• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Vacuum Tube DAC

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Anyone know of a high end Vacuum Tube DAC?...

I like the Shanling CD-T80se, but can't seem to find one for 115VAC.

I'd like to warm and sweeten the Cambridge Audio 640c V2 CD player slightly - sounds too analytical, 2D, and brash on mids. Instead of buying a CD tube player, or tube preamp, or tube amp, I think an external DAC might be the way to go.

Thanks
 
Several output buffers as well as complet external DAC's are on e-bay out of China. It has a supurb internal DAC already, and most you would buy have the same or similar DAC in them. Debate goes on between Burr Brown, Wolfson and Crystal.

Might I recommend you just change out the 5532 op amps in the 640 with the newer National 4562's before you make bigger investments.

From there, search the WEB and you will find DIY for a single tube output to replace he OP-Amp, giving you a tube analog stage internal. Head over to the chip-amp forum for info. You may prefer something like a OPA2228 or OPA132 family.

Or, e-bay has several tube output DAC's already built.
 
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