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

Don't forget about how improvements in ADC;s have contributed to this.

I am of the opinion that competently designed DACs have been sounding the same for over 10 years (provided the design goal is total linearity).
If a user prefers a certain coloration, a certain design, or certain features - hey, all the power to them and that’s also why there are many choices.
My last DAC acquisition was in 2023 or so, a JDS Labs Element 3 for my home office workstation. It has all sorts of filter tuning and you can do things like EQ or add H2/H3 harmonics... but I simply haven’t touched anything after the novelty of having those choices wore off.

The sound-quality range, if you will, of digital audio is far more narrow than analog audio's, and it continues to narrow down.

I agree with the Benchmark comments. Owned the DAC 3 and found it cold and clinical. More than the D to A conversion the DAC needs a clean Analog output. That’s what separates the best from the good. 

My primary current setup is Roon->Cambridge Audio mxn10 streamer/DAC analog out-> Schitt Freya balanced XLR out -> Class D Audio Premium GaN 6.5 Balanced 2-Channel Amplifier 200W RMS into 8 OHM -> KEF ls 50 meta + powered sub or Ohm Walsh F5 series 3.

I listen to the KEFs nearfield in a small 12X12 room and the Ohms non-nearfield in a much larger L shaped room.

I couldn’t ask for anything more regarding sound quality and performance in either listening scenario. The nearfield setup with the KEFs in particular allows one to really listen in detail into the recording. The detail, soundstage and imaging, and dynamics at all levels is just incredibly good on the grand scale of things. Tone overall is very neutral, which is what I like. Every nuance seems to be delivered...things I never noticed before even with old familiar recordings. Different remastered releases of the same content sound clearly different as well. From listening experience, I can say with confidence the new GanFET amp in particular is a big contributor, but the DAC is certainly holding up its part very well indeed.

I may play with the DAC part a bit just for fun to see what differences I might hear.

Open for suggestions!