Very real, wide sound that is coming at your head in layers. Of course, I'm coming from an entry-mid DAP, the iBasso DX170, where tone is there about 70% and space around the instruments not so much. So, yes, what the audiophiles write about is true: there is more atmosphere and less veiling of sound. Also, the tube hybrid mode is very useful in hearing different perspectives of the sound decay and harmonic partials that the ear picks up, though this may be dependent on the headphones being used. Basically, the tubes add more air and bloom.