R2R DACs usually sound smoother and warmer than chip-based DACs. Add a tube buffer to an R2R DAC and you will get a double dose of warmth and smoothness.
This is what the FiiO WARMER R2R Tube DAC is all about. So in the end, it is a question of what kind of music you prefer to listen to. If you like ballads, lounge jazz and Diana Krall, then the FiiO WARMER R2R Tube DAC is for you, but if you like rock, heavy metal, alt rock, etc, stick to an ESS or AKM-based DAC.
The FiiO WARMER R2R Tube DAC has the tendency to ’round off’ hard edges of music much like sandpapering sharp edges of objects to make them safe to touch without cutting your skin. Thus electric guitars lose their ‘metallic’ bite and horns lose their ‘metallic’ sharpness.
It is all about romance, warmth, smoothness and ‘cuddlyness’ with the FiiO DAC. The meters on the front panel add a retro look which is in keeping with the quality of the sound.
When I played Lou Reed’s Vicious, I did not like how the electric guitars lost their energy and rawness. But when I played Diana Krall, I loved how she sounded so relaxed and soothing.
So in the end, I set up a playlist featuring Madeleine Peyroux and Carmen McRae and just sat down, relaxed and enjoyed the music.
I had set up a system comprising the WiiM Ultra connected to the Fiio with a Toslink cable and stock interconnects from the FiiO to Fosi V3 monoblocks and thence to the ATC SCM50 floorstanders.
I must highlight that when I used a stock optical cable, the music sounded a bit odd with singers sounding nasal. I switched to a QED Performance Toslink cable and it improved matters.
The FiiO WARMER Tube DAC uses a fully differential 24-bit R2R resistor array DAC and four JJ Electronic E88CC tubes for the tube buffer.
There have been audiophiles who suggest tube rolling to achieve better and/or different sound signatures. However, I am of the view that at this price level it is not worth tube rolling which can an expensive exercise as some tubes can cost more than the RM1,699 that you pay for the DAC. For e.g. A Siemens E88CC can cost US$179.95 each from https://www.thetubestore.com. Four Siemens tubes will cost US$719.80 which is equivalent to RM2,883.16. Even a cheap tube like the Electro-Harmonix at US$23.95 each will cost RM383.75 for four, which is more than 20 per cent of the cost of the DAC. Is that worth it?
The FiiO WARMER R2R Tube DAC is available at Red Ape Audio Store at RM1,699 (see https://redape.my/product/search?search=fiio+warmer¤tPage=1)
