I'm gonna sound like a broken record here, but the 886 sounds exactly like any well-designed and functioning pre/pro should: quiet, distortion free, flat response. Both analogue and digital.

As Gonk says, there is plenty of difference between how the "processed" modes sound - as expected (but not, to my ear, in terms of those three basic parameters: noise, distortion, and frequency response.) The neat thing is that the 886 lets you sample them all!

I just bought a used Oppo 980H, which I'll be picking up in a couple of weeks and installing a week later, to replace a Denon 2200 that I've been using for SACD and DVD-A. I'm looking forward to the simplicity of running only an HDMI cable from it to the 886 - as well as running SACD's DSD directly to the 886.