$1200 Desktop Amp/DAC or Dap for IEMs?

[asaifa]

I have ordered the Thieaudio Monarchs and am looking to get the best possible sound, spending another $1200 or so. I will only be using the Monarchs at my desk, so there is no reason to get a Dap. Also, I do not intend to get full-size headphones in the future, so I don't need to future-proof the setup for that.

I once read that desktop setups are better value for money than Daps, but that was just one person sharing their experience. So, I thought it would be interesting to get more people's opinions.

For someone who only uses their IEMs at their desk, which sounds better?

• A $1200 dap (let's say the Cayin N6ii)
• A $1200 desktop setup consisting of a DAC and amp (let's say Topping A90 + D90), using a laptop as a source

Note: I have put in the Cayin N6ii and Topping stack as examples, knowing they have very different sound signatures and may or may not match the Monarchs well. My question is more general: are daps or desktop setups better value for money, when it comes to listening to IEMs?