Tube or R-2R DAC for Tube System

Hello,
I would say stick to chip based DACs with tube gear unless you are going to a Holo May or a Denifrips Plus for DACs $5k or less which have a special over sampling function. Last but not least is the RME Black pro. It has tone controls. It will let you dial in the sound that you want. For $2k that is not bad. One of the best R2R DACs I have demoed was the Electrocompaniet. Very smooth without loss of detail. That’s the biggie. The loss of detail or sparkle when you pair DACs with tube gear. I have tested this. It’s about budget. If you can, please demo stuff on your system. If you cannot then heed my advise. The one I liked for the money was the first gen of the M2Tech young DAC. It had a touch of sibilant. When a friend installed it on his full Rogue tube system he said it was awesome. You can get these pretty cheap. If you want to take this to another level get an SBooster linear power supply for it. This sound will smoke a basic DAC. I hope this helped. This store in the Chicagoland area has this DAC. https://holmaudio.com/
I don’t run tube gear. If I did I would have this DAC for the price. It’s probably $1K with the SBOOSTER. You will have to check. 

It would be helpful if you had a DAC and listed what you don’t like about it and what direction you want to go, otherwise we are just guessing on your preferences. Without context, all we can do is suggest DACs that we like rather meeting your preferences.

can we have another 'amen'!!?? 

@jsal3689 and others with Denafrips Terminator experience, I am about to home audition the Merging+NADAC. I am wondering why I'm not seeing it mentioned in most DAC chains? Do any of you have experience with the Merging? I am wondering what I may be able to AB with the Merging while I have it, but only if you have found something superior or equal in terms of air and realism. One note on the Merging, and what sold me on it versus others having observed it in the component stack in countless videos from hifi shows / events. It must be worthy if so many speaker manufacturers, etc. selected it for their demonstrations? It's top of the mark, price wise for me, so I need to make sure it's going to be the best bang for my buck. I hope this adds to this chain as something to consider since the terminator plus was mentioned and a piece I seriously considered, and may yet.

My SET w/ KT 88's and Denafrips Ares 2 ($800) is fantastic. Soundstage goes Waaaaay back behind the spkrs. talk about holographic. Or the Pontus is double the Ares2 in price w/ slightly better performance.

there seems to be some confusion with terminology.  Multibit = R2R.  They can be discrete resistors soldered onto a PCB or thin or thick film hybrids on a IC; but they are both ladders, and both take in PCM and spit out PAM.

Bitstream is a different animal, based on pulse density modulation.


Arguments can be made for and against chips based R2R but the real reason for the proliferation of discrete DAC is that R2Rs vanished from the market place long ago.  AD has re-introduced one that is used by several, including Schiit, but it is not designed for audio and glitches.

Whether you place a tube I/V and filter after it or the same deal with transistors is an independent question.  tubes of course help get glowing reviews (ducks for cover after bad pun).