Mojo Audio Mystique EVO

The DAC's price basically TRIPLES when full optioned. It'd better sound 35% or thereabouts better for that kind of scratch.

A review of the Mystique EVO:

Audiophillia - Mojo Mystique EVO DAC

My EVO arrives this afternoon.  I'll post some feedback soon.

Look forward to reading your impressions. If your experience is as with my basic (no upgrade) version, it will keep getting even better with break-in as Benjamin suggested to me it would.

Wish in the review the writer had given some insights between the 3 versions of the EVO

It's now been a little over a week that I've had the EVO. 

Comparing to the v3, I hear improvements in micro details, timing, texture and cohesion. On their own, each of these traits might be small improvements over the v3 - but as a whole, it sums to a significant improvement in realism.  

Right now, I think the biggest improvement is in hearing small details around instrument and vocal vibrations and resonance - all with subtlety and dynamics.   The EVO creates incredibly organic and natural music - that on some recordings is little spooky.  They are in the room.

While my amp and speakers have a reputation as being a very good value, they certainly wouldn't be considered "hi-end" by many.  But even in my modest system, I'm extremely pleased with the upgrade to the EVO.

I hear the very same improvements. The top to bottom perfect balance and every frequency in proper and right balance is something this dac really excels at. My music never sounds loud anymore. No matter how much I turn it up the music sounds right and never loud. It grows and swells filling the space and I can feel the impact, but it never sounds pushed or “loud”.