The DA8 has a very visceral and exciting/emotionally engaging sound to me. Difficult to make any early conclusions on. Definitely a unique sound.
I might have degraded my ability to make a valuable comparative judgement of this DAC due to my recent (3 weeks) change from the LCD 2.3 to the LCD 3. Even though it has been 3 weeks, the LCD 3 is different enough from the LCD2.3 (despite what I was expecting) that I might not have become accustomed to it to the extent that I can subtract the headphone change from my impressions of the DA8 as compared to the Hilo (my current flagship). That being said, the DA8 seems very “exciting” and “invigorating” to listen to. It definitely puts a smile on my face.
I feel the DA8 does an extraordinary job on the DSD files. It also kicks ass with DXD files. Please "do" try this material with the DA8 if you get the chance. In this context (DSD) it might even rival the Hilo (on DSD 64, Hilo does not do DSD 128 or DXD). So far I have set my DA8 only to “sharp” filter mode and “bypass” on jitter eliminator. No doubt different settings will influence the sound of the DA8. There are enough options to play with that it could take a while to settle down with an "final" opinion on the DA8. Also, I have not even tried the HP out. I doubt I will for a while as this capability is of no concern to me.
Quick Hilo comparison: When I listen to the Hilo I hear nothing. It makes me forget I have a DAC. It seems to have no specific "character" type of influence on the sound and at the same time is relaxing and soothing to listen to while oozing detail, texture any layers of sound. What exactly these two DACs do with those details is where they diverge. The Hilo, IMHO, just plays them as they were laid down. The DA8 makes you get excited about them. I hope this makes some sort of sense. I can’t yet say which is better.
The DA8 is a supercar. No doubt I am not putting this into words properly. Take no serious impressions away from my words here. These are still early impressions.
The Hilo sounds perfect in my 2 channel system. The synergy of the Hilo in my tube/SS class A, bi amped 2 channel system is a match made in heaven (not that I have been there). It will be a while yet before I can try the DA8 in my 2 channel set up. Based on initial impressions, and speculating a bit I guess, if I were to play music for friends (non audiophile) with the intent to impress, the DA8 would be my DAC of choice. If I had a seasoned audiophile over, I would probably need to play both DACs to show off my both my HP or 2 channel system. Do you want to arrive at destination via Ferrari or a Royals Royce? Two distinct rides, neither of which is likely to disappoint. IMHO, only personal preference could decide the winner.
I lack the exposure to enough DACs to give any sort of broad perspective on the DA8. So far though, be sure you are wearing a seat belt before you take the DA8 for a drive.