@CHORUS .. Have to agree with your golden ear .. I was so dedicated to the Oppo 205, and had done some tweaks that made discernible improvements (metal cone feet, the name escapes me -> Wow! and some additional damping material internally)
BUT! I did some playing around with a Chorus and Mytek DAC and the clarity and detail issues I had on my "wish list" improved immensely.
I ended up with the Mytek Brooklyn as mid priced option .. I may go further later to see how far my Counterpoint NPS and Aerial 10T's can go .. but it is fun to dig out / discover those audio cues and info.