I'm baffled that several Rotel dealers (apparently even a factory rep employee) admitted that the old 855 sounds better than the recent 951, 971 series! What's going on here? I understand the newer transport's cheaper-Asian, but aren't newer DACS supposed to swamp 10 yr old ones? So far I prefer my 855 to an ARCAM 9, Audio Refinement, and, in some ways, to the Bel Canto/DVD setup IN MY SYSTEM! Don't get me wrong...I still think the top end is insufficiently resolved, but it's clear that the road to improvement is not simple! Happy holidays to all.
