@relak, grannyring:
"False concept"?
I've heard DACS that are more akin to microscopes--to my ears, they so accentuate awareness of the parts that a larger sense of coherence is sacrificed. I demo'd a COS DAC that I can only describe as drastic in this regard. I do not think this is necessarily due to "distortions and artifacts" but a result of some designer's preference for prioritzing resolution.
It's been my experience that some audiophiles strongly gravitate towards a hyper-detailed presentation. Personally, I find this clinical rather than musical. Some favor the opposite extreme, most often utililizing tube gear (and yes, I realize all tube gear is not excessively euphonic) and others preferences are located somewhere in the middle ground.
"Timing and rhythm" ?
As far as PRaT goes with the S2, I have no complaints-- it keeps my toes tapping and my fingers drumming.
"Nebulous"/"dark and murky"?
I suggest this is fairly subjective. What's just right for you in terms of resolution is probably too much for me. I've discovered copper IC's do result in less clarity than I prefer, so I use silver. While you might describe my system as "nebulous", according to your tastes, it doesn't sound that way to me.
"False concept"?
I've heard DACS that are more akin to microscopes--to my ears, they so accentuate awareness of the parts that a larger sense of coherence is sacrificed. I demo'd a COS DAC that I can only describe as drastic in this regard. I do not think this is necessarily due to "distortions and artifacts" but a result of some designer's preference for prioritzing resolution.
It's been my experience that some audiophiles strongly gravitate towards a hyper-detailed presentation. Personally, I find this clinical rather than musical. Some favor the opposite extreme, most often utililizing tube gear (and yes, I realize all tube gear is not excessively euphonic) and others preferences are located somewhere in the middle ground.
"Timing and rhythm" ?
As far as PRaT goes with the S2, I have no complaints-- it keeps my toes tapping and my fingers drumming.
"Nebulous"/"dark and murky"?
I suggest this is fairly subjective. What's just right for you in terms of resolution is probably too much for me. I've discovered copper IC's do result in less clarity than I prefer, so I use silver. While you might describe my system as "nebulous", according to your tastes, it doesn't sound that way to me.