I have yet to receive my copy of the July issue, so I can't really comment at this time. From the posts thus far, it would appear that JA truly did a number on the DAC64. I'm rather disappointed, since I've been waiting at least three months for his review, which was hinted at in some of the coverage of one of the audio shows earlier this year. (We all like to have our opinions propped up, regardless of the source.) I had just purchased a DAC64 and was interested in getting opinions from some of the self-proclaimed "experts", so I emailed JA to try and get some preview of his review, to no avail. He did say that his first sample had a defect, requiring a replacement for the completion of the review. I found this interesting, since I, too, had a problem with the first unit I bought, ser. no. 5063. The dealer replaced the defective unit with ser. no. 5100, and I've had no further difficulty. ("...no further difficulty" does Chord a disservice! I've found the unit to be a wonderful addition to my system!)
I'll wait until I've had a chance to read the review to comment further. Suffice it to say for now that I've found the DAC64 to be a salvation, allowing me truly to enjoy CD sound for the first time. Admittedly, my experience with separate transport/DAC combos is quite limited. I can't, however, imagine how anyone can have much in the way of negative comments regarding what I consider a remarkable
piece of equipment. I suspect there is much truth in the comments of others in this thread concerning paid advertising, etc. I would imagine my beloved SoundLab A3s have been totally ignored for lo these many years for the same reason. To which I say: "So what?"
As far as qualifications of so-called "professionals" are concerned, I've felt for a long time that the ONLY difference between "us" and "them" is the fact that "they" have much greater access to equipment than "we" could ever hope for. "They" put their pants on one leg at a time, same as the rest of us. BFD
Stay tuned.
Jim