A DAC that can make digital sound analog?

+1 for Ayon Audio Stealth or Stratos. The latter being worth the extra if you can afford but the Stealth is also excellent.

Can I suggest trying to audition a Mola Mola dac, either Tambaqui or Makua with dac module. Outstanding dac in my opinion. Also attention to seismic vibration isolation and compatible cabling is essential with high performance dacs. My suggestions here would be Ingress footers and Sablon Elite digital cables.

Agreed on R2R designs. My HoloSpring Audio Kitsune' level 3 makes even compressed mp3s sound excellent, and CDs and high res sound "analog" in all the good ways...

"Now that I can play back 7 1/2 tape in my system, I can hear what is lacking in both vinyl and digital."

This statement begs the question what is used as the source for copying the content onto the reel. Anything except the original studio recordings, which in almost all cases are on 1"or wider tapes, or direct-to-tape microphone recording, will require an intermediate medium, being vinyl to digital. I guess what you’re saying is you prefer the sound of tape just like someone says I prefer the sound of my CDs better after they’re ripped on a hard drive. Its all about what type of distortion sounds better to you.

I over tweaked my A77 MKII until it went boom. Over 20 years ago.

That’s what happens when you push the pleasure button and more pleasure always comes out. You eventually search for a way to explode it as it hits the ground as launched as a supersonic missile...for a shot at maximum pleasure button pressing.. that "uh oh, I think I went too far, now it’s dun busted" thing we all do, at times..

Perhaps I need to get it out of storage and take another kick at and get those reels turning again....speaking about those reels, I've got the 7.5" master copy version of Hnedrix's 'are you experienced'. And that is, by far, the best rendition of that album I think I'll ever hear. Blows all LP versions out of the water. by a country mile.