Direct sounds thinner with less body, weight and texture. This had been my experience with trying the LSA Attenuator three times, Placette, several DAC's direct, and several CD players direct. To some it sounds cleaner or more resolving, but I feel this is either mistaken for "transparency" or some folks like that lighter than real sound. Ha! I know that sounds negative, but we do all have preferences.
To each his or her own. Just enjoy!
"To each their own [fortune]" may also apply to those who've struck upon a winning DAC-direct combination instead of being simply in the camp of preferring a faux sonic imprinting; in fact I believe it's an old relic of a presumption believing the DAC-direct route generally devoid of body, weight etc., and not in keeping with the results currently possible here - especially since the OP originally posed his question. My latest and successful DAC-direct encounter is with the SOtM sDP-1000 (just entered my setup on a permanent basis), which sports a dedicated preamp section with volume attenuation in the analogue realm (digital "actuated"). Should people want for more body, weight and texture here I'd say it's a preference that goes contrary to what sounds natural to my ears though my setup. It sounds wonderful, plain and simple, and not in the slightest anemic or whatever. Actually I'd say the trend is reversing towards the DAC-direct route getting the upper sonic hand compared to separate preamp solutions, with the advancements being made via integrated components. Having a sole digital source makes it even more compelling.
