I plan to do some serious listening early next week. I've had it burning in over 200 hours now so it should be good to go.
Before this DAC arrived, I had committed to a DIY project of building the Buffalo DAC. It has the sound I like at a price I can afford. I may compare Rich's already-completed one to see how it compares... but it is of little value since very few have heard Rich's implementation of the Buffalo.
Also, Shane lent me an AMR DAC to listen to... and is still burning in.. It is a voluptuous sounding DAC but is detailed.
There is not going to be a 'best and worst' as I compare what comes through the soundroom over the next week.
Even my Scott Nixon sounds "good" to me... it's just what flavors all of these are. We're also talking major price differences... 5,k for the AMR vs. 1,k for the EE. The difference is in the artfulness of the presentation. The EE is more of a straight line, with all details presented correctly. Wheras the AMR breaks them apart and builds something else in front of you. My Scott Nixon shifts your focus to the heart and soul of the music with warmer mid tones and laid back details in the highs... but with limited bass extension.
I will say I'm most impressed with the bass detail of the EE DAC+ overall.. it's punchy and articulate. Of what I've heard, that's where it stands out above the rest.
These are just initial impressions, I'll post more later after I've spent more time... and time is what it takes to really let these things sink in...
-C