u/Lornesto

So, I got my hands on the Fiio Warmer R2R DAC a while back, after soliciting opinions about it from the residents of this forum.

I had previously been using a Cambridge Audio DacMagic100. Admittedly, both are firmly in the "budget DAC" category. This is also my first experience with an R2R DAC.

After completing the manufacturer suggested break-in period, I gave it a try. First thing is, I am not accustomed to gear that prefers a literal warm up before a listening session. I've only ever had solid state gear, so heating up tubes is a novelty. (Fiio recommends switching it on 5-60 minutes previous)

The build quality is super nice all around. I don't particularly love how bright it is, and the VU meters are completely unnecessary, as far as I am personally concerned. But especially in the silver, it is a very nice and classy looking piece of kit.

As to the sound, it's nice, but definitely different from the Cambridge. The high frequency sounds are somewhat veiled on the Fiio, even bordering on dull, at times. There's a noticeable lack of crispness and detail in the high end that I do miss on some songs. And I do think that makes for a somewhat less detailed stereo image overall than the Cambridge.

That being said, it's not all bad. I rather expected this would be the DAC I'd like on some fuzz-rock, but that was not exactly the case. It does very well with acoustic music, orchestras, jazz. Horns in particular are very nicely rendered, and low end bass sounds seem to harmonize with the rest of the soundscape in a more natural manner than they do on the Cambridge. Somehow the bottom end on the Cambridge manages to sound more... digital?

Another interesting point, I feel like it doesn't really live up to the "warmer" moniker, unless you engage the oversampling mode. It's almost got a bit dry of a sound in non-oversampling mode. Somewhat unexpectedly, I've spent a lot more time with the oversampling mode on.

The Fiio also seems to have a more quiet output signal compared to the Cambridge.

Overall, I can't say I'm even sure I enjoy it more than the Cambridge. But, it very much has its moments, and it is very engaging and enjoyable at times. It is very much a "non-fatiguing" sort of sound, but that comes with its own downsides. Enjoyable, but not perfect.

So I've seen a bunch of positive reviews of the Fiio Warmer DAC. And as someone with a fairly bright sounding system, the idea of using a DAC with a tube output stage to warm up the sound is appealing.

To those who have experience with it, what are your thoughts? Worth it? Junk? Gimmick? Best thing ever?

I'm currently using a Cambridge DacMagic100, wondering if it would be a meaningful upgrade, or just worth trying.