what dacs are fast, lively, energetic?

@audiocanada 

fast sounding is usually an attribute of amplifier and or speakers. Just keep that in mind. If your system sounds slow and boring the best fix is amp or speakers.

As to DACs…
LAiV is R2R and these DACs are known to be more forgiving sounding but still your DAC should be transparent and dynamic.

If you want a DAC with less color I can tell you Bricasti DACs are pretty transparent and have multiple filters that allow for subtle but audible changes that can give you more incisive or slightly more laid back presentation without sounding analytical. Benchmark is dryer and more analytical. It’s a studio monitoring tool.
Chord Hugo TT2 is not as analytical as Benchmark but is not as natural, relaxed and detailed as the Bricasti. 

But I never heard my system sound slower or faster by changing a DAC. 

Benchmark

@ltmandella "Benchmark"

Agree, and it was also the only DAC I ever sent back, fast.

Fast, kind of sterile, and mostly un-engaging for me.

Lesson learned, specs aren’t everything to go off of.

Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty beat my dCS Bartok Apex in every aspect. Ayre has timbre and transient detail like nothing else I’ve heard. I own two QX-5 Twenty and can’t be happier on full R Series. Dac was ~$5k used last year but crept up to $6k due to recent USB2 & NET2 updates. They're worth it.

I’ll agree with the others suggesting Chord. I bought  a qutest with an SBooster and stopped my search. I run luxman and harbeth after the qutest and I was looking for a similar sound that you describe. Pretty great combo for 2k!