NOS DAC Warmth


Hi 

It is my understanding that in general NOS DAC's have a warmer smoother SQ then over sampling  DAC's

My question is if I match up a NOS DAC with a warm and smooth tube integrated amp would the SQ be too warm and obscure the nuance (details) of the recording ?

OR

Would the 2 combine and present the recording in a warm lush way with the microdynamics largely in place ?

Thanks
Bob


bokat57

Showing 1 response by nitewulf

I don't know if I'd call either devices generally warm, these are misconceptions IMO as neutral devices are just neutral...it's more a comparison between things that sound harsh versus non fatiguing, and bad recordings will never sound good right, unless gear is just overly smooth and takes away the harsh edges, in which case the gear is non neutral.

That said, I have a Metrum Onyx, paired to a very recently purchased tube integrated, Lyric Ti 140 mk2.  There's no loss of micro detail compared to my SS seperates (Ayre K5xeMP + McIntosh MC 252), it's in fact more resolving,  soundstage however is wider, bass more pronounced...it's a bit more lush, so there's that bit more weight to the music, and it's taste dependent. Intially it felt like a loss of detail but as I hear more and more tracks that I'm familiar with, the details are there and then some...just there's a bit more heft to everything. Good, bad? You decide.