I have heard a bunch of the sub 2k DAC's since I was in that market. I wanted balanced since my Ayre is balanced. Most under 1k aren't balanced. I thought that most of the sub 1k DACs didn't do piano correctly. Too digital for my ears and my system. The MH is just right for the money. Even the RCA out with the tube sounds great. most folks with this price DAC don't have ultra high rez systems and they can often be too tizzy on top. The MH was one of the only DAC's I heard that was more analog like. I heard the top Shitt system and was unimpressed. It was just ok to me. What some pass as high rez, often times is just digital distortion on the high end and it creates listener fatigue. The MF V90 didn't do much for me other than give me a 15 minute headache. That said, it could have been the system I heard it in, but even the store owner didn't like it. He preferred the MH 25.3 which he had just picked up. Roy Hall has always offered you more for your money. My DAC is in a 10k plus system. I feel that digital is about to change dramatically and I don't want to much wrapped up in products that will lose their value greatly over the next few years, so a new 500 DAC made sense to me. That's just me. I also heard the Cambridge vs the MH DAC's side by side and it was no contest. I have heard all of these DAC's on speakers that were in the 5-10k range and with top of the line electronics and cables set up properly. Some DACS just sound digital to me (most). I leave it on all the time an it's fun to listen again. I spend hours a day listening now.
