A DAC that can make digital sound analog?


Hi All,

I have a ModWright Oppo 105D. It’s excellent....but it sure don’t sound like vinyl or tape.

What DACs have you heard that really work like magic on digital audio files? 

I am interested in DACs that kill that digital glare/blare, that gives you that sense of ‘blackness’ or ‘darkness’ to the audio soundscape, really letting you hear into the mix...ya know that layering, space and depth that is very evident on tape.

Very curious to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!
128x128brettmcee
TotalDAC (monoblocs with streamer/reclocker) was a game-changer and end-of line for me along this search criteria. 
Two dacs of late have given me the " digital is the new nirvana" feelings.

My own Ayon S3 tube DAC, I stream Quboz hirez via an Aries Mini to the Ayon then out via xlr to my Ayre ax7e.

And the best compliment I can come up with is that it sounds like vinyl.
No glare or harshness anywhere, maybe it is just a tad rounded off with some slight loss of detail but I can listen for HOURS!.

I was extremely lucky ( or cursed!) to be able to try a Chord DAVE in my system of late.
Oh my.
Same analog sound but more detailed and broader deeper soundstage. Just WOW really.
And that is the cursed part .. Lol. Need to cook up some legal scheme to find 10k to pay for one.
I have heard a cd v vinyl comparison using the modright oppo 105 and half the audience preferred the cd which i thought sounded like noise. So be careful who you take advice from. I am sure a good digital solution is out there but like you I'm still looking. 
Years ago a lot of people tried to change dirt into gold. Now the same with DAC...
the problem is the source.
I think you need to accept the fact that digital and analog are going to sound different, just like most sources (digital and analog) sound different from each other.  

It comes down to what you like and find enjoyable.  I have an Oppo 105D and am familiar with it.  I also had an Oppo HA-1 headphone amp for a while.  The Oppos are "digital" sounding.  I don't find the sound unpleasant, but I have a number of DACs that I prefer - my Auralic Vega is the best of the bunch.  The DAC in my Sony TA-ZH1ES headphone amp is also very nice. 

Recently I purchased a used MHDT Orchid and have found this to be a very nice sounding DAC. 

What all of these DACs have in common is a "warmer" sound. 

The Orchid is a R2R non-oversampling DAC with a tube buffer.  It "only" does 24/192, no MQA, no DSD, but I've been using it in my computer system and find it very detailed but without a lot of the harshness sometimes associated with digital.  With the Orchid you can "roll" both the tubes and the DAC chip if you're into that sort of thing.  Mine came with a couple of extra tubes and DAC chips, but I haven't tried making any changes yet.

After my experience with the Orchid, I would recommend checking it or some of the other R2R DACs out.