Nice. I think they make a good component. I purchased the Soulnote phono, as it has four inputs, of which one is for optical. I had just purchased an optical cartridge. I also have two turntables and the other has a moving coil cartridge mounted. I was hoping the Soulnote would sound as good as my BAT phono did and after listening, I discovered it was at least as good, if not better. Of course, not too long after I made my purchase, Soulnote came out with a newer version. I decided to not trade in, as mine sounded so good.
I've heard the Stern with Maxes and really liked it. Simply amazing. Since I already own the Max amps, the Stern is my choice. I will be moving my gear, except for the amps and speakers, to the side wall. Buying an integrated would require very long speaker cables, or very long interconnects for every piece of gear connected to it. Also, I can connect an optic fiber cable from the Stern to the Max that will turn on the Max amps when I turn on the Stern. Plus, I really like the looks of the Stern.
