Full circle and thinking about speakers

My first thought while reading your post was how far your speakers are from the front wall; a small adjustment in distance can make a big difference in bass response - you've probably already done this but I thought I would mention it.

You don't mention which Schiit DAC. 

Consider your DAC and streamer selections.

You said, "At times the highs are glaringly high and when I expect there to be gobs of bass, there just isn't any to speak of."

Glare is an issue I've had with a few DACs and I had to spend more on a better DAC to get the results I wanted. Since you indicated the DAC and streamer were "placeholders," perhaps that may be the best place to spend that $2000. (Or part of it, anyway.)

I would try to audition a few DACS in your system. You may be pleased with the results both at the high end with less glare and by the better bass response. 

Good luck!!

Tom

ProAc Response 2.5 will probably be a little over $2k but should not be much over.

I would like to hear how you like your EAR phono stage. I also play Nottingham but with Goldring 1042 MM and Acoustech SS phono stage.
I think about upgrading to some tube phono. Lyra Delos is an excellent match with Nottingham, I heard.

"Especially in your price range where Eric Alexander (of Tekton) has that market nailed down. "......... now that is some funny stuff......and not even for the statement’s absurdity but rather how transparent and, almost, strident the Tekton "shilling" is....and then the Miller guy gets angry and hurls insults when someone tries to keep it real and offer some genuine speaker advice for the questioner......sheesh....

You would definitely want a subwoofer with any remotely affordable Magnepan. The LRS, LRS, being the smallest is no exception.
Maggies are great speakers. I’m on my 3rd set. In any price range thet are stand-outs.
But... you’ll need a good high-current amp and lots of space. They want to be 3-5 feet from the wall and they can be very tricky to get positioned correctly.
If you have the room, the watts & amps and the patience, they’ll reward you.
They are very "fast", accurate and musical so don’t pair them with some slow, boomy subwoofer. Get a fast, accurate sub, like a REL.
The LRS comes with the cheapest, worst stands. If you look at all Magnepans above the LRS, you’ll notice that they all stand upright...not tilted back 15° like the LRS. There’s a reason for that. There are a few companies that make excellent after-market stands that will hold the LRS closer to vertical. "MyStands" is one such manufacturer.
I downsized and have a room that is technically too small for my Magnepan 1.7’s. With some room treatments they still sound incredible and are making it very difficult to get smaller speakers. I’ve tested some Keff and B&Ws. They sounded very nice, until I went back to the Maggies and heard everything that was missing from the others.
Enjoy your journey!