A DAC that can make digital sound analog?

Ayre CODEX. It has the warmth and relaxed presentation similar to vinyl. New, goes for $2000. Used between $1200-$1350.

Get some 96k/192k FLAC rips of vinyl records and see if you get your DAC setup to play analog sound.  I did that and am very convinced that it's the surface noise and dynamic headroom limitation that gives me all the perceived warmth and depth of analog recordings.  Boy do I sound blasphemous now.

I'd do a two-week trial of an SW1X DAC.  Everything I've heard from owners of these DACs implies a very organic and 3D sound I associate with vinyl.  Hey, they offer an in-home trial with very little financial risk (just shipping).  AND, it sounds like you can speak with the designer and he actually responds and cares!!!  Frankly, if you try one I doubt it's going back based on comments from owners.  Best of luck in whatever you decide. 

Johnsonwu....  I might agree with you. 

The reason why I all of a sudden am worried about my digital front-end is because I just purchased a reel to reel player and have started listening to tapes.

i think something like stochastic or random noise being an asymmetrical compounded component of signal (left channel and right channel not identical) of multichannel tape recordings and then listening to those recordings via commercially produced tapes (again more noise) and also the natural compression tape imparts to sound coming from the original master and again compounded by listening to those recordings via commercially produced tapes with more natural compression is causing this huge perception of something sorely missing from my digital playback system. 

I know that Carver intentionally EQs his left and right channels of his solidstate amps just a bit differently to create that phasy, tubey, holographic sound we all know and love, so I wonder if it’s all just subtle random phase variation between left and right channels that feels more natural and revealing about analog? 

Mans yes I think vinyl and tape ask less of your preamp and amp. Most digital formats have information way above and also below human hearing and your poor speakers and amplifiers are trying to reproduce all of those sounds for you. With vinyl and tape much less of those superhuman frequencies are there to be reproduced. 

Food for thought.

Follows is my complete list of digital components that I've heard perform as well or better then my vinyl rig.



Shal I repeat the list?