2. digital
  3. 135146-94267

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
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,393 posts
 
An NOS Dac can present as much detail as any other type of Dac, it’s all based on the implementation and design. IME, NOS may sound more organic and less fatiguing than a Delta Sigma dac.
I actually think a design which implements a FPGA may have the smoothest sonics, but can also present a great amount of detail.

The analogue output stage is what determines the tonal colour or neutrality of the overall sound.

My NOS Dac playing thru an all tube system has a sense of realism and warmth with excellent microdynamics.

trelja
3,223 posts
 
@bokat57, "NOS DAC’s have a warmer smoother SQ then over sampling DAC’s"

I have and like both, and my experience has been pretty much the opposite
erik_squires
15,663 posts
 
I don't think these generalities apply at all, but if you want a very warm DAC, check out the ARC DAC 8 or 9.

Besides cost, I can't imagine a good reason to buy a DAC more than 5 years old right now. I _really_ love the DACs that have come out in the last few years at many price points, and I think they all really spank the previous generations, especially with Redbook.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

I think it is dependent on what generation of NOS you are talking about. The older chips do tend to lose some detail, no matter what the rest of the system is like. I used to sell a NOS DAC based on an older chip.

Modern custom designs are much faster and retrieve all of the details.

Jitter will be a factor too, so the interface used and the quality of the master clock will affect this. Jitter will obscure detail if it is too high. Customers of mine that get lower jitter sources often say that it is "smoother". Not the way I would describe it, but sometimes eliminating the edginess or "fill" of jitter can be interpreted as smoothness.

Another thing to consider is that even an oversampling DAC can sound smooth if the digital filter effects are minimized.  DACs with selectable filter cutoffs enable this.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

bokat57 OP
13 posts
 
Hi Thanks for your submissions !

But I guess what I am asking is : can an amplifier alter the sound characteristics of a source component ( in this case a DAC ) to some small or large degree.

 Example  It is my belief that my warm sounding tube amp improves the sound of my DAC by injecting some warmth to the overall presentation.

I was wondering if the above statement has any validity to it :
Would a warm amp and warm DAC cause the overall presentation
to be too warm ?

Thanks
Bob
More to discover