I have owned a number of DACs and the MHDT Orchid is my favorite. I think it sounds as good or better than my Auralic Vega, which was $3500 when new. I haven't A/B compared them both in the same system, but they are the two least "digital" sounding DACs I have owned and I think the Orchid would definitely hold its own against the Vega.
Tubes or not
Currenty I have a Wadia Di22 . I'm thinking of replacing it with a tube dac. I'm tube upstream . I'm afraid a tube DAC will bust the bank for the improvement I would hear. I don't want to replace it because it's not tube. I think I I can get a better non tube DAC for the price of a good tube DAC if you don't have an idea that is less than $1500 don't ask me about my equipment. That's a quick filter on multiple levels. I just want to squeeze as much as I can from the signal as I can for best price.98% of the other time vinyl is playong