Emotiva XDA-1 Initial Impressions

[Feanor]

So just to leave my final thoughts on the XDA-1 in the this thread:

In the time since I last posted, the sound quality has improved in the sense that the brightness is gone (thankfully!)... The sound is still clearly (to me) behind the DAC1, but more than respectable for a sub $500 DAC...
...

You've had too much aggrevation with this thing, Ajani. Still given that Emotiva has finally beaten the problems, it sounds quite worthy of consideration.

Of interest, maybe, for the DIY inclined, for my next project, I'm considering a Twisted Pear DAC, either the ESS Sable32-based Buffalo II plus IVY III driver stage, (here), or for cheaper, the Wolfson WM8741-based Opus plus S/PDIF receiver, (here).