Most organic / real / analogue sounding DAC (ideally with Volume Control) for $1500??????


I’d say I’m completely jaded with digital Hifi.   All sounds so thin & clinical.

I people raving about Benchmark DACs & Chord Mojos etc. They sound like hell to me.   Nothing at all like real live voices & instruments.

I’ve been reading about R2R Ladders & NOS.   The descriptions match what I’m looking for.   I want natural sound that makes me forget about Hifi & just listen to the music.
like Reel to Reel without the faff.

Lifelike is my aim, but I certainly prefer a warm, dark sound over clinical.

Don't need a load of inputs.  Only need 2 or 3.
I don’t have any analog sources, so prefer the DAC to have Volume Control to eliminate the need for a Pre Amp.   However, if the best sounding DACs don’t have Volume Control & there are clear sonic benefits to having a Preamp, then I could be persuaded.

I’m in UK btw, so need brands that ship to UK.


Suggestions please?


Thanks

singintheblues
Everyone may tell you that the DAC they own does the trick, and that’s why they own it.

I will too. The $1500 L.K.S. (Chinese brand-ships everywhere).  Do a search. It gives me the same pleasure as my very much more expensive analog TT set-up.

But just like a TT needs its arms cartridges, speed stabilizers, platform and so on, so a DAC needs to be fed a very good digital signal. And digital is just not only 1s and 0s.

Simply buying a good DAC and playing CDs may not do it for you. It needs to be thought out and worked on, just like analog. And routing it out through a tube preamp can help as well.

You can do it all or find someone at a good brick and mortar who can do it for you.
@ singintheblues
In my experience digital sources can produce a very life like sound.
You are asking for the ‘best’ DAC at a price point and while I can’t answer this in general I have been stunned how good the Jolida/Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube DAC is.
I am listening to it for a couple of weeks now and it would definitely be worth a try. Complete preamp with decent volume control if you have only digital sources, and a very decent WiFi implementation (when fed through ROON indistinguishable from USB or Toslink.
Can be upgraded if desired.
My other DACs I listen to daily include OPPO 205 and DSPeaker X4. Gravitating a lot to the Black Ice lately...

Ayre Codex.
Volume when run as a preamp.
Though you could adjust volume through a streaming app. when used as a DAC.
Used, under $1K.

B