The older version was in a metallised plastic case and had rave reviews on eHam.com. It covers 1kHz to 2GHz and uses a 14 bit receiver.
SDRs do most of the signal processing in software. If you have a PC, these easily out-perform receivers of years ago. Being software defined, this can simplify the hardware design. Rigs with SDR receivers are usually less expensive and complex with much of the "hard stuff" done in software.