A DAC that can make digital sound analog?

@rauliruegas 

When you have a reasonably good tape, and a properly setup and maintained reel to reel player, reel to reel tape sounds very very nice.  This is why I started this post.  I realized how much is missing from digital when compared to vinyl and tape.

Digital does not have the same simultaneity, integration, natural contrast and beautiful empty space around instruments and vocals that reel to reel tapes can provide.  

I have a serious suspicion that frequencies above 20kHz and below 20kHz are more detrimental than beneficial to audio reproduction. They surly exert an unnecessary physical burden on speakers. Plus any audible harmonics from those higher than 20kHz frequencies are already in the recording. Why do we need to reproduce those inaudible frequencies again to reinforce audible harmonics that are already present in the recording?

Tape has noise, and is very fragile and generally an annoying medium to deal with especially when one is stoned. Other than that, I’m totally sold on tape.

The audible frequency is from 20K t0 20,000K according to audio magazines, but in reality, a persons ability to hear falls off rapidly after 16,000K. This can easily be verified by amplified test tones on a loudspeaker.

R2R tape has come a long way; while I had no problem with Maxell, especially double EE tape, the latest tape that I used last night is even quieter; tape noise is no longer a problem, for certain on my modified R2R.

Some people who make inquiries about analog have lots of money to spend, I say to those people "Have fun"; but when someone comes up with a 1K budget; I say keep your money in your pocket until it adds up to 3K; that's my advice.

@ brettmcee

I have a serious suspicion that frequencies above 20kHz and below 20kHz are more detrimental than beneficial to audio reproduction.

I beg to differ, esp above 20kHz; the sense of space, clarity, and "smoothness" are directly influenced by frequencies in the upper regions. IMO it is redbook’s brick wall at 22kHz that makes it sound "harsh" rather than "crispy", "tiring", "truncated", etc. OTOH, hi-rez digital playback can sound very good—IF the original recording is comparably hi-rez, of course!
It’s just the same with vinyl: many of the better vinyls out there have content above 30-40kHz. The sonic result is, they sound "pleasant, smooth, enjoyable, real..." etc; in other words, vinyl was higher rez than much of the content we get nowadays!