good questions. I had a somewhat similar experience. I had been using some new Cardas xlr cables between my DAC and preamp and decided to audition some different ones at the recommendation of my local dealer. I tried them in my system and couldn’t believe the difference in sound. More difference for me than even speaker cables (of high quality) and i hear those differences easily. So, I think you’re correct to explore options that will give you what you’re looking for - I suspect you’ll find it.
And, i think you’re also correct asking for experiences here to help expedite the process. While there’s no substitute for trying things yourself, there are far too many options out there to try them all. So a little guidance from others here is helpful. Sorry I can’t be one of those to help as I’m not familiar enough with options in your budget. But it’s well worth the exploration.
Best,