I have heard the 650D and thought it was one sweet machine. Forget about Stereophile ratings- they are meaningless. Everything gets recommended and are distinguished between different classes based on price. Trust your ears! FWIW, I also think Sim's lower priced digital gear is also tops. In the old days if something wasn't so good, Stereophile just said so. Now you have to read between the lines.
Has anyone heard the SimAudio 650D?
About 6 months ago Michael Fremer reviewed the 650D in Stereophile and apparently preferred it to his Playback Designs player. Yet the 650D is placed in the B category in Stereophile's most recent rankings, while the Playback Designs is in the A listings. Very strange....has anyone heard the 650D and compared it to some of the elite players?