Does good technology guarantees musicality?

Chris, While I sort of agree with your conclusions.........

What exactly does 'technically perfect' meant to you? Are you referring only to the DAC's translating the digital signal in the pits to some form of an analogue signal, or are you including the analogue out put stage.

If you are including the analogue output stage of the DAC, can you tell me where you will find a description of its 'technical perfection'. Perhaps the most important part of a DAC IS the analogue output. Perhaps that is what differentiates, or at least contributes the most to, what you refere to as 'musical' (what ever that is).

Then of course you have system synergy issues and your ability to make this happen (synergy) for you in carefully
matching components, including the DAC, and room set-up.

Ideally, we probably all strive for good technology and musicality with our own systems and particular tastes. Totally subjective. Every once in a while, we get lucky and they coincide.

This just happened to me with a recently-rebuilt 3910 Denon where 32-bit AKM DACs, a digital input and Class A tube output stage are yielding the most detailed, involving, transparent and musical presentation I have ever heard out of my system.

Newbee, that's an interesting point. Some manufacturers are trying to get the best out of their D/A converters by optimizing the digital circuitry, but they pay less attention to the... D/A converter's analog part. I think it has to do with costs. A good discrete analog section add a significant amount to the total costs of a unit. So these manufacturers use OPamps because they are cheaper. But I think these OPamps are still inferior to well executed discrete analog amplifiers. Why are many so called reference "oldskool" DAC's (Wadia 9, Goldmund 10C, Accuphase DC-91, Krell Ref 64) still sound so good after nearly 20 years? Well I think mainly because of the high quality design of their (discrete) analog sections.

Chris

Chris, Yep! IMHO, most anything sounds better than op amps in the DAC/CDP's I've heard.
BTW, I also prefer tubes. Nothing is perfect and they give me a lot of flexibility that SS doesn't. More fun...........