FWIW:
The Dodson 217 Mark 2 D DAC that I own is fantastic. The new (and improved) Dodson 218 flagship, which is pricey, is claimed by Ralph Dodson to have essentially duplicated the analog experience, if I'm paraphrasing him correctly. I obviously can't say for sure, but in talking to him on the phone, his laconic, no nonsense conversation style would suggest that he's not at all the type of guy who's prone to hyperbole. Pretty terse, matter of fact, and believable.
The Dodson 217 Mark 2 D DAC that I own is fantastic. The new (and improved) Dodson 218 flagship, which is pricey, is claimed by Ralph Dodson to have essentially duplicated the analog experience, if I'm paraphrasing him correctly. I obviously can't say for sure, but in talking to him on the phone, his laconic, no nonsense conversation style would suggest that he's not at all the type of guy who's prone to hyperbole. Pretty terse, matter of fact, and believable.