OP, My main observation is just that sibilance is likely influenced by much greater factors than a DAC.
It’s understandable why Hans B.’s comment caught your attention, as most reviewers don’t typically link DACs directly to sibilance. My point is not that Hans B. is a shill. My point is that when reviewers make definitive statements about how a component will sound in your system, they effectively become marketers. Why? Because they simply cannot know your room acoustics, your speakers, your cables, or your personal hearing sensitivities. These are all much larger factors that contribute significantly to how sibilance (or any frequency anomaly) manifests in your listening environment.
Reviewers like Hans are in their own controlled (or uncontrolled) spaces with their specific equipment. They can’t predict how a DAC will interact with your unique setup. Ultimately, addressing sibilance often requires looking at the bigger picture of your audio chain and listening space rather than isolating one component like a DAC — even if your desire is not to make it worse. It’s just much more likely that the DAC is not relevant. My two cents.
