I'm not into standalone dacs either, but it's hard to find an amplifier that has a truly good phono preamplifier built in. So I've got the Teac PA4, which will be replaced anytime soon with something that sounds a bit softer. Has some sharp edges.
A Denon MD DAC is a pretty good reference to me.
What DAC do you have? I'd like to see if I can find it.
Might come in handy for 11 bucks
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