From everything that I've read, it seems like the M8 is currently at least a step above the current highest level of portable dac/amps, especially when it comes to power. However, I often see pairs for it qualified with "for a mobile". This makes me wonder how far off it really is from desktop components.
The specs, at least on the DAC, read as good or better than many desktop DAC's in the entry to even mid-range, but I understand that specs really dont tell the story of sound. So how does it sound in comparison to a desktop setup?
Logic would make me think that a well spent $600 desktop components would result in better sound than the M8, just because so much of the expense form the M8 come with creating mobility and conservation of space is expensive, where as desktops deal with a "space is free" situation, but is this actually the case?
How does the M8's sound stack up to ~$600 spent on Schiit or Audio-GD or any of the other good value desktop setups in a similar price range?