Does it have that fatiguing Sabre 'glare' found on entry-level price Sabre stuff ?

No, I do not find the sound fatiguing and am rather sensitive to treble. That being said I guess it is also dependent on the implementation.

Excellent review Boris, I found it easy to read and very imformative! I have the HD600 too, will pair the D with an Asgard 2 and see how that goes! Have you had any issues with drivers or any problems with installation of the unit? Reason I ask is that I have the U2 and sometimes I have to reinstall it but other than that it works and sounds fine!

Hello Volly, on Mac OS X the DAC works without any drivers and is plug-and-play. I do not use it with Windows but I saw HiFime list drivers for the D at the bottom of the product description. If would be nice to hear what you think of the 9018D/HD600 combo!  Don't know what the maximum input voltage of an Asgard 2 is but watch out as the 9018D already packs some power.  With the system volume and digital volume both at max my S.M.S.L amp started clipping now and then.

"If you are going to use your DAC to feed an amp with volume controI I suggest looking into the regular HiFime 9018."
 
Any reason (besides looking better than the regular) to pick the D version if I am feeding the DAC to an amp with volume control?

The PCM filter Fast/Slow roll-off option is a nice addition to the D version. It alters the sound in the high frequency spectrum and you can choose which one suits you best. Also the regular version can get quite hot and although mine still works perfect I do wonder if this will influence longevity...

Thanks, I guess I'll be set on getting the D version then.

Mine does not retain the screen brightness setting after adjustment..it just goes back to the lowest setting when playback starts...