@ Germanium & ROBSCIX, thanks for the comments. Indeed you are correct regarding software attenuation, but that is assuming all audio to be 16-bit. Although that is true with the majority of audio, higher bitrates are increasingly being used, and then software attenuation becomes a problem...

Dear all, Since the Essence ST's performance is finally good enough to compete with serious component hi-fi, I'm taking the plunge to replace my Meridian setup. However, I think there are still a few areas where the ST can be improved, but despite hundreds of postings & threads it seems...