I hear all the criticisms and I can understand where everyone is coming from.
I had many of the same concerns…especially the mono sound. After owning it for a couple weeks and listening to it for hours a day, it’s the best sounding radio I’ve ever owned. The granular detail of the vocal-forward sound is amazing.
I’m not a bass-monger but at higher volumes, the radio actually hops across the table and you can feel the bass in your chest….with no perceivable distortion.
MSRP is $600 and I think that’s a little high. The sub $500 sale price feels just about right.
Every part of the radio from touching it to listening to it feels like an ultra-premium experience.
If it were cheaper, I’d buy a second as a spare. I like it that much.