Hi Neil,
Indeed. I missed that one, as I was going round checking out various rooms, but Rob, Nick and Steve heard the beneficial effect, which apparently was very significant indeed, and based on my experience of these things, I have no reason to doubt them.
I think that given the ridiculously low cost of the Beresford DAC, considering the audio performance on offer, cost-cutting has to be applied somewhere, and of course it's in the casing, which is undoubtedly a rather lightweight, resonant affair.
Personally, I've love to see Stan make a 'deluxe' version of the Beresford which comes in a really sturdy, attractive looking case (similar to, say, that of the Benchmark), even if he has to charge another £100 or so for the privilege, as it'd still represent a bargain. It would make the product look and 'feel' more professional, and it would sound even better, too!
However, the real message given by this thread is that equipment supports matter and offer genuine performance improvements! I've no doubt that Gaz's little tweak works, so just think what happens when placing the Beresford on top of a proper, purpose-built, audio rack!!
Quite simply, no high quality hi-fi system should be without one.
Marco.