[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by W9TR

Does anybody make a true tube DAC with tube switches instead of Solid State?
If this DAC were an R2R DAC it would have 16 tube switches and whatever analog tube circuits it would need for the output.

Is that a total of of 16 tubes or 16 per channel? Add in a couple of rectifier tubes and buffer tubes and one is up to 20 tubes, minimum. As someone who had to keep radar repeaters running on Navy ships back in the '60s, would say any piece of gear with that many tubes 'could' be a pita to maintain. Several spares and a tube-tester and good ventilation. Would be quite large and heavy to support the needed space for so many tubes and power supplies. Think of a tube power amp that makes more than 75wpc. Am thinking the MHDT Lab Pagoda (balanced?), or similar, makes a lot of sense for a ladder-DAC.