"Analog" = bloated, rolled off, soft and mushy?

If you don't like what you hear from tubed CDP's you don't like it and you have a fair amount of company. As to right or wrong this is nothing more than the continual argument about SS v Tubes. Personally, I think most of the SS digital units I have heard sound thin, overly bright, glassy, etched and unmusical. Am I wrong?

I've only heard one tubed CD player, BAT VK D5SE, (we've had a discussion about it), and it was definitely warm. It's my only experience with tubed cd players, and it has made me questioning if they are generally like the BAT.

I guess more specifically, do the modded units with tube output stages sacrifice detail? are they warmer than neutral? are they transparent?

I have a feeling it depends on the design. I'd like to hear some feedback about the modwright, exemplar and apl sonic signatures, and what exactly is meant when someone says they sound "analog".

I have a Cary 308T and prefer it to the much more detailed (and pricey) 303/200. Because it softens the "digital edge" some. You have to have decent tubes. I'm using Mallards. And it is smooth yet dynamic - nothing close to boring. The stock tubes aren't really enjoyable.

I think some people like the SS sound and some like tubes.

I like tubed output on my particular CD player. I can't speak for all the rest.

Rob

IMHO most of the comments made about the "sound" of any component are dependent on the system into which they are incorporated. If you have a system which leans toward warmth, as opposed to neutrality, then it would be expected that having a CDP which was also warmish in tone could be objectionable. Conversly if you have a system which is on the "fast" and "bright" side of neutral as many are, especially when they are all SS systems, the addition of a SS CDP can produce too much "detail" (call it what you will). It all depends on YOUR expectations and YOUR system.

I think your subsequent questions are valid in that they at least allow for a comparison between pre-modded and post modded units. I also think it would be interesting to hear opinions about what most folks percieve to be the "sound of analog". To me, the term always suggested the opposite of "digital", that is thin, glassy, etched, bright, and unmusical.

I don't have any idea how tube is equated to analog and solid state to digital. Apples and orange kind of comparison. I also find it interesting that some people equate tube and analog sound with a loss of excitement and transparency, and equate digital and solid state sound with thinness, edginess and brightness. I find that most solid state equipment and good digital sources to no longer sound that way, but I do find that their weakness is a loss of low level transparency, dynamics and liveliness.

I don't think that hanging a cheaply made tube gain stage on to the converted output of a dac would do anything to improve the sound. I haven't been impressed by most of the players with tubes. But, there are notable exceptions. The best digital sound I've ever heard came from a set-up using an Audionote DAC-5 that is stuffed with tubes. Simply amazing.