PS Audio Direct Stream DAC w/Roon Nucleus + vs. Auralic Vega G1

Thanks for that input; it's very helpful.  Maybe I am looking the wrong direction.  The Mytek seems a bit harsh and fatiguing in long listening sessions relative to vinyl (using a Dynavector 20x2L MC cartridge with SME tonearm and Vinyl Nirvana rebuilt Thorens TD 124).

Maybe the solution is to look towards a D/D converter...

That mainly has to do with vinyl distortion which is considered pleasant to the ear. Some like it, I personally don’t I like accurate reproduction. What would help if you find digital fatiguing is EQ. You would probably notice more difference than anything you’ve mentioned by attenuation in the 2khz- 4khz region which the ear is most sensitive to. You don't mention your speakers. Might be they lift a bit in that area. 

@pscar

my opinion is rather different from djones here

from my experience, i do believe you will get a smoother more natural presentation if you improve your DAC from the Mytek unit ... the brooklyn is known to be a very clear, but sometimes thin/harsh/strident/edgy sounding piece, compared to other smoother, sweeter fuller sounding dacs in the same general price class

your notion of trying a PS audio DS, Denafrips, or something else from the R2R school such as a Metrum, MHDT or Audio Mirror should pay dividends in the nature of SQ you seek

doing so will not necessarily have the digital sounding just like your vinyl, but it will be a substantial, immediately noticeable move in that direction

final note - the ps audio ds is software upgradeable, won't become obsolete anytime soon (they do upgrades every 6-9 months via download)

DACs have gotten very good these days, so I’ll give the usual hackneyed advice: Try Before You Buy. A "better" DAC may not sound better to you.

That said, I am an one who aims for neutrality -- not a warm sound, not emphasized treble. When I borrowed a Brooklyn for a while, there was only one filter setting that I enjoyed. The rest seemed a bit edgy TO ME.

I urge you to audition carefully, because what you choose at this level will be a matter of taste and how it complements the rest of your audio system.

The most important part of auditioning DACs if at all possible,  do so without knowing which one you're listening to so you choose with your ears not your eyes or notion of if it costs more it must be better. Well designed DACs whether R2R discrete or chip and Delta Sigma are extremely hard to tell apart when evaluating blind. Some use filters or tubes etc.. in order to EQ the signal and that's fine it just makes more sense to apply the EQ at the speaker level. It's much easier to achieve the same effect for less money and easier to find a sound more pleasant to you. It would be interesting to know what speakers you're using to look at the FR, if it can be found, to see what's going on the the areas the ear is most sensitive to. Another way you can tell is if you have a calibrated mic and REW. Do a FR sweep leaving the mic in the same position switching between DACs. If the FR is the same or within .01%  then I doubt the DACs could be told apart.