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Looking for a vinylesk sounding DAC

I cannot say I wasn’t satisfied with my system.

Laptop (Quobuz Studio) - > Schiit Bifrost 2 - > Ocellia Reference RCA - > Werner Acoustics, Selene (active tube preamp using two VT-231 from RCA) - > passive preamp - > Ocellia Reference RCA - > First Watt F6 dual mono custom built - > HEDD Audio’s "Heddphone" / Hifiman HE 4

From the beginning I started to built it I had a quite concrete idea of what it should sound like in the end: vinylesk without using vinyl. It took me a while to get there and now I really thought I got it: Due to the F6 the outcome is brutally powerful and incredibly fast while the tube stage adds lots of body, depth and a rich organic undertone. Finally the RCA’s from Ocellia were adding the fine raffinement and a nice holographic soundstage. Nothing smears, in just every situation everything stays transparent, well controlled/articulated and the separation is just excellent.

BUT when listening to streamed vinyl I still feel the need for action - I just want EVERY track from quobuz to sound like this. Please take just some seconds and listen to this:

https://musicandvinyl.blogspot.com/2020/08/haruomi-hosono-from-aegean-sea.html?m=1

There is just MORE elasticity, MORE tonal density, MORE plankton, MORE concentration to the point, MORE light-footedness and MORE palpability (compared to a "disdainful" quobuz stream). Do you know what I mean?

I still think and hope a new dac could be the nirvana-solution. But which one would manage the job to sound just like vinyl (99% would be ok...)?

Happy to hear your suggestions!
barrista0611

Showing 2 responses by relaks

relaks
63 posts
 
First and foremost, Qobuz stream SQ is just adequate, no more than that. I guess you have already bought some Qobuz music. If not, download a good hi res file from them. It should sound way better compared to the streamed one. If you don’t hear a significant difference, the digital part of your system could be seriously improved.
By definition no DAC can can sound like vinyl, but something like Border Patrol DAC would be a big step in the right direction. It has a rich organic sound. (I just checked: it’s on Black Friday Sale atm with 20% off). Next (in fact it should go first) - your laptop. Laptop will never sound as good as a dedicated server, full stop. Elasticity, density, palpability you have mentioned - it all will be improved with a good server, along with dynamics, freq. extremes and sheer blackness of the background. I am using Zen. 
relaks
63 posts
 
Really? What streaming service do you think offers better SQ?Why? Aren't the two files identical?
1. I don't think there is a service with much better sound quality, that's why I am using Qobuz as well. Some say Tidal SQ is marginally better. I can't vouch for that. But I never meant Qobuz particularly sucked. Any stream is worse than a dedicated server. 
2. Files are identical, but the way they are delivered are different. Streaming is always susceptible to network lag, latency, interferences, and mains noise. Have you noticed how much effort top servers manufacturers put into their dual, sometimes triple power supplies, into vibration control? Now look at your router.
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