Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?

@kennyc @audphile1 @chesebert 

I think we’re always compromising, dollars and room size versus sound perfection. One thing we need to remember, though, is that what is in our heads is also a big factor regarding music enjoyment. Most people simply don’t have heads that enjoy music. My wife (so ironically) enjoys silence. Of course, we’ve had to compromise. 

For my budget, room size, and wife acceptance factor, I think I’ve done pretty well. An audiophile perfectionist would want all kinds of tuning done to my room. Not gonna happen. Other people sometimes inhabit my music room. 

@audio-b-dog  FWIW if you are looking to lower the noise floor once and for all I have some experience with that. I have tried the Eno system from Network Acoustics, I’ve tried the Ifi Lan isolator and I’ve tried the $500 LHY EFI. All helped. But, when I finally got the LHY SW10 Pro they all were left in the dust. The noise floor is VERY low now, spooky, esp with a good PC. I have my ether net coming in from the modem to a  Decco Router, into a inexpensive switch powered by a LPS (The DECO is too) that switch feeds all stuff to the rest of the house and a 35 foot run of CAT8 to my LHY SW10 Pro. I have a Revelations Audio Lab RJ45 from LHY to my Aurender streamer. That’s it. No filters. The LHY has the isolation built in. https://www.vinshine.audio/product-page/vinshine-x-sw-10pro

@fthompson251 thanks! 
But even though I trust your ears and believe you it works, I can’t spend that much on a network switch. The voice inside my head says no. Lol

I would 100% use the $2800 towards a new cartridge though. But that switch is a hard no for me. 

To add, I know we think the noise floor of a component is low until we actually get to hear it lowered by either better power or better signal. But in the case of the Meitner MA3i, I absolutely can’t detect any smearing or a hint of noise impacting sound quality. I don’t even use a power conditioner. Dedicated lines, furutech gtx-d NCF rhodium outlets or shunyata outlets. I alternate once in a while to get a slightly different sound. 

@audio-b-dog  I ONLY mentioned it because you were talking about getting an Ifi Lan Silencer. Secondly that price is in Singapore Dollars. You're not the first to shudder at a $2200 US$ switch, yet I've seen them line up a bunch of crap before the streamer to address LAN noise. I sold my analogue set up 5 years ago and never looked back so I have focused on making the most of the digital side since. So I look at this stuff differently. Enjoy your new DAC. 

@audphile1 

When I inherited money I went into a bit of an audio buying orgy. The SF Olympica Nova Vs were the biggest expense, but the dealer also sold me a Shunyata Venom 15 power conditioner. It is one of those things that when I did an A/B comparison it was an audible improvement. Would I notice it was missing if it were removed and I hadn't listened to my stereo for a day or even when I turned it on in the morning? I don't think so. There are many things, like expensive cables, that make a difference in sound when you do an A/B comparison, but that difference is not, as you mention, anywhere near what a new cartridge might bring you.