4.5

When I plug my headphones in, I can clearly hear how coloured they are (HD650s). I love the features of the unit. I could not be happier. I'm a mastering engineer and this makes much more sense for critical listening with confidence that if you hear something weird it's not in the monitoring path but in the original audio. I use Barefoot MM45 monitors in a fairly treated room. I am now considering upgrading the HD650s to HS800s so I can also take advantage of the beautiful headphone amp. My only wish would be for the unit to have more channels available on the USB interface from the DAW- I would have loved to monitor pairs of channels directly through the USB interface, to monitor original audio vs. mastered audio vs. reference audio. This can be done of course, using the ADAT inputs or other I/O and digital connexions, but I just wish it could all have been possible through the USB driver. Other than that I'm thrilled.

4.5

And that's not even taking into account the brilliant interface, the real-time SPL meter and the fact that it doesn't weigh 30 kg! I can see on the horizon an upgrade to the full version?once I've liquidated those hi-fi preamps.

5.0

The x-feed feature for headphones to emulate how your ears hear the sound of speakers in a room has turned out to be a very useful thing, as well as the ability to solo each speaker, and the 'left minus right' mode. The unit is endlessly customizable and can be calibrated for any preference or set up. The optional infrared remote capability is fantastic, almost every function can be controlled remotely with a Logitech Harmony Smart remote (or the app and your smartphone) - including talkback activation. Well worth the extra cost if you're not always sitting next to the wired remote!

Obviously the most important thing here is how it sounds....and this thing sounds fantastic! The DAC is incredible - it doesn't seem to colour the sound in any way (as you would want when mixing or mastering), but is incredibly detailed and clear. The headphone amp is also top quality, and powerful enough for any type of headphones. The USB computer input is great for streaming high quality music from the computer, even streaming music from the internet sounds a LOT better - making it more useful for referencing when needed. I have yet to try the DSD streaming mode, but am definitely interested to hear the differences there. I also noticed an improvement in the sound of my turntable using the unbalanced input directly from my phono amp. I don't think anyone will have any complaints about the sound quality here. I've heard similarly priced units from Crane Song and Dangerous, this is easily on par with those.

Grace Design as a company have been very helpful with any inquiries I've had, and they stand behind their product with a transferable 5 year warranty....which to my knowledge none of the competitors have.

If you're in the market for a great sounding DAC/monitor controller, this unit is well worth your consideration. The positive reviews for the M905 drew me to it initially, and I'm very happy I decided to go this way!