Blimey, this DAC has not sold.
This is only my opinion, but as DAC's go, this is one of the finest ever made. Like, EVER.
The build quality, design and real world engineering excellence are stupendous.
No one has made DAC's like this for a long time because it costs too much to do so. Back in the day, it was only a company of the size of Sony who could have made such a thing.
The UK has always 'struggled' with accepting this level of quality and engineering genius from a humdrum 'Jap crap' company like Sony. You know, it's a case of where's the badge value mate? I've come across the same mindset with cars, bikes, camera's, etc., etc.
Trust me, if you can get past that and expand your horizon's a bit, then this DAC will blow your mind.
Forget Esoteric, Soulution, Naim, etc., etc. because great as they are, they can't hold a candle to Sony when they really pulled out all of the stops.
£1650? Crazy bargain for a DAC that would cost small high end manufacturers about £35k to make now.
If only I could afford it!!
GLWS.
"Jingoism, racism, fear, religious fundamentalism: these are the ways of appealing to people if you're trying to organize a mass base of support for policies that are really intended to crush them".
Noam Chomsky
Current set up:
Benchmark LA4 pre-amplifier and AHB2 power amplifier
Sony CDP-X707ES CD player
Sony CDP-X505ES CD player
Topping D90SE DAC
Sony DVP-NS900V used as a transport only
Technics SLPG-590 CD player used as a transport only
Marantz CD6000SE CD player used as a transport only
Revel Performa3 M105 speakers and matching stands
Massdrop thxaaa 789 headphone amplifier
Audeze LCD-XC (2021 Revision) Headphones
Connecty things: Chord, Accuphase, QED, AoS 'Barry Special', silly cheap Chinese USB cable (AMAZING value hifi product)