My conclusion: mid level $$ analog vs digital

@frozentundra Other components are an ancient Creek 4140 integrated amplifier with a MC phono input and Monitor Audio Silver 300 speakers. I just built up a digital front end. but when I work on my analog source once again I'll probably start with a phono pre-amp to allow a wider range of integrated amps that don't have a MC input.

There’s a fullness and naturalness to analog sound that is difficult to match with digital. I’ve got a older Linn Axis with a Benz-Micro MC Gold cartridge. Sound quality of the Linn Axis seems to be about the level of a Rega Planar 6 as a modern comparison. I’ve been listening to a variety of DACs at increasing price points: Audioquest Dragonfly Red, Rega DAC, Denafrips Ares II, Chord Qutest, Denafrips Pontus II.

Several of these DACs sounded quite good, especially with local files (not streamed). Then I would put the same record on and the sound from the record just sounded fuller and with better flow.

I do have to say that the Pontus II DAC attached to a Pro-ject streamer is quite impressive. It’s just slightly less full than the sound from my Linn Axis. It seems just as articulate and perhaps resolves detail a bit better. The Pontus has the same type of naturalness of sound that I hear from records that the Qutest does not.  
The Pontus II DAC brings the sound quality of digital much closer to the sound qualities that you like from analog.

I notice that you are comparing your analog system to a Chord Qutest. I had a Qutest in my system for 2 months. One tweak that warmed up the sound, lowered the noise floor and broadened the soundstage was to run it off of an Anker phone power bank instead of the stock switch mode power supply. (Note: make sure the output is 5V to avoid frying your Qutest DAC).

I would also suggest considering using a dedicated streamer if you are not using one. What the dedicated streamer might do better than a PC is better management of both digital jitter and analog noise such as electromagnetic interference and RF interference. Benefits that I’ve heard from a dedicated streamer are:

- Better resolution of complex musical passages: Electric bass in Blue Moon Revisited on Trinity Sessions, Cowboy Junkies & Waltz for Debby, Bill Evans Trio
- Tonal colors are more evident
- Notes seem to hang in the air longer. Reverberations continue instead of being cut off.
- More presence around voices and instruments.

As much as I like analog and pretty much have not spent much money on digital for the past 3 decades, the advent of high quality streaming encouraged me to build a digital source this past year. It’s good for both finding new music and being able to switch music quickly while doing work.