+1 more for Yggdrasil, in particular the new "Less-Is-More" variant. It's an absolute revelation. I had a Gungnir Multi-bit, itself no slouch, and this new Yggy has provided the biggest improvement in sound for me that I have yet experienced in my front-end. According to many pro reviews there's nothing even 3-4 times it's price that can touch it. How it handles less than stellar recordings must be heard. Their Unison USB interface is also fan-freakin'-tastic. The guys at Schiit know their....stuff. There's a 6-8 week wait for this new version, for good reason.
A Newcomer to Digital Looking to Upgrade My Dac, Tubes? Ideas?
Being a relative newcomer to digital downloads and playback, I love the convenience when I am looking for a short music session and don't feel like going through my vinyl. I find the digital quality pretty good, but looking to upgrade my dac to get some additional warmth into my playback, I'm thinking maybe a tube dac, not sure what I should spend but cost wise was thinking of $ 2,000.00 as a budget. Not sure if such a dac exists, or if you have suggestions. I have built up a pretty good collection of both PCM and DSD HD music, mostly copies of what I have on vinyl but the vinyl has seen better days. Currently I am using a TEAC UD-501, tube preamp- (Schiit Mjolnir 2), Amp.- (Adcom 555se), Balanced throughout usually through my PC but I also use my portable through the coax to the dac. Speakers are Wilson Benesch Square 2. Unfortunately I have an L shaped listening room, which seconds as our living room, typical of what you find in a condo, volume levels are generally low to medium, to spare the neighbours, and I split my time between the speakers and headphones.