I finally got to try my buddy's R16. Recorded a local flamenco group, six channels from the board (three guitars, three vocals) through direct outs, plus my MBHOs as ambiant mics. Came out great.
The preamps are quiet and clean sounding. They may be a little bit on the thin side, which would be consistent with what the folks on gearslutz are saying. However, it can be easily fixed in post.
I'm buying on of these in the near future for sure.