How much do you need to spend to get digital to rival analog?

We are talking DACs here. There is no feedback on a Delta-Sigma DAC.

Much else of what you wrote appeared incorrect as well.

zalive15 posts11-12-2019 9:56a

R2R is basically a natural, straightforward approach in itself. There's no feedback in the process, unlike delta-sigma for which the feedback is necessary means of getting the DA done. And feedback is generally associated with corrections, approximations and messing with the time domain (as with the feedback you always correct with the time delay relative to the signal you're correcting with).

Even on an almost 900K system, I still feel there are compromises. For one thing, its not analog. also, I have never heard drums, cymbals and overall air sound right on any digital system.  Unfortunately, sometimes you have no choice as some music is digital and was never releases in analog or (tape, record).

Whether it releases on analog or digital, most music in the last several decades was digital right up to the cutting machine.

When you say "right", do you mean as you have heard them in an acoustic club? ... or how you think they should sound?

Dear @atdavid : Exist a lot of misunderstood about digital operation ( including my self where I'm way ignorant of several " things . ) about
DSD nd PCM DAC operation.

There are several DAC chip manufacturers s: AD, AKM, BB, SABRE and the like.

My humble CDP came from Denon that use BB/TI DAC ( 32/192 ) and this goes around PCM technology but I remember that Denon was one of the few LP recording digital company in the early times. Other was Telarc and latter on Varese Saravande, Chalfont, Delos and more.

Telarc used Soundstream  digital PCM recorder and I own all Telarc recordings where many of them are even today very hard to beat about its quality level performance of the music information in those LP grooves. Not all Telarc are good recordings.

In the case of Denon they designed and builded its own PCM digital recording machine with some " advantages " over the Soundstream standard in those old times.
I know this because I own several Denon PCM LPs where as with Telarc many are first rate recordings and some others not so well . So Denon has a lot of knowledge levels not only for digital recording but how to achieve the best and more from those BB/TI DAC chips.

Almost no one cares a bout Denon as a CDP manufacturer but they know in deep about and they know too what goes around analog because Denon already has deep knowledge levels manufacturing LP analog rig along analog recordings and electronics design too and Denon was side to side with CBS. So they should know something on each single side of overall analog and digital subjects by multiple first hand experiences and skills and its CDP are non-expensive units.

R:

I have a half dozen Denon digital recorded LPs. They have good sound. Denon made 2,039 digital LPs/CDs (visit Discogs.com to view) with many original recordings. Denon 1300, 1500 and 1600 CD players were very good for their time. Today, a cheap Sony Bluray player beats the pants off of them. I have a 1300 and 1500 (as well as about 30 other 1980s/1990s) CD players for sale, cheap!