Robert Harley is the editor and one of the chief reviewers of The Absolute Sound. He's recently reviewed the Spectral SDR-4000 CD player, and the AlphaDAC, and raved about both, finding the $17K Spectral perhaps very slightly better on CD playback. (If you read the TAS review of the Spectral, there are technical notes which strongly suggest the Spectral uses some kind of minimum phase filter, like the 808.2 - and the AlphaDAC likely does as well).

RH says (on the AVGuide.com forum, the forum for TAS) that TAS is getting an 808.2 or 2i for Sue Kraft (who raved over the original 808) to review, and he's planning to listen to that unit after she's done. I'd say, based on hearing (and buying) equipment that he's reviewed recently (AlphaDAC, Magico V3) that Robert's ears are very reliable.

861v?, MBL 116/111/121, McIntosh amps, music server, Oppo/switch-box 980 SACD/DVD