[sonicxtc]

Yulong DA8 Dac + headphone + pre-amplifier. $675.
Mint condition. Original Box and manual. Unit performs flawlessly.

The Yulong DA8 is supremely capable, among the absolute best DACs I've yet heard, pricing be damned.

--John Grandberg, writer for head-fi (aka Project86), parttimeaudiophile.com, innerfidelity.com, headphone.guru and more.
review Posted 7/19/13   

This was strongly recommended to me in a PM by a well respected AC member and I've really enjoyed my time with it, but I'm reconfiguring my system. Given that he uses and Aurilac that is a hearty recommendation.

I've owned this for about a year and it is a stellar performer. There are numerous rave reviews including head-fi's very own Project86's in-depth report [Love his reviews on head-fi, parttimeaudiophile and elsewhere aka John Grandberg]. Excerpts below.
This is worth the retail price ($1390) just for the dac. But, the headphone output is also a serious piece of gear (as confirmed by the reviews). Having a built in pre-amp is great, too. I tried amp direct from dac and liked the results.

Please go here for a clearer easier to read post:
I will update with pix, soon. Thank you.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/798598/yulong-da8-dac-dac-headphone-pre-amp-amanero-usb-pcm-dsd-almost-all-files
which also shows my feedback rating. I have perfect feedback on 4 audio sites.
 
Excellent condition from a pet free, smoke free, child free, music filled home.
Great as a dac, excellent headphone output and can even work as a pre-amp. I used the pre-amp
function out of curiosity and it is actually extremely good.
Note: This also plays DSD!
Inputs. It has usb input, coaxial input, optical input and AES input.
It also has XLR Balanced outputs as well as SE.
It does almost everything, except wash windows.
110 volt switchable to 220 volt.
Detachable power cord.
This DAC does NOT utilize the 5v power leg of your usb cable! So, you can avoid any of the potential noise generated by the 5v computer power.
I tried it with a ifi dual headed Gemini and that's a superb combo.
32 bit/384 khz
DSD including DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 and DSD512
phase inversion button...change phase on the fly
slow/fast filter...modest sound tweak
jitter reduction filter...adjustable on/off. I mostly bypassed it.
input switch, volume control, headphone jack (1/4")
Volume control can by used for EITHER headphone or a volume control/pre-amp. Adjustable by button.
 
Glowing review by our own Project86. Excerpts below:

"Pros: Sound! Smooth and seductive, slightly forgiving but extremely detailed, DSD capable up to DSD512, excellent headphone section"
 
The USB input is separate board from Amanero Technologies, called the Combo384. This is a new board which is creating something of a stir in the DIY community due to its high performance and low price. Several knowledgeable DIY folks have mentioned to me that they get the best results using XMOS and Amanero USB solutions, with the latter being significantly less expensive than the former. I speculate this choice is part of the reason why Yulong could build a device of this caliber yet keep the price low. It can accept PCM signals as high as 32-bit/384kHz (DXD tracks). It can also do DSD including DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 and DSD512
 
 
CONCLUSION
What else can I possibly say? This review has gone on way too long already. The Yulong DA8 is supremely capable, among the absolute best DACs I've yet heard, pricing be damned. The headphone amp is good enough to be a serious tool rather than a mere bonus feature, and all the other features add up to make it quite the compelling device. But don't be fooled - the heart of the DA8 is excellent sound quality, and all the features are just a bonus. It would stand on its own, and justify the price, even as a pure DAC with no extras. I'd happily put the DA8 up against any sanely priced DAC and expect it to have a good chance of coming out on top. Once again Yulong comes highly recommended.

END of Excerpt. 
 
If you're serious about trying one of the best sub-$1500 dacs, then PM me. These sold for $1400 new.
$695 + shipping + ppl if you use paypal.
 
Condition = like new. Looks flawless to me. Pix on request. [This looks great, so I don't know what a photo will add, but I'll send them if you wish].
 
Color = black.
Original box, manual, etc.
 
EXCERPT from sound obsessive review
Conclusion

The DA8 is one of those few DAC’s which I consider “worth of its price”. This is something I almost never say, but it sounds better than most (if not all) the units in its price range.
It is very capable of making music, sounding toe-tapping, has super strong dynamics. It can ask for some trade-offs, namely, not using super aggressive headphones (like Audio-Technica AD2000 or Grado), but they are minor. In exchange, it offers a very involving, addictive sound, good tone with high degree of detail retrieval.
The headphone amplifier and preamplifier functions are well implemented. The amplifier isn’t for all kinds of headphones, but it is very listenable. I have heard several other integrated headphone amps (within a dac/amp combo) that sound much inferior to this one.
Probably, I would want something better than the integrated headphone amp to enjoy the DA8 dac fully, and I would also want to use a high end headphone, and pay separately for a high end amplifier for it. In any case, even if I weren’t using the amplifier section, I would consider the purchase well worth the money, since the dac alone, along with its usb input, high quality single-ended and balanced output, DSD compatibility and connectivity deliver more than I would have expected in the price range.

