Warning: China-Hifi-Audio.com

Thanks for letting us know but this is why it is so hard to order on the internet because you run into these types of things.

And here's a friendly warning about PayPal
I have been double billed by Netflix for a year. I contacted Netflix and they refused to acknowledge this - saying I had two subscriptions. Who has two subscriptions to Netflix? Pay Pal denied my claim.

"Try and buy a better DAC than from Matrix Audio (based in Xi'an). Best ESS DAC chip, other parts are top-of-the-line, build quality is perfect, good looking design, all the bells and whistles including balanced connections. My unit even has the ability to take I2S input!  "

Denafrips Terminator!

(I only have Pontus - not rich enough to pay extra for the Terminator).

$595 shipping?
Were then sending it in a taxi?

Well ... I've had my share of warranty and shipping challenges with "democratic society" buying experiences from 'onshore / nearshore / homeland / domestic / major outlet / mainstream / reputable / regulated / covered / insured / serviceable' (whichever descriptor you wish to use) to describe US-based distribution channels, so this is not a region-specific issue. In today's world any purchase that involves the internet and a warehouse is going to face some % of risk, so pandemic or non-pandemic the only variables are supply chain and shipping times.

@calieng Again, my experiences have proven satisfactory so I'm willing to help resolve if necessary.