Aesthetix ROMULUS THE GIANT KILLER !

The Absolute Sound Prouduct of the Year (January 2015) and The Absolute Sound Golden Ear Award (September 2014): ROMULUS digital-to-analog converter and CD transport, "This
all-tubed CD player and DAC is one of the greatest bargains in high-end
audio today. What makes the Romulus special is that it sounds so
"un-digital," particularly at this price. Rather than sounding flat and
congealed, the Romulus opens up the spatial presentation and gives
instruments and voices room to breathe. The player has an expansive
quality along with a sense of top-octave air and openness. The tonal
balance is rich and warm in the bass, which, coupled with the treble
smoothness, results in an immediately engaging and fatigue-free
presentation. The Romulus doesn't sound "tubey" in the classic sense,
but neither does it sound like solid-state. The design and build-quality
are beyond what's expected at this price. If you have no analog
sources, the Romulus can serve as a preamplifier and DAC with multiple
digital inputs, provided you purchase the variable-output option
($1000). Thanks to an innovative hybrid analog/digital volume-control,
there's no loss of resolution no matter what the volume setting." -Robert Harley