I have to say you’ve sent me off reading endlessly about Yggdrasil! I can’t help but like what is said about it, but I still have the impression it might be a little too much of a good thing for my taste. I also don’t like that it doesn’t do DSD, but I really think that’s temporary. It remains a candidate. Your other suggestion sounds interesting and much worth looking into, but frustratingly is limited in processing high res. Nevertheless, thanks for the good tip!
You're welcome, Echolane! Reading will not get you too far, the only thing that really helps is listen, and preferably in your own system. Best to get a DAC on a 14-day trial period. Yet you said:
"I like my new Triode TRV-CD5SE. You can flip a toggle to listen with or without tubes, but I can’t honestly say I can hear much of a difference."
If that's the case, you don't seem to need tube sound. If you like the player, why buy something else? It also seems to have a 24/192 capable DAC.
I wouldn't get hung up on formats beyond Redbook, and on DSD. Well decoded Redbook easily beats 'high res' formats on lesser DACs. I listen to Redbook exclusively. It is a format that features absolutely astounding resolution. Redbook IS a high resolution format. Many DACs don't handle it too well.
You will hardly get native DSD anyway, most DSD is processed via PCM stages, so I ask myself, why bother. See this white paper on the 'DSD myth':
https://www.grimmaudio.com/site/assets/files/1088/dsd_myth.pdf
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