Weiss 501 DAC

The single phrase describing the experience is 'completely involving'.

i really really like my dac501 --- great sound, great ergonomics, great features, all around a top notch package, simply beyond reproach

I’ve had mine now for a few days. Usually I’d wait a while to post any opinions and will post again after a while, but I have to say this DAC is unusual in that it is truly transformative with regards to my system. I’ve owned a lot of good DACs and CD players and they all have sounded more similar than different.  This one is different, the whole system seems elevated to a higher notch which is something I’ve never experienced with a front end. It’s definitely not a $5k DAC with Swiss pricing…. Very positive initial impression. Clean, clear, precise, controlled, smooth and musical are initial thoughts.

The Weiss 501 DAC is a gamer in any arena. Any quest for the foreseeable future suspended as this piece simply transforms everything around it. It has not revealed any shortcomings, it simply effectively organizes the participants into cohesive reproduction. In my estimation I did not overpay for Swiss engineering, design and manufacture.

Agree with the other owner thoughts in this thread (clean, clear, dynamic). I listened this morning to the Weiss 501, Igor Levit's Piano Sonata No. 30 (Beethoven), which I just heard Levit play at Carnegie the other week. No stereo is going to match Carnegie acoustics, but in terms of musical engagement, the Weiss is delivering. I agree with the Stereophile review's comment to the effect that it's as if you're looking at a picture that just has more pixels -- that's what's giving you the additional musical detail, not artificially upping the contrast settings on the picture. 

Love the small form factor as well -- ergonomics on this are perfect, as I personally don't want a hulking 20+ lb. box for a DAC.