07-05-13: RrogYou can describe the mechanical process in the most derogatory way possible by which the LP reproduces sound, but that in no way describes how well this playback process works. From a results perspective, one could just as legitimately say, you mean you want a playback system that puts a smile on your face and makes you feel a little sad when it's time to turn the system off rather than one that causes you to emit a sigh of relief when you're done listening.
So, you want a DAC that sounds like a piece of plastic with grooves cut into it which created a terrible noise, so the RIAA (like Dolby) was applied in an attempt to reduce the noise, but really created its own set of distortions. And now you are dragging a needle thru this which spreads out the grooves that never return to their original shape causing wear everytime the record is played and slowly degrading the sound. This is what you want?
Closest DAC to Vinyl Sound?
I love my vinyl, but sometimes it's a pain to keep flipping sides. I also have a lot of digital music (WAV, FLAC and MP3) that doesn't sound half bad through my Soundblaster X FI Titanium Fatality. But I'm wondering, is there a better way to enjoy digital? How would an external DAC stack up? Can anyone recommend a DAC that has that analog sound, or is it wishful thinking? Associated equipment includes Sound Valves VTP 101, Aragon 2004 and Large Advent Speakers. I also have an Adcom GCD 750 cd player that can accept a coax input.