Digital Processor That Are Great Matches 4 Tubes?

I am totally in agreement... and think the distinction that you've made is not only excellent, but also invaluable. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to upgrade my server. And it is interesting that you address this, as an audio buddy just informed me that he had both upgraded his DAC and although a little daunting for his computer skills installed the Windows 2012 Server with the Optimizer.

I am familiar and a member of CA. I'm currently reading the DAC reviews on Audiostream... a lot has occurred since I bought my digital processor 3 years ago. One of the reasons that I am changing is that I have lost confidence in its design and I am not pleased with their distributor's way of servicing and addressing the concerns of customers... and also what I consider a lack of extended commitment to their product. I also want to avoid a design that where a malfunction can't be addressed and repaired in an isolated way, but requires the replacement of an entire new main circuit board. Out of my recent experience, I am somewhat hesitant in purchasing a DAC that's made abroad... and where their designated technician is not really qualified. I would feel far more secure in my long-term ownership that if anything failed, I could send it back to the individual or company that designed it.

I so appreciate your input and experience. My amp is a 6L6GA E-linear custom designed stereo amp. My preamp is also excellent. They drive a pair of renovated (Wayne Piquet's) Quad 57s. Thank you.. I will definitely pursue your recommendations. You've been an audio friend indeed!

Fullrun - I actually have an Overdrive SE customer that wants to upgrade to the more expensive SX version, so I will have a trade-in available in the near future. I could let this go for $5500.00.

The demo Overdrive SE will only be in NJ at the Dagogo reviewer for another 2 weeks, so if you want to save $100-150 in shipping cost, you must act in the next 2 weeks. After that it will have to ship across the country to NYC.

My products get continual upgrades that my customers can take advantage of. They don't need to buy a new version usually. If you read my forum, you will see this. I have been in business a long time and my customer service is unmatched.

Thanks,
Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Thanks Steve

Steve,

I will be interested in the SX as well.

Even better than your stellar customer service is your patience and willingness to create and provide meaningful and functional information on your website addressing all aspects of digital audio.

I believe your consumer base appreciates your years of dedication as a consultant which both enlightened our minds and evolved our sound systems in ways otherwise un-imagined.

Fullrun,

Sorry I haven't followed up, and glad to see my comments helped.

I don't necessarily claim one "strategy" is better that the other, though.
One "strategy" is to optimize the server and use a DAC that is very good and server-sensitive. I believe most DACs fall into this category, and it allows the use of JPlay or Audionirvana+ in Apple with which users are very happy.
Another strategy is to spend most of your budget on a DAC that is in-sensitive to the feeding computer - the catch with those is that over the years a number of companies have claimed such independence but few, if any, have yet achieved it.

About 9 months ago AudioPhil, the maker of the Audio Optimizer, told me a laptop with WS2012 and Optimizer would get me to 60-70% of where a fully optimized server would. Not bad for a rather simple solution! In my view, buying a very good DAC and feeding it with a laptop with WS2012+Optimizer would be a very valid solution. And you could later decide if you want to upgrade the server.

Sure, the other strategy is also valid - as long as the DAC is indeed insensitive to the source! The only DAC I know of that might fit this bill and is below $4k is exaSound, but I have not come to a conclusion yet with mine (have not had the time). exaSound president told me the previous owner of my DAC sold it out of frustration he couldn't leverage what he had spent on his optimized server into sound improvements. Encouraging from my point of view, but clearly disappointing to the previous owner.

Here's another curved ball :-) We all know the room has the highest impact on sound of all "components". Many have lately spoken highly about some digital room correction units and software packages. See the thread "Is DEQX a game changer?" here. It seems that after room correction and time alignment different hardware sound more alike than different and they all sound VERY good (within certain logical quality ranges, of course).
What if we used a powerful computer running DRC/DSP and feeding an insentive-to-the-source DAC (now the heavy processing at the server wouldn't translate into jitter fed into the DAC)? Maybe the shortcomings of a not as good volume section in the DAC would be more than compensated by DRC/DSP vs. our beloved preamps?

Indeed, that is part of my hidden agenda. ;-)
In reality I am most interested in the exaSound e28, that has 8 channels. My idea is to drive a pair of 3-way speakers plus 2 subs using digital crossovers at the server and using an amp to directly drive each speaker driver (no passive XO). Hence a 2 channel preamp won't work for me. So all of this is fascinating IF the exaSound is INDEED insensitive to the fed stream.

This opens a fascinating door. I have a hard time letting go of my preamp, though. So I bought the e22 to experiment and I'm also in the process of trying Acourate DSP/DRC software package.

Sorry for the extra long post to ramble over something you didn't ask. Bottom line is both strategies can lead to easier solutions to implement or to quite sophisticated ones. A dual-PC setup using JPlay would be the extreme sophistication along the lines of the first strategy. See JPlay/Computer Audio forum for this.

Finally, do read the long thread about DEQX. I have exchanged with a user who claimed to have replaced a $30k DAC with DEQX HDP-4 and was very happy. Bifiwyne in the mentioned thread tried one at home, was thrilled, and is coping with the idea it might sound the same as without his Audio Research Ref 5 preamp in the chain - a paradigm shift for him. The DEQX might even be a good solution for you!

I know this post is coming back without a clear suggestion of what I'm proposing. I just propose you think about the options, I try to provide food for thought, and let you decide what sounds more appealing to you. Personally, I currently don't have a point of view...I might be transitioning a paradigm shift myself!