Does a Tube Dac make sense?

My personal opinion having a DAC with only a tube based output is like having a preamplifier with the tone control set non-flat and no way to ever change it.  Tone controls are a great idea, and only stuffy audiophiles killed them, not because they were bad, but through their own hubris.  A tone control can help a recording sound the way you want to sound, help to tune a room a bit, or can set flat so it does nothing.


I am all for the option of the tube output on a DAC. I have no doubt for many people, on many recordings, that it will provide them with something that sounds better to them. However, just like tone controls, I doubt it would be ideal for all recordings, but if that is the only choice for output, you are stuck with it. 

charles1dad7,711 posts04-26-2021 1:47pmUnderstood,
Some listeners will say they can not hear a difference, with the same DACs other listeners can easily perceive sonic differences. This shouldn’t be surprising as a fairly wide spectrum exists as to what people are able to detect and distinguish. Measurements at this stage of development can't account for all that the ear-brain neurologic pathway can decipher and process.
Charles

As djones51 pointed out, there are a class of DACs, the majority, that are designed to not have a "sound". From fairly low cost to super expensive, they won't have a significantly significant sound signature. You will move through levels of refinement, but that refinement hits asymptotic diminishing returns early.   Lots of people on this website will claim they could easily hear a difference. Those who have done recent blind testing will know just how hard that is if not impossible.  This was not always the case, but has been for quite some time. The price point where these types of DACs can be easily (or at all) told apart keeps dropping.


Then there is a whole class of products intentionally having a "sound". Many products even have setting to give them a sound. NOS DACs have a sound, DACs with different filter implementations have a sound, DACs with low feedback tube output stages have a sound. These can be pretty readily told apart, and from the aforementioned ones that don't have a "sound".  Not only can the be readily told apart, but significant differences show up in measurements.

Measurements at this stage of development can't account for all that the ear-brain neurologic pathway can decipher and process.

Unfortunately this statement is conjecture. It is not the 70's-80's any more. That whole only looking at THD thing is well in the past.  We can't fully interpret what measurements mean, but we can certainly measure to a level beyond audible difference.

I used to bring a headphone amp and headphones to listen to CD players. Most trade show setups are pretty awful and with no familiarity with the speakers and electronics, there is little chance to accurately attribute a sound to any one piece.


You are totally correct, it is a difficult task now, especially with fewer bricks and mortar stores. Even more reason to, as a hobby, put a little more emphasis on removing bias from our reviews that other people may use in their purchase decisions.