I've lived with mine for a little over 2 months and I'm pleased to say that it's met or exceeded my expectations in every way. Up front, I'm a fan of the McIntosh house sound. I have this unit teamed with a Mac MA6600 integrated and a pair of vintage DCM TimeWindows 1A. Simply stated, this is the most analogue sounding piece of digital equipment I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Absent is any trace of harshness or brilliance that I'd come to associate with CDs yet the detail and absolute lack of noise remain. I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time, I'm happy with the way my CDs sound compared to my LPs. SACDs sound incredible but this machine really shines in Red book playback. Couple this with the MCD500's ability to accept 2 external digital inputs to play through it's amazing DAC set and yes, I say you have something special.
