Do some DACs "handle" sibilance better than others?

Your DAC is likely to have the least effect on sibilance of any component in your system unless it’s badly engineered. You’re more likely to hear a lot more difference between different speakers and different preamps than between different DACs, so long as the DAC is well-designed and doesn’t introduce a lot of jitter.
 

But in general, R2R DACs are considered to be somewhat darker and more euphonic than Delta Sigma DACs. This is only a generalization and some Delta Sigma DACs won’t sound hyper-detailed, revealing sibilance in the recording. 

Sibilance used to drive me nuts.  The last thing that I figured was the problem was my preamp.  But, that's what it was.  My system is more revealing than it's ever been and sibilance is not an issue.  

@stuartk 

If some DACS handle sibilance better than others it means that those particular DACs are surely enough altering the original sound.
 

If sibilance is there and a certain DAC reduces it, then that DAC would alter the original sound of all the music. I would conclude in this respect that it must be inaccurate, and in doing so is “colouring” the sound, so to speak.
I thought that term was only ever applied as a criticism of analogue turntables and tape players.

Maybe DACs are as coloured as analogue?

l know to my ears digital is more “analytical” than “coloured”, but which is perceived as best is a question of personal taste.

OP, the answer is yes. After years of painfully bright digital music from CDs on various delta/sigma DACs, I found NOS & R2R DACs, and everything changed. Some of them manage to be bright, but way fewer than any random assortment of d/s DACs would be.

Listening to one of them now (MHDT Labs Orchid with the best NOS buffer tube I could find). Not bright, not sibilant. In the system 8 feet away is another great sounding NOS DAC, the Metrum Onyx. They don't sound the same, but neither one is bright or sibilant except to a very minor extent on the worst, edgiest music cuts out there (cuts that would razor my ears off on pretty much any d/s DAC).

@hilde45 

Everything you say makes sense. 

I guess I was thinking," if there’s a chance a particular DAC is more prone to sibilance, I’d just as soon avoid it", but in thinking that way, I was forgetting that sibilance is not typically caused by the DAC. Thanks for the reminder.

@curiousjim 

Yeah; I’ve always tried to steer clear of bright sound but perhaps due to changing hearing (I have a test coming up) I’m not sure an r2r DAC is what I want. I plan to demo LTA Aero soon. It may sound bright or just right. Won’t know till I hear it. teh onboard DAC in my Hegel H390 is sounding pretty dull to me.  

@kennyc 

No doubt that is what Hans was referring to. 

@sls883 

It definitely can drive one nuts. 

@mylogic 

I can’t argue with your logic but I also don’t have a fundamental issue with sound being colored. it depends upon how and to what degree. 

@mcondon 

Yes; it’s getting harder to make broad generalizations. 

@desktopguy 

I plan to try a tube DAC soon.