My next question would be is matching the two component . ( without starting a new post ) . According to the owners and the designer of the decware amp it is a very revealing amplifier . What performance i should expect from the channel island audio vda-2 ? If its alters the sonic signature of the source , in what way ? Would it make sense to add the external power supply from Channel Island ?
The VDA-2 is very natural sounding and as neutral as possible. It uses a very high performance PCM1794 differential current output DAC chip, with as little as possible between the chip and output jacks. This is accomplished using a class A output with only a single transistor per output (which is not directly in the signal path).
The tube amplifier circuit will have much more coloration than the VDA-2.
The DAC performance is extremely good with the stock supply, but expect a 5-10% improvement by adding VAC-1, as it improves dynamics and image focus.