Anyone have experience with the new ELAC DDP-2?

what do you think about this review on enjoythemusic?

i didnt like it. too much stories about history and too much marketing for other products in the text. 

i can rarely remember a real review ...

I heard this device at the last Axpona driving  Elac speakers with Peter doing the demo and was sufficiently impressed to purchase it and the companion Alchemy amp from Music direct on the spot for a system that has yet to be built.  Am currently temporarily using them for a two channel HT setup and am impressed. Not definitive, but my main system comprises a PS direct stream junior feeding an Ayre KX 5-20 pre feeding 6 channels of Pass amps into a tricked out set of the most recent version of Linkwitz Orion’s.  Point being, the AA/Elac combo punches well above its weight.  It may be possible to do better, but you can certainly do much worse for the money. 

Bumping this thread since I haven't been able to find much on the DDP-2.  

I started back into 2ch at the start of SIP (needed a new hobby) and initially tried out the NAD C658.  Nice unit despite all the critical stuff online about it.  Sounds great;  does a lot;  software is very good.  Of course, in this hobby, many of us chase the dragon for better, clearer, etc.  I demo'd a bunch of different equipment including the DDP-2 and was really impressed.  It sounds amazing for the price and is a clear improvement over the NAD with and without Dirac.  No matter what amp i paired it with, it sang - of course some better than others.  I tried the DPA-2 and I think either something was wrong with it or i had it hooked up wrong because it did not sound great.  Will have to try again.   The amp pairing I liked best was the Benchmark AHB2.  Amazing amounts of clarity, depth and zero fatigue played at any volume for hours.  In a perfect world, it would be 2x Benchmarks bridged but can't justify the $$ for a little extra mid bass.

I would agree with many that it's not a great streamer in the traditional sense.  Doesn't have the flexibility of the NAD by any stretch.  My primary streaming use is Roon which combines 17K+ files with Tidal.  With Roon it's great.  Only slight is the lack of full MQA decoding which Elac customer support tells me is likely a couple of months away via firmware.  

Highly recommend this unit especially if you can find one used.

I am expecting shipment of this unit tomorrow and after many hours of reading and research there is actually very little out there that helps a noob like myself.

I'm comfortable enough with spec at this price point and don't need further discussion regarding how the DDP - 2 compares to other similar devices.

My struggle is with a feature offered that ELAC refers to as a fixed gain output which can be used in a home theater application. I only use stereo for my home theater because it is in the same room as my listening room, and really, I'm okay with watching movies in stereo when the volume is turned up. I'm excited about stepping up to a component for music listening and have no issue understanding connection between the components for that.

Where I keep spinning is integrating with my current AVR. As stated I listen in stereo so am currently using pre outs from AVR L R to amps then speakers.

My reasoning concludes use the AVR pre outs to a set of inputs on the DDP 2 and fiddle with volume controls when watching TV or movies.

The home theater bypass are outputs on the DDP 2. To me it makes little sense that you output to the AVR unless you have a completely separate set of amps and speakers to use when watching TV, movies. The analog output from the DDP 2 is superior to the AVR's so what did ELAC envision with these as outputs? The only information I've gleened is these outputs are very useful but for what?

Hoping someone can talk noob and help me understand how this works.

I am using "Elac Alchemy DDP-2" with Active Speaker "Elac Navis ARB-51" and absolutely pleased with the sound quality.

It excels in every department like Holographic Soundstage, Slightly warmer Midrange, Good Bass performance. 

I wonder why "Elac Alchemy DDP-2" is not as popular as other DAC/Streamers like Lumin-T2. But I think Elac also has a part in it in not providing Firmware updates for enabling MQA and they could have implemented DLNA with Hi-Res capability (Currently supports upto CD Quality Only). Having said that, for someone using Roon, DDP-2 is a strong contender for one of the best DAC/Streamers under $4000.