Still an R2R/ladder dac fanatic.
To not take a off center system sound, and then add in an AKM, and say it is perfect. Or other dacs of similar nature and type.
To consider that the ladder dacs and the like get the HF and detail aspects most correct and then design or build a correctly voiced sytem around a fundamentally more correct center of sound quality.
To understand what when we add or subtract anything in our systems we have to 'carry the 1', and compensate for knowing we have an accumulation of off center parts, in their handling of the small details in the signal, where our actual human hearing and discernment --lies.
To obtain and work with multiple ladder and r2r dacs, discrete dacs of that nature to find and understand their central points....and then, like the Spanish inquisition, 'come in again', and rebuild with this more correct origin. and finally arrive at actual destination-like points, instead of the constant circular dance of never getting there and the window/door is too small. made small by the stack of off kilter additions. (where everything becomes either too dull or too screechy, in a vary small range of change. When this happens it tells us that we are doing it wrong. even worse, is dull and screechy at the same time. Which happens alarmingly often.
Thus, to get there, we have to start with the most neutral and wide capacity source point possible, and then make the intelligent and well considered choices past that.
In my experience, that happens with ladder/R2R/discrete dacs.