Tube DACs

It is not as simple as people think. Just because a dac outputs enough to drive an amp to full power or more we are forgetting that we almost NEVER listen at full output power. Instead we listen at levels close to 1w or so which in terms of DAC output signal is VERY low signal levels. Unfortunately most DAC’s and CD players place the volume pot after the gain blocks which drastically raises output impedance when used at volume settings less than 100% and gets to an insanely horrible situation at the 10 to 20% of full volume that listening levels demand.

Preamps are made specifically to give optimum performance at these greatly attenuated listening levels and do it with authority. This is the major problem with passive preamps and they lack dynamics and bass drive. Unless the DAC is designed a certain way to optimize very low signal output it will suffer.

Regarding a tube dac used with a tube preamp, it is wonderful IF you have a great tube preamp. Unfortunately there are a lot of cheaper tube components that use tubes in starvation of low plate current for a very "Tubey" sound. That is not my flavor and a proper tube design has transparency, purity and lack of grain that SS rarely achieves.

@dht4me 👍

I’m totally on board with the idea that a tube dac can work well with an excellent preamp. I’m currently using an Aqua La Scala with my ARC REF6 and have no issues.
As far as tubes go- I’ve had great luck following the advice given from Brent Jesse. I’m currently running NOS Telefunken red tips w/ wing shape plates- great tubes!

Doge 7 Tube DAC is great. Have owned, Dac 1, Berkeley Audio, Hegel, Chord, MSB and more. This one sounds the best by far.

I've never had a tube DAC, per se (where the tube amplifies signal). But I have had tube buffers, both external and internal to a DAC.

In my experience, a well designed and implemented tube buffer can add to the sound quality of a DAC, especially when the stock tube is replaced by the best quality NOS tube available for that design. In my current DAC, the MHDT Labs Orchid, the stock buffer tube is a GE JAN 5670W. Well after overall burn-in was completed, I got a nice sonic bump by rolling the stock tube to a WE396jw. But when I got an adapter that let me use a Mullard CV5331, that was sonic paydirt.

An already very good sounding DAC got even better.

So I'm a believer in tube buffers...

Right now, listening to Qobuz through Bluesound to Musical Paradise tube dac to a Yaqin tube integrated to a pair of Forests,(secondary system). I wouldn’t have thought I’d be getting the sound I’m getting with such components but there’s amazing frequency range, plenty of depth and air, it’s amazing. No rules.