CD has laid back and uninvolving sound

Some of it is inherent in the nature of the two mediums. I currently have more money in my CD player than in my LP playback but it lacks something that the LP has. Some don't notice it or attribute it to distortion or surface noise. But I think the current CD system has certain deficiencies that you are not going to be able to correct, LP just has certain advantages;I enjoy CD very much, but LP is more real, pops and all. That said, not all DACs are equal. The TriVista 21 I use is more upfront without being bright than my previous decoders. They float around at a price that you can buy and try without the prospect of taking much loss. Also they can be upgraded to even higher levels of performance. [I haven't yet done this]. They are a hybrid design.

What powercord are you using? Also, interconnects

What album were you comparing? Many modern CD's sound worse than high
quality Vinyl. The hyper compression of dynamics in the mastering process
makes many CD's sound harsh in your face and completely lacking subtlety,
nuance and "life".

I have two CD's of Duran Duran Rio. The first one is flat and terrible sounding.
The second one sounds much more like Vinyl. This second one was remastered
from the original master tapes and came out after the first CD. So it is a mixed
bag.

If you want to make an accurate comparison - try Mudcrutch by Tom Petty - the
vinyl comes with a audiophile CD made from the master tapes whilst the regular
CD release is compressed crap, as usual, thanks to the major labels.

I think Mr Tennis would love it.

Tim