Discrete R2R Ladder dac from Soekris, Absolute Sounds review.

Conrad Johnson 17LS2 preamp.

I think, along with some Amperex butt ulglies from Brent Jesse, it adds a musicality to my system.

Try direct also for a while and let us know where on it’s volume control you are?
As I’ve found with my discrete R2R, what I thought were "so so" old recordings were actually very good, and it just took a discrete R2R dac to make me realize it. Now I’m listening to all those old ones I never liked in a very new light.

Cheers George

Okay, FWIW.

I am going from Soekris DAC direct to DNA-500 to Thiel CS5i's. No separate preamp.

Listened to John Hiatt "Walk On", Adele  "19", and Grant Green "Idle Moments". Not sure how accurate this is with Google Play Store "Sound Meter":

Soekris volume control set at -22 and Sound Meter is measuring hi 70 to low 80 Dbls. 

Soekris volume control set at -27 and Sound Meter is measuring hi 60 to low 70 Dbls.

Soekris volume control set at -29 and Sound Meter is measuring hi 50 to low 60 Dbls.

Soekris volume control set at -31 and Sound Meter is measuring low 50 to hi 50 Dbls.

Initial thoughts about the sound I am hearing without the CJ 17LS2 preamp:
Almost/definitely uncomfortable at higher volumes
More detail 
More contrast between highest and lowest notes
More ambient information - deeper soundstage, maybe?
Feel like I am listening to more sound but less music?

Maybe I have to get used to it and then go back to preamp or preamp/old DAC to really tell what sounds better to me.

First World Problem, I guess.

FWIW.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

Maybe I have to get used to it

Yes and fine tune just like you would have with the preamp in, speaker angle maybe don’t now sit on tweeter axis, angle speakers outwards more this will also give more imagining outside the speakers, and soften the tweeter a touch like the tubes do, interconnects also, etc etc
Cheers George

We shall see, er, hear!