I also saw on e-earphone used there was a benchmark dac 2 hgc that might be worth checking out as well. I also saw a used kingrex HQ-1 that is also worth a look
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I checked the Cyan, it does seem like they ship internationally so I should be able to get it in Japan.
However, the DAC + AMP costs a total of $1300 not including shipping + taxes (probably an additional $100~$150), so this is out of budget atm 
Thank you and M0N for the recommendation though, definitely will bookmark it!
Just confirmed the used Benchmark DAC2 HGC for around $1200 and used Kingrex HQ-1 for around $350. I canāt find the base new prices for these so not sure how good of a deal the above are though.
The benchmark is 1800 new, the kingrex is 700 new
Thanks for the info.
Would you still recommend the Cyan over the Benchmark?
Still need to do some research on the Cyan, Benchmark, and Kingrex, but in the end, I feel like I will be between the Cyan, ADI-2, and UD-505.
(contacted Kitsune to request a quote for the Cyan including shipping and confirmation of voltage)
Personally yes, mainly because I prefer the dac in there, and the amp is somewhat equivalent but a bit less aggressive on the cyan
Noted, thank you for your comment.
Iām going to build a spreadsheet with my all of my current options so its easier for me to compare.
I did just notice one gripe on the Cyan though; the power switch is in the back 
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Hello,
I have recieved the unit today.
I am a little bit confuse in the first time with it.
When i put my Denon D2000 and the Denon d7200 is the same sound no hear difference about the two phones.
When i put the phone on the Beresford Capella is more clear to hear difference.
Thatās confused a lot.
I have try to play with the Eq a bit that confused more but i need time to understand the menu and the Eq selection.
It was just a few hours who i have listen.
I have a little bit problems with the Windows driver i can only selected 24/384 and not more.Windows show me Dac adi 2 L+R analog.
I have try make the Firmwareupdate but not sure is succesfull absolved.
Soundstage is a bit confused compare with Cambridge Audio Dac magic and Beresford capella headamp.
My old setup is more natural,longer low ends,more Musicals.
On the Adi you are more intergrated on Stage in find as my setup a bit more raffiness.
For my first impression, not sure really want to keep it.
I find the Menu for understand for this price can goes it better.
When you know what your must selected is okay.
But when you donāt know is really confused.
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Canāt fix that one for you lol, but that is most likely because the unit is supposed to be kept on since an r2r has to warm up like a tube and should be left on to maintain an optimum temperature
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Loved the cyan when I got to listen to it for a demo, but ultimately went with the RME, but, I think the Cyan is right there, also it is very cool looking! Oth the RME and the Cyan have such cool aesthetics (personally I kind of prefer the cyan aesthetics, but I got a heck of a deal on a RME at the time)
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That is interesting; Iām suppose to just stop the music from source and leave it on over night/whenever Iām not using it? Thought that would potentially cause damage in the long run.
So I did do some research on the Cyan, specifically on comparisons with the ADI-2, and it does seem that it is on par or above in terms of DAC, but significantly beats the ADI-2 in terms of amp.
(The only review I saw that significantly favored the ADI-2 was analysis on Audio Science Reviews)
I do have some questions.
- Is the Cyan an all-rounder in this price range, or are you recommending it because I mentioned the HD800S and HP-3?
- Shipping this to Japan + taxes will probably total out to around $1500. Do you still recommend them over any other amps in the $1500 range? (I will check if they are readily available in Japan)
I completely agree, they both look really nice!
ADI-2ās small form factor and nice, informative display caught my attention.
Cyanās dot matrix display and black/copper shell are quite beautiful as well, albeit the thing is a tank at 5kg (aluminum + copper) and the footprint isā¦large.
If you hadnāt got a nice deal for the RME and had to compare them at base price (new), which would you have chosen?
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I think the cyan would compliment the hd800s moreso than the adi 2 dac fs would imo, the hp3 would work just fine on both though
Thatās kinda a lot, and at that point you could go for a nice amp, and wait on the dac and get something nicer down the line imo
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I think @M0N is correct, at that price you would be better going with something elseā¦
But, to answer your original questionā¦ I think I would have still gone with the ADI-2DAC because it is more feature richā¦ and more versatile.
The Cyan is still something I would love to have at some point but, like you said, size and weight are problematic for my desk setup currently lolā¦ Plus my audio shelf is pretty overran with booze and nick-knacks right now lol.
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Imo both the Holo and the rme are moreso dacs first and foremost than they are amps, so I think the play here is to get separate units, and grab a cheaper solid dac for the time being like the e30, Donald dac, something from smsl etc that will serve well, as I think you can get more out of the amp in terms of improvement in this case than the dac would give
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Since it seems that the ADI-2 is a relatively neutral amp, I was thinking of using an EQ (software of ADI-2 hardware) to softly bring up the bass on the HD800S. Maybe I can get something close to what the Cyan offers, which from what I read, is a bit more engaging and musical than the ADI-2.
Shipping within the US is $90, so I assume shipping to Japan will be around $120. Taxes come out to be around $80, so the total will likely be $1500. I would also need to get a power cable as well.
I also received an estimate as to how long it will take to reach me if I order today; max of 7 weeks! 
Still not ruling out the Cyan, but if I decide to get the ADI-2, I would can probably look for an external amp (WA6, Darkvoice, HA-1A, etc) later this year.
Or, I could also go for any of the aforementioned dac/amps, which I will try to test at e-earphone later this week.
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Yes definitely try and get a test in for sure, would be a great way to make a decision
Kind of, but also you would want to factor the dac into the equation. So imo the Holo dac tends to recreate space more impressively with better imaging, more width, greater depth, and generally a more accurate presentation. I also think the Holo tends to be more natural timbre wise with also a more realistic presentation. The rme dac is more neutral and clean, but imo lacks the spatial recreation that the holo did for me, and timbre was ok but not as good. Detail they are both pretty detailed and on a similar tier. For speed, I think both are quick but I think the cyan represents the time domain more accurately. I think the selling point on the rme is more the features and flexibility, where the sound is a step up on the cyan imo (this is still only on dacs).
Regarding amps, I think they are both on a somewhat similar tier amp wise (assuming you are talking about the dac fs), with it depending on pairing, and itās really hard to judge them separately as only amps since they are fed with the internal dacs, but my preference leans toward the cyan more often than not most likely because of the dac of the cyan is my guess
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Here is a great review and comparison of other similar units of the Cyan:
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Thatās an excellent review (as usual given who the reviewer is).
My takeaway was that the Cyan was a more enjoyable AIO, but he RME was a slightly better dac.
I wonder how the newer ADI unit would compare today against the the Cyan as itās been improved across the boardā¦
But I suspect that my question could be answered by examining this list:
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From my experience the dac fs mainly improved the amp, the dac was a
tad better but still fairly similar imo. I would agree with torq that the cyan amp would def be my preferred on the older adi 2 dac, but I think the dac fs def brought the amp up to the same playing field as the cyan amp (that was mainly what I was basing my short comparison above)
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