@chayro I have to believe that the TL5 with an Audio Note Dac 2.1 Signature is an amazing sounding digital rig!
I think overall the Naim does a pretty good job. It's dynamic, full sounding with great soundstagning. But it still sounds digital to me in the way that it can sound hard, and somewhat 2- dimensional at times.
My vinyl rig sounds 3-dimensional, there's flesh on the bones, a palpable weight to the music. It just sounds more like real live musicians playing real instruments in a real space.
My Naim gear was supposedly really great back in the day. At the price point, it sure had better been, lol. But it never once came close to my vinyl rig.
Decades have come and gone and I'm hoping that digital has come a long way. I'm skeptical at spending insane amounts of money at it right now. So I'm dipping my toes back in the water vs just diving in head first again.
I'm starting out with the new LTA Aero Dac and I'm willing to spend around $2500 to around $5000 for a dedicated cd transport ( hopefully closer to the lower end if possible though ). It's my hope that this will give me a digital rig that will be satisfying to me. Fingers are crossed.
Thank you again for your post!
Best wishes,
Don