will
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Being particularly dependent on a relatively impeccable source, I can't quite wrap my mind around this setup. The old adage: "If it is not there to begin with, it never will be" comes to mind. But it sounds like you are after perhaps a different listening experience than I? I really go for natural and complete presentation of the recorded material with the goal of feeling pretty "real," revealing and natural...even when background listening, usually listening pretty carefully and at some volume.
This is not to say a nice tube amp won't do nice things with a phone, MP3, and $100 DAC. Flac will very likely be best if your source can show it, but for the real magic, an exceptional front end is a super big deal in my experience.
I guess you may be aware of all this, but just in case, will give a little background and tell you a story of my recent front end changes.
A really well setup PC with a good stand alone DAC, with uncompressed error corrected data is best (next flac or alac), and can have great potential with enough consideration for a good audio computer, software, and setup with good vibration control, cables, power, etc.
I was using a pretty highly tuned Mac Mini that is considered one of the best year models for music, used and setup strictly for audio, and thought by many who have dug in, to be as good a computer platform as you can get for audio. The Mini runs a modified Gustard x20pro ("giant killer"), also treated optimally. Also, I am a pretty serious "tuner," tuning my system progressively to bring out the best of each part in synergy. So it is optimized to extract the best I can from the source in revelation and musical balance. The sound was really beautiful.
Then I got a Mac operating system modified for audio only by a long-term Mini-for-audio and DAC developer, DbAudioLabs. Over months and months of listening and adjusting the OS the programmer removed over 200,000 lines of code unnecessary for audio.
In the same computer as before the new OS, set up the same way other than some faster memory, this OS powerfully revealed the truth that it is not just 1's and 0's coming from a computer to DAC.
This is a very revealing system, but in it, this OS improved musical completeness from the point of every descriptor.....more revealing, resolving, dynamic and smooth...doing everything digital can do with more clarity, but also more sense of smooth resolution....and virtually no digital anomalies that I can hear, at least with the filter settings I am using.
The catcher I needed to work with, outside my experience with several earlier Minis, and that makes no sense if you believe the 1's and 0's myth.....signal density and integrity was so fully resolved and complete, density and dynamics were over the top based on how I had things tuned before the OS upgrade. It was enough so that I could not do AB comparisons with a similar Mini using the standard OS. The new OS was so powerful by comparison I had to change settings, particularly in my CSP3 to reduce dynamic density.
It was strong enough for the more expressive signal to partially mask the more fragile fine detail and space...The subtle information was all clearly there and very refined, but a bit dominated by a signal made too strong by an OS!!! I am particular, but this was a pretty amazing problem to me I had never experienced in this way.
A few weeks later, the increased dynamics and density were such big changes (within my fairly narrow sonic tolerances for balance) I am still toning things down a bit, but very close, and it is amazing. Now having great density and dynamics in balance with fine information, "analog" ease has become more clear in the balance than I have heard from digital, and without compromising fine detail and complexity in any way. Now this OS, in this computer, in this system/room, puts me in mind of a blend of the analog influences of tape blended with the best of digital....a big deal!
All that said though. If you get a good amp, and not a comparable front end... and it sounds good for your needs, why not? And you can always upgrade the front end if the mood strikes!
Not trying to dis your idea, just giving my own perspective on it just in case you are not that "up" on digital front ends.
Good luck with your research and listening pleasure!
Will
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