 
EXCERPT from Earmass review
 

Final Verdict

DSD format/SACD will be primary source of audio files in the near future, there is no question here. You can actually finding some DSD capable DAC in the audio market now, from the sky high price until those is considered cheap. DA8 came ahead of his competitors with exceptional price point (Although I really hope Yulong Audio can make something with Coaxial/AES DSD capable DAC in future) and features. I can’t really say much except recommended it with full 5 stars, if you are searching for a capable and future-proof DAC for your audio system, get this and you will hardly regret, the built in amplifier is good enough for most of the listeners, so try it first before you venture a pairing with DA8.

 
The following is from website:
Here's some info and spec's from the Yulong website:
Specification:
THD+N less than 0.0003%, dynamic > 130dB, Idle noise 1.5uV
USB supports 32bit, 384KHz PCM signal
DSD native support
5 different filter mode
Invertible phase
Jitter eliminator switch
Filter, phase, jitter control switch. Different style of sound under different combination
High precision bandwidth-auto-set DPLL
80 steps volume control
Single/Balanced pre-amplifier output
Balanced pre-amplifier output with driver, can be used as balanced headphone amplifier
Work as pure DAC when headphone amplifier and pre-amplifier circuit turned off
Class A single end headphone amplifier
TFT LED display. Easy operate. 80% dim after 5 seconds
Auto-save configuration
Thickened aluminum case. Aluminum button, volume knob and feet
100v-240v global voltage range
 
 
Yulong has many years of experience in ESS9018 design. By using audio analyzer and spectrum analyzer for signal integrity, electromagnetic compatibility and audio performance tests, in combination of newly designed controlling software, Yulong developed flexible operating, fully functional high performance DAC - SABRE DA8.
 

The main focus is on adjusting timbre of SABRE DA8. The process of tuning was completed by Yulong’s acoustic team (Based on few experienced audiophiles). The DA8 not only provide large dynamic, but also delicate details. The mid-low is full and majestic, whereas the mid-high is soft and delicate. Overall, its natural and balanced sound is suitable for various style of music.
 
DA8 includes ESS9018 as DAC chip, AD797*5 for voltage reference and low pass filter. OPA1632*2 for buffer and preamplifier output. Headphone amplifier is base on diamond buffer circuit. ON audio transistor pair output. Also DA8 includes short circuit protection. The Canadian Plitron high quality transformer, LT1129/LT3021 and WIMA capacitor provide pure power supply for ESS9018. For analog circuit power supply, Panasonic FC, VISHAY BC046, WIMA MKS2, NPO capacitors were selected to provide outstanding performance and natural listening experience.
 
 
USB input uses customized Combo384 chip which co-designed by Italian Amanero and Yulong. It supports DSD and PCM for formats up to  32Bit/384KHz under Mac OS X, Linux and Windows.
 
All functions are controlled by software operating system. 2.4 inch color LED display shows the status. Dimming is enabled after 5 seconds with no operation. The unit automatic saves user settings. User friendly interface provides control for 5 different filter mode and inverse phase to produce different styles. 80 steps volume adjustment for pre amplifier output to connect to powered speakers. Under pure DAC mode direct connect to power amplifier provides even better quality sounds. It bypasses the volume control circuit and turns off the power supply to headphone amplifier to work as a pure DAC.
 
Multi-stage digital buffer and shaping circuit can optimize the quality of digital signal. Low phase-noise high-precision crystal oscillator as master clock, bandwidth-auto-set DPLL,switchable jitter eliminator are used to lock and optimized bad signal before decoding. Signals of high quality can be by-passed to obtain better performance.
 
Stretch forming aluminum case, thicken material, small size design (250*180*60mm) detailed surface processing. (Size matches Yulong SABRED series products, e.g. SABRE A18 headphone amplifier and SABRE A10 amplifier).
Refined aluminum volume knob, push button and shock absorber feet give smoother feel.

Technical  Specifications :
USB Input format support: PCM 16-32bit 44.1Khz 48Khz 88.2Khz 96Khz 176.4Khz 192Khz 352.8Khz 384Khz DSD64,DSD128 - On Windows DSD256,DSD512
Operating system support Mac OSX  Linux with UAC2 compliant kernel.
KS/Wasapi/WDM/ASIO Drivers for MS OS XP to Win8 32-64bit
Inputs: Optical, Coaxial, AES/EBU:16-24Bit,44.1-192KHZ
SNR: -135dB.
Dynamic Range: >130dB.
THD+N: 0.0002%
Frequency Response: 20-30KHz-0.2dB
Crosstalk -135dB
balancedOutput level:4.2V
Headphone amplifier output power: 600Ω：70mw    300Ω：150mw  150Ω：280mw  32Ω：1W     
Power consumption: <30W.
size: 250*180*60mm.
weight: 2.5Kg