Most inexpensive headphones in the midfi tier are going to provide the most wow moments. You can get 95%+ to endgame sound with something like the hifiman he-400 or send hd6xxs for around $100. Spending 10-30x that will yield better results, but it’s very small improvements by comparison. Since I got into Focal, my He-4xx doesn’t get much play, but I can’t bear to part with them. They’re awesome.

The only sound quality differences between DACs are ones that are designed to sound different but not better. In other words, they bake EQ into the circuit. DACs that eclipse the threshold of audibility exist in the $150 and under range. It’s a solved problem.

Do they? I think maybe the older ones that grew up with it do, but no analogue format comes close to the accuracy, detail and accessibility of digital. It will cost you tens of thousands of dollars for vinyl setup that approaches the limits of human hearing, while you can get audible perfection from a digital setup for like $150.

Vinyl is more of a hobby unto itself than it is about ultimate sound reproduction, as it really can’t compete with digital tech at all in that regard.

Wonderwall

Speakers are going to be 90% (minimum) of the impact on the final sound, unless you have a faulty product in the chain.