Will a new Dac improve the sound?

+ 1 on the Audiolab CDT6000

Some well reviewed “newer” dacs blow $1k that have really broken through in terms of excellent tone, stage, and detail:

Denafrips Ares II

Topping D70s (I’m using this one and am astonished at how good it sounds)

SMSL VMV d1se

Thank you guys for all the input. I guess now i'm trying to decide between a Dac with tubes or not. Not sure if the tube would give me a little less harshness. Or a R2R would give me the same results.

Lots of very well-informed advice here already. For what it's worth, I was skeptical about DACs; I've got a Marantz SA8005 SACD player that sounded just fine. Then I found a PS Audio UltraLink DAC at an estate sale, and picked it up for a song ($100). With my remote, I can switch back and forth between it and the Marantz. The difference is subtle but essential! The PS Audio is "warmer," more natural, just more involving; woodwinds sound like air through wood instead of electrons. Unfortunately, the PS Audio won't decode SACDs, so those still must be played through the Marantz. But for Red Book, I never prefer the Marantz. (BTW, Paul McGowan at PS Audio offered to give me full original purchase price—$2,000—for the UltraLink in trade for a newer DAC that will decode SACDs. Do any of you think that would be wise? I've read many statements here, including even in this thread, to the effect that newer DACs are much better than older ones, even for Red Book.)

Thank you guys for all the input. I guess now i’m trying to decide between a Dac with tubes or not. Not sure if the tube would give me a little less harshness. Or a R2R would give me the same results.

no - r2r dacs as a generality don’t reduce treble grit, unwanted energy, harshness, as there is a wide range of tonality/voicing among r2r dacs, largely based the quality of on their output stage and power supply design - for instance the soekris 14/15/25 series dacs have quite strong treble energy, whereas the lower denafrips dacs have good treble energy coupled with a warm midrange, and the audio gd r2r dacs have a more recessed treble

tubed output dacs, otoh generally add a tubey flavor and more reliably reduce treble energy, add midbass warmth and provide a somewhat more expansive image and soundstage - mhdt provides one with BOTH nos r2r topology and a tube buffered output stage, like higher cost audio mirror, lampi’s etc etc

It seems they go through upgrades every 6 months...just putzing with my player and decoupling showed me that the micro detail is worth the $ and adding a good dac🚀...im sure its a matter of time that i make the shift to dac...Would seem once bit its addicting from all i read.