My New Bel Canto DAC 2

Hi Tbadder. Iused to own the 1.1 and sold it in favor of a Kora Hermes, so your comments are very interesting to me. I'm sure your DAC2 will only get better and gain musicality as it breaks in. What do you have it mated to? Bel Canto is a great company. Let us know how it shapes up.

Yes, initial reactions are deceptive, definitely need 1-200 hrs to settle in. BTW what digital cable and AC cord are you using, any info about your system would be most helpful.

Please keep us posted.

Tbadder, (or anyone): What transport, or DVDP, are you using your DAC 2 with? And what kind of cable? I've been shopping for a new or used CDP (Cary, Meridian 508.24, etc) but am starting to consider the Bel Canto DAC & would initially use with my Pioneer 525; or maybe get a Sony ES-9000. Any advice? Anyone have a sense of how the DAC 2 compares with $2k to $4K CDP's?

Thanks! Steve

Hi Guys:

Lets see, equipment: Bel Canto Pre-1(DAC 2 is installed in pre-amp) mated to a Bel Canto Evo 200.2 amp. For a transport I'm using the Theta Data Basic II. The Elco Ulitmate Digital connects DAC to transport. My speakers are the Tyler Acoustic Linbrook Monitors. My AC cords are a combination of the BMI entry level cords that were offered when the company first took flight and Dedicated Audio's top of the line cord (name escapes me right now). Zeus Audio XLR silver interconnects mate the amp and pre-amp.

After about ten more hours of listening I'd like to address (be more accurate) about the increase in soundstage depth. The whole sounstage seems to have been moved back about a foot or so, but the entire soundstage is several feet deeper overall (if that makes sense, I was kinda surprised but my wife agrees with this assessment and she got better ears than I do). The effect is that there's more separation of the individual instruments. On a Mapleshade recording the result of this is stunning, but more interestingly, on a crappy recording (like my old Rascals complilation CD) it seems as if the DAC is struggling to place the instruments against all hope. The thing that's impressive is that it succeeds occasionally, so the recording is still lousy, not just as lousy, and sometimes pleasantly surprising.

The other fascinating obsevation that's holding true for the first 15 hours is that I can turn down the volume and not lose any detail. This was definitely a problem with the 1.1, it loved juice, it begged for juice, but strangely the identical volume settings are producing less overall volume. I simply can't account for this? One side of me is distrustful of this observation, but the other side of me keeps claiming it's obviously true. Anyone got ideas why this could be? Well...it's late. Cheers and I'll keep updating regularly.