XathosAt full price of $800 it's probably somewhat expensive, but not at this drop price.
I'll list down some of its competitors :
NAD D3020
Sony UDA-1
Monitor Audio Airstream A100
Teac AI-301DA
Denon PMA-50
CEntrance DACmini PX
Yes, Sprout is more expensive than Teac AI-301DA which is an exceptional value at the current street price of $300 A/R. However, Teac does not have phono input and has weaker headphone amp. All the others despite their differences in features, specs and circuit design still in the same price category.