Could there be a Skylab reference in there?
I liked your review very much myself Monkey. The DAC that Naaman is building me (Buffalo32) also uses the Sabre chip, although it's the ES9018. I also like a kind of forward, punchy midbase, so it'll be interesting to see how the Buffalo32 sounds. Of coarse my K1000 is already tilted toward that type of presentation, and my β22 is pretty neutral, so we'll have to wait and see. I have no idea what my Pass F5 clone's signature is yet, so that may add to the mix.
A very good read though my friend. And it makes me look forward to auditioning my new DAC all the more.