I may have not done your question justice by simply pointing out that I like the TADAC. Vinyl and analog tube sound actually does alot of things that digital doesn't. It is less baren and stark in the highs and gives you more of a smooth full bodied midrange and broader soundstage.
You may have noticed that different amps and speakers sound different. Alot of that, along with hardware differences is voicing (a fancy way of saying the manufacturers altered the sound to their preferences). That is to say, the sound is not pure as audiophiles in denial wish to say, but rather has been altered at a low level so as not to intefere with harmonics. The sound is altered to give the listener what the manufacturer wants him to here. Granted good electronics make a big difference, but the music sculpting does occur and the effects are substantial between brands in my opinion. Tube or analog sound has its own innate scuplting, which if it is if done properly,can be superior to digital sound in most respects in my opinion.
Paul with the Tube Audio Design TADAC has a wonderful electronic instrument that creates a sound which is more natural sounding to the ear than the usual cool sterile slightly annoying digital sound renders. Without discarding your digital gear and amp, you can have the better part of both worlds and produce incredible sound by feeding your digital signal into it, whatever the source.
By my ears anyway (I'm guessing of course and I can't speak for him), he has created a DAC that not only inserts a great tube richness to the music, but he has also appeared to throw away the oscillascope and measuring equipment mentality that says give them a perfectly flat output signal, and used his ear and adjusted the harmonics on top of the benefit that tubes have to offer, to render a sound that is rich and natural and not fatiging that goes beyond the barren perfect digital soundscape into the analog world of full relaxed harmonics and soundstage.
This of course is theory, only the manufacturers know for sure what is being done. Nah, I am being too polite, of course they change the sound forcing you to swap cables and change equipment to compensate. However, the TADAC has done more to improve the sound of my music than any component I have used - other than the speakers.
The TADAC did not result in a mushy bass like I got with the Monarchy. It did not result in a full midrange along with noise and peculair coloration like I heard with the Jolida gear. It did not sound just a little better than the analog output of my player as did the musical fidelity X-DAV V3, A3.24, and the better of these two the Trivista which I was able to listen to at home. The sound was clearly superior to the Trivista by my ears.
The other day I was listening to an album with what thought was wind. With the TADAC it changed into the sound of water which it was supposed to sound like. You will love this DAC!
So, you don't have to get a phonograph and buy lots of vinyl records to get analog like sound. Just buy a TADAC in my opinion.