Why are we always so concerned with the 'best'! Why can't we be concerned with our own best inside us instead?
Who's the best pool player, who's the best action better, who's the best streamer, who's the best cue maker........ we should learn to encapsulate the industry as a whole and appreciate all these people who bring joy into our lives instead of singling out one best above all else. If you're going to give that title give it to God and let the rest of us enjoy creating art with our lives......
Find a picture of a cue that you like and also state what you're looking for in the cue concerning 'hit, feedback' joint type, and especially shaft taper and tip/ferrule.
You could have the best hitting cue for no more than a few hundred bucks. If you wanted fancy, and good hitting Mike Lambros is probably one of the few guys who has mastered the art of the 'sweet hit' regardless of how fancy his cues get. Eddie Prewitt, Laurie Franklin, Dennis Searing, Andy Gilbert, are people who just know how to make a cue. Start with one of those and work your way around.
Most importantly, without knowing, guess by eye and intuition what you think would suit you the most and just buy it and experience it. If you don't like it, you can always get something else. The longer you wait, the more time you waste, and the less you will know about what your favorite is.
First-hand experience and true knowledge is the only way you're going to really know the taste and flavor. When it comes to cues there are many tastes and flavors to enjoy, and there is no such thing as 'best'. Our country is so concerned with 'best', and that is very shallow. Who's the top chef, who's the top model, who's the best looking, what's the best computer, what's the best car. People who chase those things are all shallow people. People who are too concerned with external best do so because their own best is not in their heart.
Experience things as a whole, and with balance and get in touch with what your taste is. In order to know the taste of a good watermelon, you must first select it by eye and guess which one would be sweet. You will never know how sweet it will be unless you cut into the watermelon and experience the taste fully, but if you just lick all over the outside of the watermelon, you can never really have 'true knowledge'. Also, watermelon may be my favorite fruit, but that doesn't mean it is the 'best'. Good luck.