My primary front end is a Galibier TT.
Because I found myself listening mostly to vinyl, I thought that selling my Wadia 861 was a wise decision especially since PC Audio was in its neophyte stage, leaving "standard" digital payback hardware with good trade-in value.
I purchased a Wavelength Brick Silver, and a MacBook for essentially the re-sale value of my Wadia.
I didn't suffer sonically. I turned a transport and DAC into a portable computer and DAC. The former I can use for functions other than audio. What's not to like?
The convenience is another plus, albeit, secondary. But having instant access to my complete audio collection has been a blast! Much more fun than I could have ever imagined.
I suggest auditioning a good USB DAC system comparing it to the stand alones, and see what you think. Digital only folks may prefer this setup. But for vinyl + digital folks like me, it's a hard combination to beat, especially if one is in need of a laptop -- talk about multitasking.
BTW, I second all the positive comments regarding Wavelength and Gordon. I've never met him, only had discussions via e-mail, but he's been very helpful and his digital and other electronics -- especially SET's -- are superb.