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SS DAC's driving tube pre / amp vs ss pre / amp

I had the pleasure of auditioning a Sim Moon 780D DAC through a Sim Moon solid state integrated amp (600 series), and was ready to purchase it on the spot. 

Then I remembered I'm all tubes - a Shindo GIscours pre- and a VAC Phi 300 amp using KT-88's.  I'm hoping that the finely-limned detail, nuanced timbres and sense of soundstage space rendered by this DAC would be preserved by tubes. 

Would any of these delicacies be overlaid or blurred by the sweetness of tube distortions ?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

-Dr John 
dr-john

Showing 1 response by nolacap

nolacap
84 posts
 
I use a Benchmark DAC 3 to drive my AR Ref 110. I love the sound and feel like I get all the detail from the DAC I need, but I don't think the AR Ref 110 is rich with distortion like some other tube amps.

Whatever coloration your amp is producing should be preserved but not blur the signal from one source more than another. Unless the source is also adding it's own distortion that interacts poorly with the amp's.

A low distortion source should allow you to hear what your amp really sounds like.
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