Are all R2R dacs slow and soft?

I'm taking a thought here, so here's my 2 cents: I think when you are inserting a different DAC into your system, replacing the matched pair of PS Audio, you are having compatibility issues with the HDMI I2S connection. It also may be possible that the DAC doesn't re-clock the incoming signal via the I2S input. Try using an AES/EBU (XLR) or Coaxial (RCA) connection to see if the issue disappears. R2R architecture should have nothing to do with "slowness".

I have a PSAudio Directstream DAC MkII feeding a Decware Zen Triode Jr. IntAmp. I switched out an Artisan solid silver interconnect for a GR Research multistranded interconnect (similar to Kimber) and 1) all brightness disappeared and 2) the bass was cleaned up with much better detail, depth, and musicality. There was little to no change in the midrange.

@audphile1 
"You can a quick test that will be relatively cheap and potentially cost you nothing. Pick up a trendnet 8 port 1G unmanaged switch and a 1m long LinkUp CAT8 ethernet cable and an iFi LAN iSilencer.
Connect your current in wall Ethernet cable to trendnet switch, connect the iFo LAN filter into AirLens and run a Linkup 1m cable from switch into iFi/AirLens.

This should clean up and improve the network feed into AirLens and in turn improve the sound. If it doesn’t, return it all back to amazon. 
But I think you will hear the difference with your components and your speakers."

I got the 3 components you suggested.

The iFi LAN silencer into the AirLens was first. This was the most effective. The backgrounds became quieter, and the imagining was a little more focused. There was also a tiny bit of softening of the sound, maybe taking the "sharp edges" off to put it in mechanical terms.

The switch and the cable were added next. Hmmm, nothing jumped or at me right away. Maybe nothing, maybe something. It’s going to take some more listening and swapping in and out to see.

The the isolator is a 2 thumbs up, thanks.

Slow, Soft or veiled are NOT characteristics I would attribute to R2R DACs.

Slow, and Soft is how most SACD’s I  have heard sound except the latest PS Signature Audio model that does the 512 up sampling. That model is OUTSTANDING!! 

Those attributes sound a lot like some USB cables that I demo’d and are not up to snuff.


 

If too bright, toe out your speakers a tad.