bel canto 3.5 mark one dac with psu
very nice volume controlled bel canto dac owned from new
power supply included and remote . volume has 200 steps so very precise
this can power power amps direct if you want and has loads of inputs , for computer i use a usb adaptor for this dac
P1060498 by , on Flickr
P1060496 by , on Flickr
895
can post at cost but collection would be good from brum too as its fairly heavy
this is a review with reference to a benchmark dac
It was relatively easy to distinguish these DACs from each other. While I'm a huge fan of the Benchmark at its price point and find it to outperform several more expensive DACs, the Bel Canto is the clear winner here. First off, the Benchmark sounds a bit lean in comparison. On the great Dave's True Story's self-titled album, Kelly Flint's vocals on "Marisa" had a nicer ambience around them via the Bel Canto—she sounded bigger and more lifelike. Another great recording, 'St. James Infirmary' by Hans Theessink on Songs Fom the Southland, made clear the greater resolving power of the Bel Canto. I would be curious to hear how the latest Benchmark with upgraded output stages compares the DACs discussed here.
Bypassing the Ref 5 and driving my amps directly with the Bel Canto was a surprise. Though the sound was excellent, I expected a bump up in detail that I did not detect. Putting the Ref 5 back in yielded a more 3D presentation and a sense of notes emerging from the void as if in a darker room. The 'darker room' phenomenon helped sustain the dramatic tension on such tracks as the Cowboy Junkies' cover of "State Trooper" on White's Off Earth Now. The above is less a knock on the Bel Canto than an endorsement of the $12,000 Ref 5. Sometimes there is addition by addition.
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Iss...lcanto_dac.htm
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