Agree. All Schiit multibit DACs require oversampling digital filtering, hence the comburrito filter, for them to sound euphonic (whether that's more accurate is a subjective matter). If you need to know how ladder DAC inside Schiit sounds without the magic burrito filter, just bypass Schiit's filter using HQ Player or equivalent so that you're using NOS mode.
IMO, the most expensive form of the R2R DAC technology is a NOS DAC. You need ultra precise resistors and components in order to "accurately" convert the signals to analog. Obviously, the higher the bits, the less precise you get, but less bits means you don't get the full information in the digital signals hence less accurate sound.
Euphonic? I never thought I was producing euphonies. As I have written in my own thread, a true audio pioneer, Mr Peter Walker told me 40 some years ago at the beginning of this road for me that it was my duty to reproduce music, not to alter it. I still have a set of his original Quad Loudspeakers today. Your statement about bypassing the filter puzzles me - if you have a mb Schiit DAC, the filter is always there, yup, no way to get rid of it.
I am also puzzled by your NOS DAC statement. "New-old-stock"? "Non-oversampling"? Precise resistors? Like the automobile priced DACs who construct their own DAC chip equivalents whose fragile linearity varies with farts in the room?
Yeah, I couldn't either. But all this talk about 'preserving original samples' is also pretty silly.
Now I take great umbrage at this statement. It is very easy to set up a test station to clearly demonstrate that Bimby - Mimby will output all original samples unchanged up to 192KHz sr, and Gumby-Yggy will do the same up to 396KHz sr. You may dispute the sonic value of that capability, but the fact remains that the original samples
are preserved. The only family of DACs which also are guaranteed to output the original samples are non-oversampling DACs. The problem with those is they raise real problems when playing back 44.1 or 48KHz sr material. They require an analog reconstruction which is guaranteed to ring like a doorbell. The less than prudent sometimes remove them which can have real explosive consequences with some amps. Kinda like having a pet badger or cobra. Maybe OK much of the time, but when it blows, it blows.
Now I personally believe in the value of preserved samples as being best by far for performance. They are the only DACs that really scratch my itch. This works for me - you may disagree. Thirty years ago, the only DACs available were mb. Then ds DACs were foisted upon us, and they sounded so much like ass, I made home theater decoders for a while (they got better, but still don't get it over the top for me). Now all of these years later, I am doing my best to make available mb DACs to almost anyone.
Everybody has a right to what they like, and everyone's preference will not line up with mine. The fact remains that all who buy any products, mine or someone else's, used or new, keeps this hobby going. It is waaaaaaaay too much fun to let go.
Abbreviation glossary
mb - multibit
ds - delta-sigma
sr - sample rate