2k DAC that gives me what I want like my vintage LP12

@maam522a  AHA a fellow music lover trying to replicate or beat the LP12 sound. Back in the day It was LP12, Ittok and an assortment of cartridges. LP12 under the stairs to stop feedback from the TDL Monitors I was using at the time. Both myself and my brother had the TDL Monitors and noticed how my modern speakers just didn’t quite make the grade. It’s been a long road of discovery but eventually I think I’ve got the solution. Well for me anyway. I’ve settled on the PMC Twenty5.26 speakers as PMC started where TDL left off. Very detailed speakers with the Transmission line sound I used to love. The amplifier’s are Hypex Nilai 500W Monoblocks. Neutral with unbelievable control. Sorting out a DAC was one of the hardest things. I have a Qutest FPGA, uDAC R2R and Topping D90SE. The Qutest is very detailed and analytical. The D90SE is extremely detailed especially in the bass if a little sterile. The uDAC is detailed but provides a lovely sound stage which is very musical and very satisfying to listen to. Not quite so detailed in the bass but the treble and mid range are superb. It’s always a compromise. 

Now I needed a purely digital domain streamer that supports Roon. All the controlling will be done by the Roon app so there is no need for any fancy display. In fact it can be out of sight. To this end after much experimenting I was demoed a Diretta link. This is consisted of two boxes one a host with Roon Bridge on it and the other the Target with USB out. The boxes are connected by Ethernet cable. This system sounded absolutely astounding. I’m not really interested as to why but it was simply unbelievable. It beat the top end streamers I had previously auditioned. 

So there you have it. My brother thinks it’s actually better than my LP12 used to be. Very detailed. You hear more from the tracks. Sound stage almost surrounds you. Bass the LP12 could only dream of due to the limitations of records. 

I’m very pleased with the outcome to be honest. One last point with Qobuz I no longer need a spare room to store the records.

Hope this helped. One mans Journey :)

I think its going to take a bigger budget to be your LP12 assuming its dialed in.  

The Eversolo A6 is actually pretty good on its own.  The A8 for about $2k is better and pretty hard to beat without spending multiples of its price.  

I dont know what your other electronics are, but you described as "mid-fi." So, perhaps your sonic bottleneck is somewhere else in your setup.  

If I were you, I'd look at used perhaps a DAC that sold new for $10k+ that selled today for much less.  I propose patience because spending $2j may be at best a sideways move and at worst a step backwards.  

Many owners claim the Denafrips Pontus II 12th has the presentation you are looking for.. $1200-1500 used. There is also a new version with many upgrades, the Pontus 15th that comes in around $2000 new. Both DAC’s offer i2s.

i think the audial S5 will get you close

 also denafrips pontus ii, although i preferred the audial

I’m a vinyl lover running a 1965 McIntosh Mx110z into an Mc240. I love my Denafrips Pontus 15th. I would seriously dig in to the research on Denafrips.