Integrated vs. separates: Technics SL-G700M2 vs. WIIM Pro + ?

[vacountryboy]

Please excuse this first-timer if I missed the answer to this question on this outstanding site. I am torn between purchasing the intriguing Technics SL-G700M2 integrated CD/SACD, Streamer, DAC or assembling a combination of best-of-breed Streamer/DAC integrated, or Streamer+DAC to pair with my Arcam FMJ-DV27. Budget is <$7k, but I would like to put as much of that budget towards a future speaker upgrade, so "punching above weight" is highly, well "weighted" .

I mostly listen to vinyl (80-90% of the time) because I find CDs and streams do not touch the depth, presence, imaging, and "liveness" of well-recorded LPs on my Basis turntable, McIntosh C2202/MC2102, and long out-of-production and nearly irreplaceable Platinum Reference 1 stand mount speakers. The latter upgrade will likely cost north of $25k, so am saving every nickel towards an end-game purchase--maybe Maggie 20.7, Sonus Faber Amati or Guarneri, or German Physiks HRS-130 speakers.

Can I build a counterpart digital system within my budget to produce a vinyl-like sound from the hundreds of CDs I still own, many of which were never produced as LPs? Your advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated!

 

[ppataki]

Yes you can
If you build a transparent system using a combination of a DAC and and an amp that both measures well (check the measurement results on this very site) then you can apply vinyl simulation plugins on the signal (provided that your source is a computer!)
One of the best plugins I am aware of is this one: https://www.waves.com/plugins/abbey...e678DzRjm8eZW9MogeYAbOlN3jdKnz4BoCKTcQAvD_BwE

You can simulate all the properties of several vinyl gears from Abbey Road Studios
I have tried it, it works like a charm

 

[MaxwellsEq]

I am torn between purchasing the intriguing Technics SL-G700M2 integrated CD/SACD, Streamer, DAC or assembling a combination of best-of-breed Streamer/DAC integrated, or Streamer+DAC to pair with my Arcam FMJ-DV27

Ignoring whether one approach will sound better than the other, my advice would be about supportability over time. Streaming choices keep changing and the tools and codecs used change, especially given the relatively short life of mobile devices and software support.

I would therefore NOT buy an expensive integrated with streamer / DAC built-in, but would always keep the streamer separate, allowing myself to invest in long-lived analogue elements (my power amplifier recently passed away after 30 years sterling service, during which time it never became obsolete). You then can spend a few hundred on a streamer which you can write off when it's redundant.

 

[JustJones]

I might be misunderstanding but it looks like you are only wanting to find a way for you to get your CD's to sound like LP's in which case emulation software looks like the best approach. I would also avoid high priced streamers and CD players. Easy approach rip your CD's to FLAC and stream from the computer with emulation software, there are a lot of under $300 DAC 's some as little as $100 for between your computer and McIntosh preamp you can find searching the reviews.

 

[vacountryboy]

@ppataki thank you for the software recommendation. I was unaware such a capability existed and look forward to trying it out. I also greatly appreciate the advice from @MaxwellsEq and @JustJones. I generally lean towards modular solutions to benefit from the flexibility you described to minimize impact of obsolescence, but also to select best-of-breed solutions that can be continually improved as technology advances. Your comments convinced me to seek out the best measuring and sounding DAC I could find for my budget. For now, I am going to continue using my PC-based streamer while continuing to investigate other options, especially in the used market. So glad I asked my question because I have a much clearer path forward now -- thanks again!