical grid.

No noise whatsoever, you don’t seem to understand Analog / Digital and computers.. And your streamer is just... a computer!

Versatile and quiet which is way better than the Mac I used to use - its more settled and quiet

Ha ha ha! "Way better": You had Mac / Software bad setup then!