That's a tough call. Personally I would go with ultegra and spend the savings(if any) on nice tires. One thing to remember with cyclocross is it is hard on equipment. If you ride in muddy conditions or are a brutus on your equipment it won't last long or it will need service more than usual. I have been using same Ultegra hubs with FIR rims since 2005 with no trouble other than a turn of a spoke occasionally to bring the rim into true. The hubs need a repacking every other season but I do race in dry mud-free conditions. If money is not a problem go with the DA. They look great and are plenty strong.