improving digital amp sound

I had the same issue with digital amps sounding lean and clinical. I purchased a set of Nuforce Ref 9s and had them modded by RAM. after 200 hours break in these amps are far from lean and clinical they sound awesome. I'm now using a tube pre but also have had a solid state and passive with excellent results with the modded Ref 9s.

A tube preamp will restore the pleasant harmonic distortion which the digital amp designer went out of his way to eliminate! Do what you like.

Before giving up on digital amps, give the Rowland 312 a good listen. You may very well discover that all these ICE-based amps are NOT at all alike!

You will find some of my findings about the Rowland 312 at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1111288881&openflup&25&4#25

I have a Audio Research 300.2 mated with a LS26 and find this a great combination.The ARC pre is anything but tubey,
but it has excellent presence.