OK, thanks for the response. So is the general consensus that, due to anti-aliasing, digital signals are already as smooth as analog ones and so the question is rendered invalid?
The illustration is meant to be a generalized example of a stairstepped digital wave vs a smooth analog one, not of any specific sine wave, which is how I'm led to believe is the state in which they generally exist. Is this an incorrect depiction?
One of the main complaints AFAIK with all things digital concerns this stairsteppedness and since the Kemper produces strictly digital output, if that output (regardless of the sample rate or sample size) is smoothed by a tube amp or if it is merely amplified. That is the question I'm looking to answer.
I have many tube amps as well as digital ones and of course they all sound different, not only based on class but also based on circuitry, design, and the speakers they employ. To my ear, there is a world of difference between digital and analog amps and I will choose analog every time. The Kemper into the Power Station and/or into a Tube Amp seems to maintain the warmth and feel that even the best tube simulation plugins can't match. Am I missing something here?