What @bjesien is not understanding is all of audio is subjective and our experiences will differ. So many variables are at play such as, but not limited to:
- personal sonic preferences
- total system synergy
- room differences
- attention or lack of attention to the details of assimilating a new piece of gear into an existing system
- attention to the details of ancillary gear such as footers, cabling etc...
The 2170 is a wonderful piece of gear that can indeed sound wonderful in many systems and to many people. There have been many reviewers and owners that have shared their positive experiences so we know this is fact. Others did not realize the same outcome. Good to hear from all people and experiences. No need to "run" from folks sharing positive results. No need to "run" from folks like @bjesien with negative results. Frankly, we should do the opposite and learn from it all.
Just because one person’s experience with a piece of gear is negative does not mean the other positive experiences are somehow not valid or worth listening to. Too many reasons behind why we may have differing experiences with the same piece of gear.
Yes we music lovers and audiophiles do buy new gear over time and enjoy sharing our experiences. I liked my 2170 over the 4.5 years I owned one. I now own a wonderful new Circle Labs A200 that I am enjoying greatly. As the years go by audiophiles do move on and buy new gear.