Nothing beats an r to r ladder dac. My Esoteric player has a pair of the Burr Brown pcm1704 r to r ladder dac and the sound is so analog like and smooth. This player is a keeper for me. Most single bit dacs sound quite forward to me (ESS comes to mind)
R2R NOS PCM vrs analog playback
I have had several DACs in my setup. The only DAC that has come close to the analog I remember is the Red Wine Isabellina. The tone, texture and sound staging are quite remarkable when compared to other DACs I have used, some costing 2 to 3 times more then the Isabellina. The essential element that I find missing is the ambient decay that resonates in a totally black background. I would appreciate anyone's impressions of the newer NOS designs from Schitt or Metrum. Specifically, do they voice the intimate kind of bloom that surrounds instruments and vocals in a way that approaches analog. As a point of reference, I am also familiar with designs by Berkeley and Lampizator. Any comparison to the three DACs would be appreciated.