432 EVO

Well, this seals it. Juan posted a direct reply on his own site: 

Short, but he makes the point. At least to me.

"Why someone in their right mind would pay $5,500 for this vs. a few hundred dollars on a NUC?" "The short answer is for the sound."

"Moreover, prior to the arrival of the 432 EVO, my system, anchored by the Schiit Audio Yggdrasil OG DAC, Pass Labs XP-12 preamplifier, X150.8 amp, Straight Wire reference cabling, and Usher Mini Dancer 2 loudspeakers, has never sounded better."

Seems like he's saying his system never sounded better with it, and also , it depends what you will be satisfied with

"But bottom line, the 432 EVO yielded a more organic, natural sound to vocals and instruments when playing in the 432 Hz mode. Now, at 440 Hz, the differences were negligible. So, if you like that added warmth and other pleasant qualities that 432 Hz imparts on the signal enough to warrant the purchase, and you have the funds, then definitely! If not, keep your money. Let’s face it: some people--even some reviewers--prefer 440 Hz. That’s not a bad thing."

Seems like he’s saying that his system never sound better with the EVO in place, and then , if you don’t want the benefits of 432 then you may not want to spend the money. Guess one needs to decide what he/she is after

Audiotroy’s touting his product as the European champion is purely based on wishful thinking: it’s virtually unheard of over here (I know both the UK and German markets well) whereas Innuos is an acknowledged market leader here. The whole idea of digitally changing the original tuning of an audiophile recording from 440 to 432Hz disqualifies him as a serious audiophile in my mind.

Thanks @thyname for hunting down that article.  That does make it clear.  If you're looking for a more organic, analog sound; try the 432.  It MAY be worth $5500 to you.  If that's not something you're looking for, an Intel NUC is probably all you need, according to Juan anyway..  As always, YMMV.

As for the 432 vs 440 tuning, that's a whole other can of worms that has been debated for centuries.  It appears that some people will like it, even with the extra digital processing it requires, and some people won't.