Is there any such thing as a bad sounding DAC these days?

I understand the OP was speaking in general terms. And in general terms, DAC technology/digital/streaming sound quality has greatly advanced over the past 15 years or so. There’s now a ton of great sounding DACs out there on the market to choose from, at all price points. The good news is, nowadays, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a DAC to achieve near reference quality sound quality. With all the wonderful advances in technology over the past 10-15 years in high end audio, especially on the digital side of the aisle, life’s gotten pretty doggone good for the modern audiophile, simply because, generally, you can get a higher level of sound quality for less money than you could in the past. Happy listening.

@ghdprentice hit the nail on the head when he said “Then there is a question of does the sound characteristics match your tastes.”

Like him a Benchmark DAC sends me running for the door.  A friend of mine who has been in the hobby/industry for decades really likes it.

So there’s the rub, it depends on what you want to hear.  Aggressive?  Smooth?  Hyper detailed?  Syrupy (is that a word)?  The answer to your question depends on what you’re chasing.

To my ears yes there bad sounding DAC’s.

Yes many lower cost dacs are flat not that warm sounding to start with.under $1k

“Is there any such thing as a bad sounding DAC these days?”

Yes. 
 

Evary one that I own as they never stay around  for long. 

…but do any that really matter these days not sound “good”?…

Depends, DACs nowadays is MUCH better sonically than before and can be very satisfying.  However, to get a DAC up to the sonic level of my analog rig, I had to spend more.