No digital system I am aware of can sound rich and warm in a natural way. It might one day but not yet. He was kidding. Adding tube amp in the middle may help create this illusion, but it is what it is - an illusion.
Question about neutrality and transparency in an amp
I've just acquired a Hegel H160 integrated along with a pair of Dynaudio Focus 160 speakers and am breaking in this combination with a digital source. The amp is quite colorless and neutral, as are the speakers. I'm personally inclined toward a warmer sound. I don't have any analog sources at the moment, but I'm wondering... if I connected a turntable, cartridge, and phono stage combination that, taken together, presented a decidedly warm sonic signature, would this warmth be conveyed by the amp and speakers to my ears?