What's the best Tube DAC you have heard?

I loved the Modwright Transporter. With the tubes optimized, it is difficult to imagine it could be bettered without dropping a whole lot more cash. It directly serves your computer-based library as well. If you can find an Audio-GD reference 7 or 8 (no longer available) - They don't have a tube output, but are an outstanding implementation of the PCM1704UK chip, rumored to be discontinued by TI, and one of the last great R2R chips - both DAC's I'm currently using utilize these DAC chips and render a very natural sound. There are other great players and DAC's that utilized this chip as well. If you are looking at tubes for the reasons I assume you are, I'd also consider this direction, in which case you would not really need a tube buffer to cure hyper-detailed digititis because it won't be there if that R2R chip is well implemented. Not that there aren't great delta-sigma options (the Transporter actually uses an AKM delta-sigma chip).

since nobody has specified what "best" means, the implicit connotation is one's favorite dac, regardless of its sound.

in that case, the first zanden dac smokes them all.

Regardless of its sound? What else would it be a favorite on the basis of? Its looks, perhaps...construction? I kind of lost you there.

It is reasonable to assume the OP is asking for a personal favorite based upon experience. What qualifies as "best" obviously will differ from person to person depending upon their priorities. In this respect, the best one could hope to come away with is a general idea of what some people prefer, and use that as a point of departure. If one wanted to reference this further one might go back and look at the posting history and or ask questions of the person rendering the opinion, to further discover where their preferences might be similar or disimilar to their own. Your statement, "...the zanden smokes them all," implies that you've heard "them all" in direct comparison to the Zanden. In what respect does it "smoke them all"? And what "all" have you done direct comparisons with, having both DAC's in the same system in the same room, at the same time?

with regard to the zanden, while i have not executed a direct comparision with other dacs, i have yet to hear sytem that resembles the "classic" tube sound to the degree i heard when a zanden dac was part of a stereo system. so while not a truly scientific statement, it is based upon my audition of 1000's of stereo systems, including my own.

the allusion to "smokes" them all is an obvious figure of speech and not meant to be taken literally.

No, that comparison doesn't sound remotely scientific, or even qualifiable. It sounds like a pretty blatant exaggeration based upon acoustic/aural memory of systems that don't necessarily bear any resemblance to the system/room/music you might have heard the Zanden with. Feel free to correct me here. I suppose your vast experience with so many systems can filter all that information and all of those variables, and render a sound judgment (pun intended) that's as good as a direct comparison? Your simple statement above regarding the DAC having a classic tube sound would have been more to the point and less misleading, IMHO. The "allusion" you mention may be a figure of speech but it does directly imply direct comparisons in order to come up with such a conclusion. Comparisons that are not direct, as I'm now understanding yours to be (as you've disclosed), are.... well, I won't even pass that judgment I'll just leave that one to others to judge for themselves, lets just say I think you should have disclosed that from the start rather than using the metaphor, or allusion that you chose, whether or not a figure of speech (and a highly overused one in these forums I might add). Your original post strikes me as so many posts to these forums do, as a rather grandiose exaggeration of hierarchy based upon little or no direct comparison. Again, perhaps I am missing something about that first statement in your first post(?). What did you mean by "regardless of sound"?

if you listen to say 100 stereo syetms, each containing a particular component, one may induce, if one observes a consistent sonic characteristic, that the compoent may have a certain quality. such a conclusion is based upon induction.

let's consider an example of a person, whom you observe in many different situations. suppose that person, a stranger, exhaibits a consistent characteristic. one could say, granted, with some probability, that the person has a a particular personality trait.

so to, my comment about the zanden, is a probabilistic statement.

Mr. Tennis - Thank you for clarifying your parameters for judgment.

There are so many variables present in listening to 100 different stereo systems, not the least of which are synergy and the profound effects of the listening rooms they're in, not to mention time between listening and dubious aural memory, that I cannot begin to fathom your confidence in making such a judgment based upon probability. I'm glad you can sort out exactly and consistently which characteristics are being rendered by which component, in each and every case, and keep track of all of it, throughout so much vast experience and exposure. Alas, I am confident that I am not at all capable of such discernment.

i don't have to hear a direct comparison to form an opinion about a product.

If you state, "...it smokes them all," I would certainly expect that you'd made direct comparisons to make such a bold statement, which is quite obviously your opinion (that goes without saying). I think that's not an unreasonable expectation, but I suppose others have become more numb to such rhetoric here.

hi jax2:

here is another choice which will drive you crazy.....snip

I'll try to control myself.

It isn't your choices at all that drive me crazy. I have loved the Quad 57 in a friend's system, and probably would enjoy the Zanden and the CJ. I just would not express it quite the same way, and get tired of reading those sort of boring, glorified statements being elevated and hyped to be anything more or less than what they are...simply one person's opinion, just like all the rest. Spare me the rhetoric, please. You stated it far better in the brief statement in your second post, which was straight to the point:

i have yet to hear sytem that resembles the "classic" tube sound to the degree i heard when a zanden dac was part of a stereo system.

Enough said...nothing need be added or subtracted.

As far as your extraordinary abilities of discernment, and remarkable aural memory...whatever works for you. Good for you. You are a god among audiophiles.