DAC to add warmth and fullness to Linn Ikemi

Based on prior ownership and/or listening:

#1: DCS used Delius $3K ish
#2: Kora Hermes - tubed so you can play a bit with that, price used estimated at about $800-900 ish
#3: CAL Audio Alpha - really an impressive DAC for the used money of about $500ish. Tubed so can tune to your preferences

These are all great DACs that based on my comparitive listening with the newer DACs selling in the $1K to $2K range are quite a bargain. Though it should be noted that especially with the Kora and CAL, you are getting older chipsets but the benefit of tubes to tailor the sound to your liking. Tubes in DACs last a long time, so it is not much of a continuous replacement aspect.

To be honest, I have not been overly impressed with very many of the $1,000 newer DACs that have made a lot of outlandish claims in terms of performance, but I think there are some new chipsets that are quite good. But unfortunately, the best of these chipsets seem to turn up in the much higher priced DACs.

I agree with Ckoffend that the Kora Hermes is a nice-sounding DAC, especially with NOS tubes. The tubes would be key to getting the warmth you want and for that I'd try Mullard or Amperex.

Another one to listen to would be the Apogee Mini-DAC. Warm and full-sounding if your software has it, lots of detail and good harmonics, and personally I think I might take it over the Kora.

I agree with Ckoffend on the CAL Audio Alpha, not the latest, but very sweet, smooth and inexpensive.
Another unit, which also is quite dated, but IMHO sounds better at it's used price than any newer DAC at the same price range would be the Classe DAC-1. This was a $4K unit on it's release in 1997, but can now be had used for around $1K USD. I can't think of any $1K DAC that can beat it sonically.

Cheers,
John