Having signed up for the MDAC2 project via this forum about 6 years ago. I sold on my MDAC + LPS a couple of years ago and have tried a couple of stop-gap DACs without going all in and making a serious investment. I always expected the MDAC2/FDAC was just around the corner and kept my money ready in anticipation it would be well worth it and cost north of 1K-(GPB) and become my long-term DAC solution.
I've been closely following the JW threads here and on FB where I try to be supportive. Like many here waiting patiently, I want to move my Digital playback SQ to the next level. if I can and believe the DAC in my system maybe a bottleneck. I've been very intrigued by some of the more recent posts about these new Chinese DACs. The SMSL M400, Soncoz SGD1 and Topping D90 which are all well respected here and on ASR, they're also in that tanatalising price bracket where a punt may be affordable. It may be less of a punt than I think as most are now available from Amazon, so a home comparison (with say 2) may be easy; returning for a full refund if not impressed a real proposition.
But then there is the R2R ladder architecture as promised in the MDAC2/FDAC and brought down to a reasonable cost by Denafrips. I wish Denafrips would send out a loan units as I'm hesitant to take a punt based on the online reviews, which are mostly glowing of course. My taste in presentation is definitly for the 'analogue sound', 'digital glare' from my first CD player a Linn Karik and then a Genki actually put me off music and HiFi for over 5 years without me noticing, I was sold the Linn's on the basis: this is the true sound, vinyl is 'coloured', you'll adjust in time. The original MDAC was my first foray into file based music and while it was good the 'digital glare' was there and my music listening sessions became shorter and shorter as with CD.
Now Brab (post 1175, two above) believes the MDAC is as good, if not better than the Soncoz!! Well that's thrown a spanner in the works for me, as I now regard the MDAC as a poor performer and could never live with it's digital flat sound that would fatigue me within minutes.
I don't know how to get a proper listen/Demo, ideally at home in my system to an R2R or some of these Chip based DACs, I guess I need to wait until someone starts selling Denafrips on Amazon. On the other hand, maybe, just maybe, the FDAC will come around the corner very soon and my cash reserves may be used up on another DAC. It's a quandary I'm quietly struggling with.