Popular DAC that is known for its warm-ish sound?

@djones51 - Ah, OK, ARC as in Audio Research Corporation or Company.  Thanks!

Wolfson DACs...Maybe that's the "secret," the type of chip.  Thanks!  It makes sense that Rega would try to achieve an analog sound.

It's how they implement the chip other chips can have that warm sound . I have the AK4490 chip in my integrated amp and discovered I prefer it to the wolfson dac in  products I have used but the wolfson always sounded more laid back. 

The chip is important but many many other things must be done right.... my list

chip or no chip ( a ladder DAC can be built using an array of very high precision resistors, most chips but not all are delta sigma

filters... what measures good may not sound that way - see Ayre white paper Charlie Hansen

clock accuracy and clock philosophy

inputs I2S, USB, SPDIF, AES, etc... some sound radical different

control of RF and other nasty noise in digital circuits near sensitive analog signals - faraday Cage- see Aesthetix

power supplies - well regulated and separate for analog and digital

sample rate and formats religious wars....

analog outputs A whole book on this...

get a good book

 "...I prefer it to the wolfson dac in products I have used but the wolfson always sounded more laid back."

@djones51 -- By 'laid back,' you mean....?  Thanks.

To some “laidback” means relaxed or more gentle sounding. To others it means the soundstage is at as well as behind the speakers, as opposed to ‘forward’ which pushes the sound projecting at you infornt of the speakers.  It’s usually a laidback vs. forward thing but many also think the first example of relaxed. Or maybe even both.