What price hi-fi?

The "value" system I try to use: 1. Try before you buy. If you can't, make sure there is a good resale market for what you are buying. Many times the interaction of other stuff in your system may not work with the new piece. 2. I try to get my wife and/or daughter to listen and tell me if they hear an improvement. If yes, then I know I am on to something. If they can't tell, then I re-think. 3. I talk to audiophile friends. Sometimes they can "talk me back off from the ledge, before I jump". If you have no friends, you're spending too much time on this stuff. 4. If you still like the sound of something, even after it has been superceded by something better (this will usually happen immediately after your home trial is over) or you then find it has been panned by the audio press, then it really is a good purchase. 5. You will never get it right all of the time. That is why there is a good market for used equipment. A sense of humor will help compensate for all of the money you will seem to have wasted. 6. I am always skeptical about equipment that requires a break in period of more than 24 hours. If you like a lush, warmer sound, try the Bel Canto dac. It does sound different than other dacs, so buying w/o a right of return is risky. The Bel Canto looks very unassuming. My wife never asked how much it cost.

Joe- You have nailed it for me. I can't imagine how a digital device especially has taken this long to break in. So far this unit has not really hit my hot button which isn't a good sign for ultimate enjoyment. Furthermore the Bel Canto sounds more like the sound I'm looking for in MY system. Thanks for you input Joe. Will

if ewe can't get a money-back guarantee w/at least a 30-day audition period - *don't buy it*! unless, of course, it's used, & ewe know that ewe can turn it around for a minimal loss. regarding break-in - if a unit needs an extended break-in - yust leave it on all the time! put your cd on *repeat* when ya go to bed, or aren't there actually listening... regards, doug

Ben, I share your concerns. I am using the DAC 1 with a DVD transport in my system, and I am very happy with it. Since you are neighbors...I dumped a Micromega Stage 4 for the DAC 1 / DVD combo, and it was an easy call. I don't think you can build any system without having really good front end, and this is a cheap as that gets, IMHO. This is one component that has been universally acclaimed, has a great warranty, and could easily be sold if you didn't like it. (See the reviews online at Soundstage and Planet HiFi. Also search the archived thoughts here on Audiogon discussions.) This is, as they say, a "no-brainer." I use a Creek 4330R in my sytem, by the way. Go for it, man. Charlie

Guys, Thanks for the advice and comments. I guess I feel a little greedy,I've did a lot of cost-effective upgrading with happy results all along the way-the occassional no-change or bad purchase (about $50 dollars of new tubes which sounded worse in my valve pre-amp-)means I've built a good (to my ears)system at a reasonable cost using older used but good equipment. It also means I've got the bug but it's built out of a love of music I buy a lot of CD's. The DAC-1 costs about $300 dollars more here in the UK to buy-as I said when listening to the new Arcam CD23 I could hear a performance a couple of notches up-I wasn't convinced it was worth £1100 ($1500)-the DAC-1 costs the same here. Since I use a DVD/dac set-up-the Bel Canto screams at me as does the almost universal good feedback it is getting..... Am I happy with my system? Of course. Would I like to buy/try the DAC-1 even though it means spending more than I should? Of course. Ben