W4S DAC1/STI-500 vs DAC2/ST-500

Can anyone provide some comments about the W4S gears below? Which one is better? Thanks.

1.DAC1/STI-500

2.DAC2/ST-500

heyanming05-31-2012 2:42pm

tubeking Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 65 posts 05-31-2012 at 10:26pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I have a DAC2 and a STI-1000. I have tried using the Dac2's pre-amp in HT bypass on the STI and something was missing.The DAC2's sound was not bad but the STI's was superior. I prefer the STI's pre-amp section to the DAC2's. The pre-amp in the STI is very different than what is built into the DAC2. Of your choices I would buy the DAC1 and the STI because the DAC1 will probable be long gone because of advances in technoloy when th STI will still be great integrated amp.
tubeking Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 65 posts 06-04-2012 at 04:26pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete The HT bpass in NOT on the DAC2 it's on the STI. The HT bypass is the equivlant to direct to amp for the STI integrated amp. The pre amp section of the DAC2 is not the same as the pre amp of the STI. The STI IS based on W4S pre amp. As far as I can determine the pre amp built into the DAC2 is not. My guess would be possabily it is in the digital domain where as the STI is a resitive ladder arrangement with some added boost at higher volumes.