So pretty interesting findings today. Did a shootout between formats, DSD vs. vinyl. The sound quality was very close, now that I'm using a turntable with a healthy cartridge. It's a Rega P3 with a Clearudio Maestro v2 cart. On Bill Evans' Waltz for Debby, I have both the Analogue Productions DSD and vinyl, they're from the same master so they sound very similar. I preferred the vinyl over the digital by a hair. More presence, more air, bass was rounder and fuller. On other classic jazz albums, it was always very close, sometimes a dead heat, sometimes the vinyl coming out on top. This surprised me today, as just a few days ago it seemed like my vinyl was getting killed by digital. Which it was, but it was due to a faulty cartridge, one whose suspension is shot.
Also bypassing the tube amp and using my DAC as a preamp was not wholly successful. I did not prefer the sound quality without preamp. Maybe I could get used to it, but it just wasn't very exciting. Also I lost the use of my subwoofer this way, so that's a big loss. That's why I figure I need a nice SS balanced preamp, and wonder if the one linked above, the FM 255 clone would be the ticket. I want it pretty bad. Maybe next time stimmy comes around. I don't think a Topping D30 Pro would murder my SMSL Sanskrit 10th mkII that badly, but with a balanced preamp in hand it would become much more attractive. But all in all, had a wonderful day listening to lots of music, all of it sounding wonderful, and I'm a happy customer enjoying my new amp very much.