NOS DAC Warmth

this stereo was so clear and transparent that when I played my cd’s it would reveal every flaw the recording contained. With an excellent flawless recording the sound it presented was breathtaking no doubt about it. However in my cd collection there were many cd’s that were not recorded to that high standard.

I think I understand what you are saying. Not all tube systems are warm and fuzzy, they can be very resolving, analytical and without any tube bloom.
Regarding digital playback, a CDP or a DAC can also be very resolving, without warmth. But first jitter in the digital devices needs to be reduced. Once that is accomplished, the true sonic signature of the device is revealed; it can be neutral, analytical, warm, or organic. It depends on the design.
Adding tubes into the mix may only colour the sound (distortions). It’s the even order distortion that can make a tube system sound so appealing.
So you really need to choose a DAC that presents the sonics you desire, it can be NOS or other designs.

And some CD's will never sound good, I have many of them. A high quality CD can sound great thru NOS or Delta Sigma. I'm very pleased with my NOS Dac thru a tube system, it's very revealing and not too warm.

Thank You to all who contributed to this thread and took the time and effort to offer their thoughts on the topic.

Thanks
Bob

Yes, preamps can add a lot of sweetness. I like older Conrad Johnson for that reason. :)

Best,

E

Wouldn't this discussion be R2R (or discrete ladder) DACs vs. Delta / Sigma DACs?

Aren't all NOS DACs R2R DACs?

Yes, all NOS DACs are R2R ("multibit") designs. They are multibits that are non-oversampling.

There are also a great many multibit DACs that are non NOS.

I own one of each: Audio GD NOS 19, the non-oversampling variant of this standalone multibit DAC; and their DAC-19, the oversampling variant. My preference is the NOS 19, but they're both excellent, fully featured DACs.

Multibit DACs have truly changed how I hear digital. Yes, they sound more relaxed, organic, and "musical." But whether they are "warm" or not is one of those "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" distinctions. What I've found is that when one's digital signal is NOT bright, edgy, overly emphasizing transients, and conveying bass in a weirdly exciting yet ablative way (hard-hitting, deep, but not timbrally rich or faithful to the source instruments)--the music often does sound "warmer," but that's mostly because it's no longer hyped in the manner of many delta-sigma DACs.

Some DACs, just like some solid state preamps & amps, are voiced to be "warm." But even then, their interaction with speaker loads is not exactly predictable. For example, a warm SS preamp + a warm pair of speakers may synergize in unexpected ways, with the result being more apparent resolution (yet not tiresome or peaky sound). In general, "warmth" in SS devices is less predictable than it is in tube preamps or amps (I've owned both and know that delicious warmth well).

Net/net: to my ears, a NOS multibit DAC sounds more relaxed in every way...yet not at all suppressed or undynamic. Sans that delta-sigma spotlighting of transients & treble, it's easier to hear the actual instrumental tone/timbre and layering of instruments...

Ultimately, that apparent "detail" from delta-sigma DACs is just another unwanted sonic filter that tends to obscure the music.