Looking to add warmth


I'm looking for a solution to add warmth/richness or "emotion" to my rig. Currently the sound is what I would describe as dry/uninvolving, very accurate, but not pulling me in per say.

At the moment I'm using a HTPC running high bitdepth tracks via USB into a Wyred DAC2 being used as a pre to directly feed an Aragon 8008BB driving Philharmonic Audio 2's.

I would be spending money on room treatments, but my room is not very permitting. I live in a geodesic home and the living/listening room is very odd: there are few straight walls, its very open to the rest of the house, and there is a steel spiral staircase directly behind the listening position.

I've debated switching out the DAC to a PS Audio Perfectwave MkII w/bridge and foregoing USB altogether.

Or keeping the DAC2 and selling the 8008BB to switch to a warmer amp, or possibly go the tube route.

Or adding a USB converter of sorts to feed the AES/EBU input instead of the USB on the DAC2.

Tube buffer?

Adding a tube pre-amp? Or is adding another link in the chain only going to make matters worse?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.
koenigr
I have the Phil 3 speakers connected to a ATI-2002 SS amp and it's connected to a Rogue Athena tube pre-amp and it's connected to a W4S DAC2-se. The pre-amp made all the difference in the world. Dac to amp, was harsh and to my ears.
+1 to the Pre. I've tried DAC to amp twice and both times found input through pre amp was better.
If you don't want accuracy, but rather warm coloration: just
sub out some carbon composition resistors almost anywhere in
your signal path. NOTE: What some perceive as, "warmth", is
sometimes simply noise/distortion(btw: what applies to guitar
amps,
applies to all amps:
(http://www.aikenamps.com/ResistorNoise.htm)
"NOTE: What some perceive as, "warmth", is
sometimes simply noise/distortion(btw: what applies to guitar
amps, applies to all amps"

I don't think comparing a home stereo amp to a guitar amp is relevant in the context of this thread. With a guitar amp, the tubes are over driven so that they will distort on purpose. Its just not the same thing.
The innate noise of carbon comp resistors, is still noise,
whatever the application. Especially pay attention to the
paragraph under the heading,
'Resistor applications':
(http://www.resistorguide.com/resistor-noise/) The, "tubey"
(warm/sugary glazed) sound of many older tube amps can be
reduced
by the subbing out of carbon comp resistors, with metal film
or wirewounds(which I've been doing for decades). ie: Read
the last few paragraphs of this
article(http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1272283)
In the context of this thread; If the OP wants to add
warmth, carbon comps(in the signal path) are a valid option.