Colin's IV (which is a common base topology) is a good alternative for a current out DAC. It is similar to Jocko's circuit, or Nelson Pass', and it can be made differential without too much trouble. For a voltage out DAC, a simple emitter or source follower works great as a buffer. Even a diamond buffer is a good alternative, and it can be made DC couple-able with the help of a servo (unlike some off the shelf diamond buffers.) Or any of Pass' recent buffers are good options.
There is this myth of tubes as being pleasant sounding, and tooby. The reality is that tubes are very linear amplifiers with excellent bandwidth, and the bulk of the added distortion and limited bandwidth attributed to them has to do with the topologies and the surrounding components used. Similarly, the myth of DAC digital glare probably has more to do with the opamps used in the IV than the DAC chips themselves.