Why compare this AIO to a standalone DAC? You get a nice PCM1794 DAC, HRT MSII+ uses one and cost nearly as much as this whole unit. Built-in amplifier with plenty of power and a head-amp which you can manipulate with different OP Amps not to mention a nice selection of in/out-puts in a small form factor that can be used anywhere unlike PCI/e with it's noisy power which is surrounded by the EMI. Until one is heard there's no point in comparison really.

Oh dear, $400 :P

Why compare this AIO to a standalone DAC? You get a nice PCM1794 DAC, HRT MSII+ uses one and cost nearly as much as this whole unit. Built-in amplifier with plenty of power and a head-amp which you can manipulate with different OP Amps not to mention a nice selection of in/out-puts in a small form factor that can be used anywhere unlike PCI/e with it's noisy power which is surrounded by the EMI. Until one is heard there's no point in comparison really.

Because 399 can also gets you a Audio-GD NFB11 as well which is a external dac amp as well the NFB15 which is cheaper and also has muiti input's and Muiti outputs. Which was the point I was making, if one need the gaming functions they can just use the exist sound card they have rather it's Asus Xonar, or a old X-Fi and Or X-FI MB3 if onboard audio supports it use optical and get the best of both worlds. Which some people actually do like me with the omni I got cheap, or the Xonar DGX that I had.

Who buys this crap? For that price you can get really good dac without all that marketing bull****. Really - what you can say about "professional/top" product with features like this: CrystalVoice FX allows users to morph their voice into different characters (male, female, orc, alien, elderly, robot, scrappy kid, and more) in games, chats, phone and video calls, and recordings

How do you get surround sound with just a dac? Your just speaking from an audiophile's point of view. They are trying to please a wide range of people,its not just aimed at onr group. Dacs, amps are aimed at one group.