DACs with tube output

Tube

— the presence in the converter of circuits built on radio tubes.

Despite the development of more advanced electronic components — transistors and microcircuits — tubes are still used in high-end audio equipment and have their own army of fans. This is primarily due to the characteristic soft coloring of the sound, which is provided by such an elemental base (the same “warm tube sound”). At the same time, the level of harmonic distortion in tube circuits is several times higher than that of transistor circuits, but these distortions are pleasant for the human ear and are perceived as “softening” the sound.

Among the disadvantages of such a technique, in addition to the high cost, one can note the bulkiness and delay when turned on — for normal operation, the lamps must warm up. In addition, lamps have a limited lifespan and need to be replaced every few years. On the other hand, some audiophiles believe that only tube sound is able to fully convey the mood of certain styles of music, and for fundamental fans of tube technology, its advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.