@soix - Sorry to drag this out but comparing six different DACs takes more time than I allotted! It might have been better (certainly easier) to compare two of them and then two more, and then two more, and then the three that I liked most and then the three I liked least. However, unlike a playoff, the goal is not to pick a "winner," but rather to simply report observations. I did post a picture of five of the DACs on my system page. The Mojo Audio Mystique X SE NCZ is not in my system right now as I do not have room, so I will move it in later.
A couple of early observations would include that they all sound good, just different. There is not a single one of the six that I couldn't live with in my system, but I do like several better than the others. My preferences are most likely related to the music I listen to and the sonic preferences I prefer from my system. In my previous post, when I talked about liking a richer tone than I was getting from the Metrum Acoustics DACs, in general, the six DACs here do provide that.
Another observation is that IMO the professional reviews of these DACs accurately portray what I am hearing - mostly. I would say there are embellishments and, as well, there are times you must read between the lines or pick-up on subtleties within the review but, in general, I would say the reviews are accurate. The specific SMc Audio DAC-2 that I have here has not actually been reviewed, but the previous "Ultra DAC" iteration received an extremely positive (almost too much so) review years ago at 6moons. While constructed from the same platform, the DAC-2 that I have here is different, and is supposed to sound better.
When I get down to discussing my specific observations and comparisons, I do not intend to reinvent the wheel and will probably quote some of those existing reviews.
I will also share that I really wanted to like the Merason but didn't like it so well at first. However, the more I listened, the more I liked it and now, even if it doesn't turn out to be my favorite, I do find it hard to switch to something else. It is just so easy to listen to and displays this rich sounding musicality on just about every type of music I throw its way. It is also absolutely unflappable, regardless of how hard you push it.