DAC - Aqua Formula or Aqua La Scala

Mmmmm, yummy, R2R discrete mulitibt dacs, the best for Redbook,DXD PCM. 

Just had a quick look at the specs, it seems they’ve used far higher spec’d R2R resistors for the Formula being 0.016% where the LaScala is 0.1% Also the output impedance of the buffer is a great low 10ohms, where the LaScala is 100ohms.
So go the Formula if it’s in your price range. There probably other advancements also.

Just found this also for the Formula
" The xHD update, This update has required significant optimization of code for the main FPGA of R2R ladder DAC which has improved sound quality."


Cheers George

https://www.stereophile.com/content/anthem-electronics-str-da-integrated-amplifier-measurements

If the DAC in the STR preamp is similar to better to the one in the STR integrated, I highly doubt you will get an audible improvement regardless of DAC. If you use ARC, then you are digitizing the analog inputs anyway, so now the ADC and DAC are active, on top of the external DAC, so that’s a lot of THD, IMD, channel separation, etc. that gets compounded through each stage, not to mention the analog inputs themselves aren’t ultra clean. You may make the sound different, but I highly doubt you will make it cleaner; and if you wanted different, just mess with ARC.

Agreed.    Reintroducing the output of either Aqua DAC into the digital domain in a budget piece like the Anthem is a bad idea.  I've heard the Formula.  It's among the smoothest and most analog sounding DACs to be had.  If you can afford it, then upgrade to a better preamp. 

You can't go wrong with either of the AQUA DACs, Formula is better (more neutral) LaScala very slightly burnished with tube rolling ability.