I also bought one at $263. I already owned several Mini's and knew and liked the native software. The Ultra does so many things well....great DAC, full EQ, solid bass management, and the tiny screen is nice on my desktop (it wouldn't work across the room, but it's good 24" away from me.) Satisfying buy and an easy recommend.
Update: The internal DAC is fine, but I prefer the sound of an external Schiit DAC connected via optical. The EQ and bass management are fantastic.