Hey TSL Guy,
That’s why “audiophile” is in quotes…Agreed that modern, 64 bit EQs in plug–in form are the way to go, but most enthusiasts are not going to adopt a DAW for casual listening.
Once you are in the “computer audio” world of digital playback, an alternative is a higher fidelity player apps. There are many player apps out there, especially for Windows, but most degrade the sound which is, to me anyway, counter productive. A small percentage of players sound transparent, are sample rate–agile, and can also host plug–ins, which is a simpler way of gaining access to DSP without resorting to the complexity and expense, of a DAW. Examples are Amarra or Audirvana.
Once you have decided to move into file or stream–based music playback, then you need a DAC which, in itself, is an source of color or distortion, depending on how you look at it. As with any piece of gear, especially hardware, price is proportional to performance.