Thinking about getting a R2R DAC


Dear community,

I currently have a chord qutest DAC. I like it a lot, very full sound, accurate detailed and exciting.  However, whenever I go back to vinyl (with a well-recorded nice pressing) I find the sound so much more satisfying.  There is a warmth, yes, but there is a presence, a 'there-ness' that I just don't get with the digital.  I'm wondering if an R2R DAC would get me closer to that?  my budget would be around the same as the qutest.  I was looking at the MHDT Orchid or the Border Patrol.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the Qutest.  I am thinking of putting it in the upstairs system to pair with the Node2i I have up there.  Any thoughts?  Will analog always just be a different animal than digital?

Currently in the main system I have a Sonore uRendu feeding the Qutest which is going to a LTA MZ2 going to a Pass XA 30.5

thanks!
adam8179

Showing 6 responses by djones51

but I do find it difficult to believe that EQ will give you the attributes of an R2R DAC,
I didn't say it would. I said you can use EQ to get a fairly good mimic of vinyl. I didn't say it would sound exactly like vinyl or a R2R dac, I suggested the Border patrol which distorts more than any other I have seen so it might come close.
I agree @zm the border patrol would probably come close to giving you a more vinyl sound. 
EQ would work as well as an R2R DAC,  perhaps better at trying to mimic vinyl. 
If you can use EQ in order to mimic vinyl remember this is not going to sound  like a good analog system you're just trying to soften the digital. Cut at 47hz and 12khz do a sharp rolloff -24dB at both ends this is a classical RIAA AES rule, put a little notch exactly at 4.5khz and if you want a little softer attenuate slightly maybe -1.5dB curve between 3khz and 7khz. You can also do a boost around 200-300hz. It's easier to attenuate than boost though. 
let me repeat my question again. If you can EQ to get the same impact or better why are we seeing a resurgence of R2R DACs
I think it's called marketing. It's the DAC en vogue.