How can they strike you that way if you never heard them?
Some people talk about Berk Ref, others about MCB Select, but still others say that the much cheaper Ayre Qx-5 twenty is the new PCM king. Lots of talk about the Aqua LaScala/Formula Optologic dacs.
Then you have the tube Dacs like the Aries Cerat Cassandra and the R2R Lampi GG, which have their own rich sound in PCM
Point is that there are MANY quality choices out there and at this point you gotta try yourself to assess ultimate SQ match to your taste...or go on blind trust based on general reputation combined with the industrial design of your chosen unit.