Early 2017. Got mine in February from Moon Audio, new click wheel, Moon Audio were very helpful in confirming that.
Regarding your original question. I came to the QP1R from an iBasso DX-90. There were several reasons, but a big one is that over the years I owned the DX-90, as I also listened to a lot more music on capable non-portable headphone systems, I started getting tired of the ESS Sabre treble "glare." The QP1R's sound is neutral without glare. It might feel a bit clinical to some, but that's how I like my sound in general. I've used my QP1R with IEMs, Etymotic ER4PT and now InEar ProPhile 8. Again, reference sound rather than more colored bass-heavy or "romantic" sound.
Two other things that sold me on the QP1R were the two microSD slots (I have lots of music) and its relatively small size. I don't particularly like the user interface, but it is not a deal breaker for me because I mostly listen to individual albums.
So, if I lost my QP1R
I'd likely get another one, as nothing I've seen reviewed in the last year meets the trifecta: 1) neutral sound, 2) high capacity, 3) small size, regardless of price. For instance, the high-end Sony DAPs are either limited in capacity (128GB) or super big&heavy(&expensive).