I was a little skeptical but after having used it a few months now... all I can say is this is a great DAC and a must have. Even at the retail price, its a steal. If you are thinking of using a PC in an audio system or just want better audio quality from your MAC Book, this is the low cost solution.

Technically unimpressive but real world performance is excellent. It's powerful and expressive. I want to say it leans toward the warm side and highs are little rolled off but detail is still present. Its probably designed to not fatigue ears siding on the side of being less analytical. It has a fuller warmer sound which I prefer personally and pairs well with lower end gear which tend to be thin sounding. Headphone amp section is pretty decent too.... works well enough with my Grado SR60s. Overall a great all around performer and far exceeds any expectations I have of a budget DAC. Super happy with my setup... doesn't play super loud but refined enough to satisfy my taste. This is a fun product and works wonders.

My system (in my study):
MAC Book
Grado SR60 headphones
Mission 731i bookshelf speakers
AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cables
MIT AVT1 interconnects
Trend TA10.1 digital amplifier