10-15 year old hi end DACs are still great.

I have a Kora Hermes II that I love-it literally makes digital sound as good as, if not better than LP’s. 

In Reading and Responding to this thread, it makes me think about how interesting it might be to start looking back to these classic pieces that thrilled us back in the 90s. The thing that tickles your 'listening mojo' the most can really come from anywhere. Just because somethings the latest and greatest didn't ever really make it 'the greatest' or the thing that strokes that something in your chest.

There was a preamp back in the maybe late '80s, early 90s from McLaren. I don't even remember the model number, might have been 302...anyway, it was the late 90s and I was a young family guy at the time didn't always have a lot of money to throw at the habit, but my friend Alex gave it to me for a couple hundred dollars because the L/R balance was a little funny if you didn't raise the volume at a certain speed but it sounded downright luscious, fine and expensive in it's time. I lived with it for probably a year, playing it through the very able Krell KST100, a fun and affordable way to have a Krell amp when you didn't have money for a Class A Krell. I can still hear the combination in my head and it was very very satisfying. Anyway, I have no problem going back. Like a lot of us, I think I have a good memory for sound. I'm not sure the old world would be what it was when I was there the first time but if I ever come across one of those McLaren's again, I'd grab it and see if I can find the same Magic.

Nothing New in revisiting Olden designs in audio.

Sources are seen on every forum where there are very satisfied users if Models that predate the use of a CD.

Plenty of other electronic devices that were produced before and after the arrival of the CD are in use by what would be referred to as audio enthusiasts. 

I got into CD as a result of modifications to CDP's were introduced to me, where I was requested to supply ears to assess end sound.

After hearing these models in another system and through loans in my system. The few heard new designs for CDP's, where design changes included custom-wound Silver OCC Wire Tranx's. I became convinced during the late 20's that CD was a worthwhile Source to investigate for my own system. From recollection, donor models for the design changes were pre-millennium when released into the market.      

Today, I have a DAC using Valves that has technology internally that has d/a chips that are Vintage. I have this compared to DAC's costing up to £5K and have never felt the need to move on from this DAC.

Very recently, I have done a little footwork to commence investigating my Digital Source further.